Phone Cards & Bank Accounts for Foreigners in China — A Practical Guide

The two problems every first-time visitor to mainland China hits within an hour of landing: no local phone number (so nothing registers, nothing pays, nothing verifies) and no bank account (so you cannot move money in or out, and your foreign card gets declined at surprising moments). This guide explains, in plain English, how to solve both with the least pain — using a Hong Kong SIM for connectivity and verification codes, and a mainland bank account (Industrial Bank or HSBC Premier) for money. It is written like a friend who has lived here for years is walking you through it, not like a brochure.

01Why you want a Hong Kong SIM, not a mainland one first

This chapter solves: the "I just landed and I can't do anything" problem, and the "I don't want to hand my passport to a carrier" problem.

You step off the plane in Shanghai or Shenzhen. You need to order a DiDi, scan a restaurant menu, or receive the SMS code that proves you are you. Your home SIM may or may not work for data, and it almost certainly will not receive the verification codes some Chinese apps demand. The instinct is to run to a China Mobile shop and buy a mainland SIM. Resist that as your first move. Here is why a Hong Kong SIM — specifically the 3HK DIY SIM — is the better first step:

• You can buy it before you leave home. The eSIM version is purchased online and the QR code arrives by email. Land with working data and a real phone number already. No shop, no queue, no Mandarin.
• No mainland real-name registration. A mainland SIM requires real-name registration with a Chinese ID or, for foreigners, a passport plus a visa tied to mainland China. A Hong Kong SIM is registered under Hong Kong rules, which is lighter and can often be done with a passport or Mainland Travel Permit. ⚠ fluid — confirm exactly which ID 3HK accepts for real-name at purchase time.
• It just works for data in mainland China. The Hong Kong SIM roams onto a mainland network (usually China Unicom; it can fall back across carriers) and gives you normal mobile internet the moment you land. ⚠ fluid — roaming partner and speed vary by location and plan.
• The +852 number receives verification SMS. This is the whole point. Many apps and services that accept a Hong Kong number will send it a code — which your home number often cannot receive. See the compatibility table.
• One card covers HK, Macau and mainland. The annual data pass is valid across all three, so a trip that hops borders stays connected.

02The 3HK DIY SIM — the card with a +852 number (our pick)

This chapter solves: "I need a number that can actually receive the SMS codes Chinese apps send."

The 3HK DIY SIM (和记 DIY 储值卡) is a Hong Kong prepaid SIM. Unlike a pure data "travel eSIM," the DIY SIM comes with a real +852 Hong Kong phone number, supports eSIM activation by QR code, and can receive SMS messages — including verification codes — for free, even while you are roaming in mainland China. ⚠ fluid — receiving SMS is reported free on the DIY SIM both in Hong Kong and while roaming; confirm at purchase, because outgoing SMS and calls are charged separately (see below). That combination — a number you keep, eSIM convenience, free incoming codes — is exactly what a visitor needs.

The annual data pass we recommend

The single plan to look at is the 365-day Greater Bay data pass — 45 GB (40 GB standard data + 5 GB for designated social apps), covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Price: HK$268 for 365 days, no monthly fee, no contract. ⚠ fluid — this is the published price as of October 2026; 3HK changes packs, so confirm on three.com.hk/prepaid/DIY before buying. For roughly US$34 a year you get a working number and 45 GB of cross-border data — about five US cents per GB.

Card validity — the one trap to know

The card itself is valid for 180 days. The 365-day data pass runs longer than the card's base life, so you must keep the card "alive" by topping up, otherwise the number is recycled. Top-up amounts extend validity like this ⚠ fluid (per 3HK DIY SIM terms — confirm at purchase):

03The Travel eSIM / 外游套餐 — data only, no number (the alternative)

This chapter solves: "I only need internet, I don't care about a number." It also draws a hard line you must not cross.

3HK also sells Travel eSIM / 外游套餐 data plans. These are pure data: they give you mobile internet while roaming, but they do not come with a phone number and therefore cannot receive any SMS — including verification codes. If all you want is to browse, maps, and WhatsApp/email over data, a Travel eSIM is fine and simple. If you need to receive a code from WeChat, a bank, or 12306, a Travel eSIM will leave you stuck — it has no number to receive it.

The Travel eSIM / 外游套餐 comes in 1-day, multi-day and 365-day data shapes. Examples from 3HK's published travel data table ⚠ fluid:

three.com.hk/prepaid/DIY → 外遊數據 / Travel data

04DIY SIM vs Travel eSIM — the difference that matters

This chapter solves: "They look the same on the website, which do I click?"

05Buy it before you fly — step by step, from outside China

This chapter solves: "I'm still at home. Can I have a working HK number by the time I land?" Yes.

The DIY SIM eSIM can be bought entirely online, from anywhere, and the activation QR arrives by email. You do not need to be in Hong Kong or China. Do this a few days before departure.

1. Open three.com.hk/prepaid/DIY and switch the site to English (EN) if you like. Pick Greater Bay / 大灣區 as the region and choose the 365-day data pass — 45 GB, HK$268. ⚠ fluid

   You should see: a plan showing 40 GB + 5 GB social data, valid 365 days across mainland/HK/Macau.

2. Choose eSIM, not a physical card. Physical SIMs are mailed to a Hong Kong address; eSIM is delivered by email as a QR code. If your phone is too old for eSIM, you will have to use a physical SIM and a freight forwarder — see chapter 8.

   Note: some China-market phones (e.g. certain mainland iPhone models) only support mainland eSIM and may not take a HK eSIM. Check your model first.

3. Create a 3HK account with your email. 3HK emails a code to that address to verify it, then you set a password.

   You should see: "account created" and a prompt to pick a payment method.

4. Pay. 3HK accepts foreign credit cards, Alipay, Alipay HK, WeChat Pay HK and UnionPay. A foreign Visa/Mastercard usually works. ⚠ fluid — if your card is declined, try a different card or Alipay.

5. Receive the eSIM QR by email. Open the email on a different device (or screenshot it), then on your phone go to Settings → Cellular / Mobile → Add eSIM and scan the code.

   You should see: the 3HK plan appear under your cellular plans. Turn on Data Roaming for it.

6. Install My3 (3HK's app) and log in with the new number + SMS code. Inside, you can check balance, data used, expiry, and — if you want voice/SMS in Hong Kong — do real-name registration with a passport or Mainland Travel Permit. ⚠ fluid

7. Land and connect. With data roaming on, you have internet the moment the plane touches down, and your +852 number is live to receive codes.

06What your +852 number can and cannot verify (compatibility table)

This chapter solves: "I have the HK number — which apps will actually send it a code?"

This is the table visitors ask for most. Reality: a +852 number is far better received than a US/UK number, but China is not uniform. Some platforms accept it; some hard-require +86; some accept it for login but not for full identity verification. Treat the table as a starting point and confirm at the moment you sign up — platforms change rules. ⚠ fluid on every row means "verify when you try it."

07Hong Kong SIM vs mainland SIM — when you still need a +86

This chapter solves: "Do I ever need a mainland number at all?"

Yes — but later, not first. A mainland SIM (China Mobile / China Unicom / China Telecom) requires real-name registration: a passport plus a valid mainland visa/residence permit, done in a shop. It gives you a +86 number that every Chinese platform accepts without question, and it is what a mainland bank will demand (the bank checks that the phone is in your own name — see chapter 9).

08Phone-card pitfalls (and how to dodge them)

This chapter solves: the eight "why won't my code arrive" and "I don't want a mainland number" situations visitors post about.

09Can you even open a bank account? Visas, real-name, documents

This chapter solves: "I'm on a tourist visa — can I just walk into a bank?" (Short answer: usually no.)

A mainland personal bank account is genuinely useful — it lets you receive local payments, bind Alipay/WeChat Pay to a Chinese card, and (with the right bank) send money home cheaply. But opening one as a foreigner is governed by anti-money-laundering rules, and the bank will check your visa type, your mainland phone number, and your identity documents.

What you will need (exact list varies by branch — call ahead):

• Passport with a valid visa/stay permit (not expired, not a tourist visa if the bank requires more).
• A mainland mobile number in your own name. The bank verifies the phone is registered to you. This is why the phone-card order matters (chapter 7, chapter 16).
• Local address — sometimes a hotel or rental proof; some branches are strict, some relaxed. ⚠ fluid
• Employment or study documents for work/study visas (contract, company letter, admission letter).
• A reason the bank accepts. Banks must record a purpose (salary, living expenses, study). Have a plain, true answer ready.

10The account-opening walkthrough, step by step

This chapter solves: "OK I qualify — what actually happens in the branch?"

1. Pick a bank and a branch. For cheap outbound remittance, target Industrial Bank (CIB); for a global relationship, target HSBC Premier. Call to confirm they open foreigner accounts and what they need that day. ⚠ fluid

   You should hear: "bring passport, visa, mainland phone, address proof." If they say tourist visa is fine, double-check — many won't.

2. Get your +86 SIM first (if you don't have one). The bank will SMS a code to it and may check the number is registered to you.

3. Go in person with documents. There is no fully-remote foreigner account opening — the counter is mandatory. Branches rarely speak English; use a translation app or bring help.

   You should see: a paper or tablet form in Chinese; the clerk keys your passport and visa in.

4. State your purpose plainly. "I work here and need to receive salary / pay living costs" or "I study here." Banks must log a reason; a vague answer slows you down.

5. Set PIN, get the card, enable mobile banking. Ask them to switch on mobile banking, online transfer, and overseas transfer (跨境汇款) if offered. Some limits are set low by default — ask to raise them with justification.

   You should get: a debit card, a passbook or app login, and an SMS test code to your +86.

6. Bind Alipay / WeChat Pay to the new card inside those apps. Now you can pay like a local.

11Why you cannot convert RMB to foreign currency online (FX controls)

This chapter solves: "I have RMB in the app — why can't I just swap it to dollars and send it?"

China runs a managed foreign-exchange regime. You cannot freely convert RMB into a foreign currency, or send RMB abroad, from your phone. Two rules explain almost everything:

• The annual convenience quota. Each individual (境内个人 — which includes foreign nationals residing in China) gets a US$50,000-equivalent per year convenience quota for current-account foreign-exchange purchase and remittance (salary, living costs, study — not investment property). Within the quota, with real documents, it is straightforward. Above it, or for capital-account items, it gets hard. ⚠ fluid — the quota and the documents required are set by SAFE and can change.
• Proof of source. To remit income you earned in China, the bank wants evidence it is legit: employment contract, tax records (个税), payroll slips. "I just have cash" will not move. This is anti-money-laundering, not personal.

12Industrial Bank (CIB) — the low-fee way to send money out

This chapter solves: "I earn RMB and need to send it home without bleeding fees."

CIB is widely reported by foreigners as one of the cheaper mainland banks for outbound remittance, and its published fee schedule backs that up. Here is the official retail outward-remittance fee structure from CIB's 综合服务价目表 (Combined Service Charge Schedule) and its 2026 adjustment notice ⚠ fluid — verify at the branch, because promos have end dates:

That last line is the trick: open a CIB account and get the 寰宇人生 travel debit card, and the 0.1% handling fee is waived — you then pay only the ¥100 telegraph fee (and any FX spread and intermediary-bank charges). For many foreigners that makes CIB the cheapest mainstream option for sending China earnings abroad. But confirm the promo is still live and ask whether your account qualifies. ⚠ fluid

How CIB compares with other banks

The CIB figures above are from CIB's own official schedule. The other banks below are from third-party fee compilations and are shown only as a rough orientation — verify each at the branch, because fees, VIP waivers and promos differ. ⚠ fluid

13HSBC Premier — the RMB 500,000 global-account play

This chapter solves: "I have serious money in China and want a global banking relationship, not just a local account."

If CIB is the "send money out cheaply" tool, HSBC Premier is the "make my China money part of a worldwide relationship" tool. The headline number is the balance requirement — and it is often misstated, so here is the precise rule, taken from HSBC China's own 账户和服务费率 (个人客户适用) and its public FAQ:

Note: The fee tiers are ranges, not overlapping thresholds. If your average balance is below RMB 100,000 you pay RMB 100/month; if it is between RMB 100,000 and RMB 499,999 you pay RMB 300/month; at RMB 500,000 or above the fee is waived.

Sources: HSBC China 账户和服务费率（个人客户适用） (tariff-of-accounts-services-for-personal-customers) and the HSBC China FAQ "卓越理财客户服务月费是多少？" — both state RMB 300/month below the RMB 500,000 average-daily-balance line.

What counts toward the balance, and the global perks

• What counts: HSBC's "total relationship balance" typically includes deposits, investments, funds, insurance and structured products held with HSBC China. The exact inclusion list is HSBC's, so confirm. ⚠ fluid
• Open overseas HSBC accounts more easily: HSBC China Premier lets you request opening of an overseas HSBC Premier account; the published condition is a valid passport / Mainland Travel Permit plus an overseas long-term visa with remaining validity over 3 months. ⚠ fluid
• Global transfers between your own HSBC accounts: HSBC markets fee-free instant transfers between your own HSBC accounts worldwide for Premier. But from mainland China this is still subject to Chinese foreign-exchange rules — the bank's own footnotes say overseas-account opening and global transfers must comply with SAFE regulations and require a genuine need. ⚠ fluid
• Fee-free ATM abroad: standard Premier benefit in many markets; confirm for your destination. ⚠ fluid

One Place Premier, Global Premier — and the UnionPay card trick

HSBC has a policy often summarized as "One Place Premier, Global Premier" (一地卓越，全球卓越): once you qualify for Premier status in one country, HSBC recognizes that status globally. This matters for China visitors in a very practical way.

After you open a Premier account in mainland China, you can apply — remotely, without traveling to Hong Kong — for an HSBC Hong Kong card that carries a UnionPay logo. ⚠ fluid — confirm the remote-application process and eligibility with HSBC, as requirements can change.

Why this matters: many places in mainland China only accept UnionPay (small merchants, some ATMs, metro systems). Visa and Mastercard are not accepted everywhere. A UnionPay card from HSBC Hong Kong gives you near-universal acceptance in mainland China, and you can get it without a separate trip to Hong Kong.

Steps (verify with HSBC):

1. Open and fund your HSBC China Premier account (RMB 500,000 average balance).
2. Ask your HSBC China relationship manager about opening an HSBC Hong Kong account and applying for a UnionPay card. HSBC's "global account opening" service is designed for this.
3. Complete the Hong Kong account application remotely (passport, proof of address, and your existing Premier status).
4. Receive the UnionPay card by mail. Use it in mainland China wherever UnionPay is accepted.

14Using CIB and HSBC together

This chapter solves: "Should I pick one bank or run both?"

They are not rivals — they do different jobs. A practical two-bank setup for a foreigner who earns in China and moves money internationally:

15Sending your China income home, step by step

This chapter solves: "I have RMB salary. Walk me through the actual send."

1. Confirm you are within the annual quota and have proof. Per person, US$50,000-equivalent convenience quota per year for current-account use. Gather income proof: contract, tax records (个税 app), payroll slips. ⚠ fluid

   You should know: the amount you can send this year minus what you already sent.

2. Open the CIB account + 寰宇人生 travel debit card (chapter 10, 12) so the handling fee is waived. Or use HSBC if you hold Premier and are moving between your own HSBC accounts.

3. Go to the branch in person. Outbound remittance is a counter task; bring passport, visa, +86 SIM, and income proof.

   You should see: a remittance form (跨境汇款申请书) in Chinese; the clerk checks your quota and documents.

4. Fill in recipient, purpose, and fee style. Purpose must be a real current-account reason (salary, living expenses). Choose who pays intermediary fees: OUR (you pay all, recipient gets full amount — CIB adds ~¥200) or SHA/BEN (fees taken from the amount). Ask for the total RMB needed to land your target foreign amount. ⚠ fluid

5. Authorize and send. The bank converts RMB→foreign currency at its rate (spread included) and wires it. Keep the receipt.

   You should get: a reference number and an SMS confirmation to your +86.

6. Track the arrival. Allow 1–3 business days; intermediary banks can add a day. If it stalls, the receipt reference is your lever with both banks.

16Bank pitfalls (and how to dodge them)

This chapter solves: the account traps that cost visitors money, accounts, or both.

17FAQ — questions visitors actually ask