Pre-trip checklist

26 things to do before you fly to China

Ordered by when each item actually needs doing, not by category. The items near the top have lead times measured in weeks, so they are the ones worth reading first. Requirements vary by nationality and change; confirm current official guidance for your own circumstances.

You can tick these boxes as you work through the page, and the page is laid out to print cleanly. Ticks are not saved between visits. If you want a version that survives a dead phone and no connection, that is what the offline packs are for.

8 weeks out

Check passport validityMany entry rules require validity well beyond your return date, and renewal takes weeks. This is the item most likely to end a trip before it starts.

Confirm your entry requirementsRequirements vary by nationality and change. Check the current official position for your passport and your exact itinerary rather than last year's advice.

Start any visa applicationWhere a visa is required, processing times vary and appointment slots can be scarce in peak season. Confirm current official processing guidance.

Book long-haul flightsFares and availability move against you as the date approaches, particularly around domestic holiday periods.

Sketch the city sequence, not the detailDecide which cities and in what order. Backtracking is the single biggest silent cost in a China itinerary.

Check for national holiday overlapTravelling during major domestic holidays changes crowding, pricing and ticket availability substantially. Better to know now.

4 weeks out

Book intercity rail for fixed datesBooking windows open a set period ahead and popular routes sell out quickly. Confirm the current window with the operator.

Book accommodation that can register foreign guestsNot every property is set up to register a foreign passport. Confirm directly with the property rather than assuming a booking site knows.

Arrange travel insuranceRead the medical cover, the limits, and whether it pays providers directly or reimburses you afterwards.

Sort out prescription medicationRules on what may be brought in vary by substance and change. Original packaging plus prescription documentation, and verify current official rules.

Tell your bank and card issuerAn unexpected foreign transaction is a common trigger for a card block, which is painful on arrival day.

Decide your connectivity approachChoose it now so there is time to install, activate and test rather than discovering a problem in the arrivals hall.

1 week out

Set up and verify payment appsVerification can require documents, time and a working connection. Doing this at home is far easier than doing it abroad.

Test your connectivity setupTest the specific apps you will rely on, not just that the connection exists.

Download offline maps for every cityOffline maps are the cheapest insurance in the trip and work when nothing else does.

Download offline translation packsA translation app that needs a connection fails in exactly the moment you need it.

Save every accommodation address in ChineseSave as images, not just text. A driver who cannot read your booking confirmation can read a Chinese address.

Check the seasonal weather for each cityChina spans several climate zones. What you pack for one city may be wrong for the next.

48 hours out

Photograph your passport and documentsKeep a copy somewhere that does not depend on your phone being alive and charged.

Print or write your emergency cardAccommodation name and address in Chinese, plus your key contacts, on paper. This is the fallback when the phone is dead.

Get a small amount of local cashA bridge for the first transport leg, for the case where digital payment does not work on arrival.

Check in and confirm baggage rulesDomestic onward flights often have tighter allowances than the long-haul leg you booked.

Charge everything and pack a power bankYour phone is your map, ticket, translator and wallet. Plan for it to run down faster than usual.

Arrival day

Confirm data works before leaving the terminalDo not walk out until you have working data, or have consciously accepted operating offline until the hotel.

Use the official taxi rank or the rail linkIgnore anyone offering a ride inside the terminal building.

Register at your accommodation with your passportBring the physical passport. Registration is normally handled by the property at check-in.

Want the offline version?

The same preparation material in a form that keeps working when your phone has no signal.

See the offline packs Start with the free kit