When I was in China, I helped many juniors to buy Chinese SIM cards every year especially in September and October when newcomers arrived at our university. I got HSK4 before I went to China so it’s not too difficult for me to buy a SIM card by myself but I know most of you guys may don’t know much Chinese so I will explain to you how can international students get a SIM card/phone number in China. But please keep in mind that all the articles post online are time-sensitive. When you check my article, the real-timing situations are likely to change. But I guarantee this is the best reference article you can find so far.
1). How Important Is It for International Students to Buy a SIM Card as Soon as They Arrive in China?
If you are coming to China for the first time, it is very important to have a Chinese SIM card as soon as possible. Because only by getting a Chinese SIM card can you get in touch with your teacher, your family, and friends at any time, as WIFI is not available anywhere. If you don't have your own phone number, you can't even apply for a bank card locally. In today's Chinese universities, the way in which notices are posted in the school hall is out of date and most notices from school are posted online especially on WeChat APP or Dingtalk APP. Therefore, getting a Chinese SIM card immediately is very important.
But should you buy a SIM card at the Chinese airport immediately once you get off the plane? My suggestion is not to do so. The biggest reason is that if you buy a Chinese SIM card at the airport, then once you have any problems with your phone number, it is difficult to go back to the airport to find them to deal with. Foreigners can only buy up to one or two SIM cards from the same carrier with the same passport, so don't waste the quota please. Once you use a certain phone number, it is not easy to replace it with a new one as it has been bound with so many APPs and bank cards. And usually, things at the airport are more expensive.
So, my advice is to buy your SIM card at a school store or around the school. First, deals in or near schools are for students mainly, which would be cheaper. Second, if you have any questions about the SIM card or need any help, you can always go to the seller for consultation. Third, in China, ordinary Chinese SIM card data is nationally available but on some campuses, the service provider may provide students with the extra data which can only be used within the campus area so that students may have a chance to get more data without paying more if they stay in such campus. Fourth, in school, you can easily find a senior or English-speaking Chinese student to help you when buying a Chinese phone number. Even there may be sellers providing SIM cards near your dormitory or school just for serving new students, which is very convenient.
2). How Can Internaitonal Students to Choose a SIM Card in China?
There are 3 SIM card service providers in mainland China, they are all state companies: China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile. However, which one you should choose? For me, I recommend China Unicom, whose SIM card is more compatible with foreign mobile phones and they don't charge much. But in fact, if your phone is some kind of new, it will be able to get along well with SIM cards from any main service providers in China. Just that China Unicom is doing the best in the international business field, compared to the other two service providers.
In China mainland, China Mobile has the largest number of users. Many people say that China Mobile's signal is the best, but I have no such experience. I own both China Mobile and China Unicom cards and they both have great signals as I am always staying in the city. If China Mobile can be cheaper, then I will also recommend it.
Foreigners rarely use China Telecom perhaps due to some time in history, China Telecom's SIM cards cannot be used on foreign mobile phones. I have no experience with China Telecom before, so no evaluate it here. But maybe it also works well nowadays, after all, the development of technology is changing with each passing day.
Sometimes what kind of SIM card in China to choose is not the most important. The most important thing is what kind of SIM card you can get the most easily. If there is only one provider around your school that can sell SIM cards to international students, then you can choose it. Because the services provided by these three companies are not particularly different in a normal situation. You don't need to care too much. Of course, if you have options, then you can choose according to these experiences I said.
What’s more, China's SIM card service providers use prepaid policies, and usually what they have is package-style supply. Their packages usually include data in a certain GB, minutes for calls, a number for texts. For example, a 99yuan package may include 40GB of data without limiting the speed, 500 minutes of calling, 300 texts. If you purchase such a package, then they will deduct 99 yuan at a fixed time each month from your credit. And you have to make sure you have enough balance in your account for them. So, when you buy a SIM card in China, please choose a Chinese SIM card package that suits you. If you use more than the package, they will deduct more money from your account and it will be more expensive.
3). What Do You Need to Bring to Buy a Chinese SIM Card?
1. RMB in cash. You can bring 100~500yuan with you because the first purchase of a SIM card in China requires a certain amount of money to be pre-deposited in the account.
2. Original and photocopy of passport. If you don't have copies, you can usually copy it in their store but original is necessary.
3. Admission letter or other documents that can prove your identity. As the Chinese government regulates mobile phone numbers more and more severely, carriers will also be careful when selling cards to avoid their cards fall for criminal use. So, it would be better if you could bring some documents that would prove your identity but please be noted that this is not necessary just a suggestion only.
4). How can International Students Get a SIM Card or Phone Number in China?
You can ask your senior where is the nearby Chinese SIM card store and go there. If you are worried about your Chinese language skill, then you can find a bilingual speaker to accompany you. However, not all stores have the right to sell SIM cards to foreigners. If the nearest one doesn’t sell phone numbers to passport holders, you can ask the staff where to buy as a foreigner. When you finally purchase a Chinese phone number, please be sure to insert the card into the phone first. If the card performs well, then you can leave the store.
When you lose your SIM card or mobile phone, you should immediately consult your mobile service provider and tell them to suspend your account and get a new SIM card without changing the number.
5). How to Top-up and Check the Bill of Chinese SIM Card?
WeChat is the most common social media used by Chinese people. I guarantee that after you arrive in China, you will definitely use this piece of software. And via this APP you can top up your Chinese SIM card easily as long as you bind your bank card with your WeChat. In addition, you can choose to pay through Alipay, or take the cash to the nearby carrier to pay the phone bill between 9 am to 5 pm too. In fact, each company has its own unique APP on which you can query all information and do most of the related operations about your SIM card but that is in Chinese only. If you want to check the bill or other information, you can also call the company and they provide English service in this way.
Customer Service Numbers:
- China Unicom：10010
- China Mobile：10086
- China telecom：10000
6). How to Deal with the SIM Card When you Leave China?
If you leave China temporarily because of the winter or summer vacation, please keep enough money in your SIM card balance. Because if your phone number is in arrears for up to three months, it will be recycled to sell to others. That means you'll lose the phone number forever. If it's down for less than three months, your mobile phone is on its way out too. If you feel that it’s a waste of money to keep paying for the package, then you can tell the staff to lowest your package as u will not use it in a short time.
If you want to leave China for a long time because of graduation, then before you leave, please go to the service provider to cancel your phone number so that when you go to China again, you can buy another SIM card without affected by bad records.
It's not hard to get a phone number in China so please take it easy. When you really set foot on the journey to China, everything will be solved.
