Does Singtel Work in China?

Singtel ReadyRoam China plans and prices

Singtel’s cheapest data plan for China is ReadyRoam Asia, S$18 for 6GB over 30 days. All prices on this page are in Singapore dollars, from Singtel’s roaming plans page, its rates PDF and its postpaid terms, checked Oct 18, 2026.

Plan	Price	Data in China	Validity
ReadyRoam Asia	S$18	6GB, then unlimited for another S$18	30 days
ReadyRoam Worldwide	S$40	6GB, then unlimited for another S$40	30 days
Unlimited Data China, Hong Kong, Macau	S$20	Unlimited, 1GB a day at full speed	7 days
UnlimitedRoam Asia	S$35	Unlimited, 15GB at full speed	14 days
UnlimitedRoam Worldwide	S$45	Unlimited, 15GB at full speed	14 days
DataRoam Unlimited Daily, China	S$25	Unlimited, under a daily fair usage limit	1 day
SMSVoiceRoam Asia	S$5	No data; 10 minutes of calls and 10 texts	30 days

• Where the data works: ReadyRoam Asia and UnlimitedRoam Asia cover 19 destinations, including China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and your data is shared across all of them. The 7-day unlimited plan works only in China, Hong Kong and Macau; Singtel’s plans page lists it under “Greater China”.
• When a plan starts and ends: ReadyRoam, UnlimitedRoam and Unlimited Data plans run on Singapore time. A plan starts at once if you pick today’s date, or at 00:00 Singapore time on a later date, and ends at 23:59 Singapore time on its last day. You can buy up to 30 days ahead.
• When the 6GB runs out: Singtel adds a second bundle at the same price on its own. Its terms say that on ReadyRoam 6GB plans, the second bundle has unlimited data until the 30 days end. A fair usage policy applies, and the 30 days aren’t extended.
• After the full-speed data: on the 7-day plan, Singtel slows your data for the rest of the day once you pass 1GB. On UnlimitedRoam, it slows it for the rest of the plan after 15GB. Singtel says you can still use standard-definition navigation, messaging and browsing, but it doesn’t publish the slower speed.
• No refunds: Singtel’s terms say ReadyRoam, UnlimitedRoam and Unlimited Data plans can’t be refunded after purchase.
• Calls and texts: these data roaming plans cover data only. In China, calls cost S$6.30 a minute, whether incoming, local, to Singapore or international, plus a S$0.35 connection fee per call. Each text you send costs S$0.80, and incoming texts are free. Singtel raised the per-minute rate from S$4.10 on June 19, 2026.

ReadyRoam Others (S$60 for 1GB) and ReadyRoam Monthly Shareable (S$50 a month for 18GB, with a 3-month minimum) also cover China. Some older Singtel help pages still list ReadyRoam Asia as 4GB; Singtel’s plans page, rates PDF and terms all say 6GB.

Some Singtel plans already include roaming data for China. Singtel says the Asia roaming data on its Enhanced Core, Priority Plus and Priority Ultra SIM Only plans covers the same 19 destinations as ReadyRoam Asia. Check what’s left in the My Singtel app before you buy a plan.

Singtel China roaming charges without a plan

Without a plan, Singtel charges S$25.00 per MB of data in China. Without an AutoRoam subscription, Singtel adds a 25% surcharge to pay-per-use rates.

AutoReadyRoam is included with all Singtel mobile plans. When it’s on, it activates the most affordable ReadyRoam plan for your destination once you use data there on a preferred network. For China, the cheapest ReadyRoam plan is ReadyRoam Asia at S$18. You can check the setting in the My Singtel app. Singtel says the AutoReadyRoam subscription can’t be cancelled once it’s active; to stop it starting a plan, turn off Data Roaming (Network) in the app.

Singtel Prepaid: hi!DataRoam packs

On Singtel Prepaid, the hi!DataRoam pack that covers China is the 7-day Asia Prepaid DataRoam (Plan B): S$20 for 6GB over 7 days, on China Mobile or China Unicom. The S$12 Plan A doesn’t cover China. Buy it in the hi!App. Since October 28, 2024, packs start when you buy them, so Singtel says to buy one before you travel. When you arrive, turn on data roaming.

How to turn on Singtel roaming for China

On a Singtel postpaid line:

1. In the My Singtel app, tap Roaming, choose China and pick a plan and start date. Buying through the 1688 hotline costs a S$10.90 activation fee.
2. If you don’t subscribe to AutoRoam, turn on Pay-As-U-Roam: in the My Singtel app, go to Add-ons, then See all, then Pay-As-U-Roam. Singtel says it’s free and charges apply only if you go beyond your roaming plan.
3. In the My Singtel app, tap Roaming, tap the gear icon and turn on Data Roaming (Network).
4. When you land in China, switch off airplane mode and turn on data roaming on your phone. On an iPhone it’s under Settings, Mobile Data, Mobile Data Options. On Android it’s under Settings, Connections, Mobile Networks, Data Roaming.
5. Connect to one of Singtel’s preferred networks in China. If your phone doesn’t pick one on its own, choose one by hand.

Singtel sends an SMS with your plan’s start and end dates. You can check your roaming data use on the Roaming tab of the My Singtel app.

Singtel China roaming network

Singtel roams on China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom in mainland China. Its rates list marks all three as preferred operators:

Network	What Singtel lists	What your phone may show
China Mobile	LTE, 5G and VoLTE	CHINA MOBILE or CMCC
China Unicom	LTE, 5G and VoLTE	UNICOM, China Unicom, CHN CUGSM, CUGSM or 460-01
China Telecom	LTE	China Telecom

Singtel’s terms say pay-per-use rates apply if you connect to a non-preferred network. All three networks in China are preferred, so your plan works on any of them.

Does WhatsApp work on Singtel roaming in China?

Singtel says your apps work, though it doesn’t name WhatsApp. Its roaming page tells travellers to China, Hong Kong and Macau they can “Enjoy easy access to your favourite apps with roaming data, no VPN setup required.” Its ReadyRoam Asia destinations page adds that you can stay connected “even in destinations with restricted internet access.”

We found no Singtel page that says how Singtel routes roaming data, so the reason is not confirmed by Singtel. Other reports:

• A travel guide for Singaporeans on Wander in China, dated August 2026, says that on roaming plans from Singtel, StarHub or M1, “the traffic is routed back via Singapore’s telecom network”, so WhatsApp and Google work without a VPN. It doesn’t describe a test, and the site carries affiliate links.
• In a HardwareZone forum thread in February 2019, one Singtel customer wrote: “I use singtel data roaming. No problems with WhatsApp and Google services. No configuration required.” Another member wrote that a friend’s Singtel postpaid line “cannot access those blocked services”. These reports are more than seven years old.

None of these reports describes a test. Have a backup ready. Our WhatsApp in China page covers other ways to reach it.

When you still need a VPN

Roaming doesn’t help on Wi-Fi. The Wander in China guide notes that Google services, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp are blocked on local Chinese Wi-Fi and local SIM cards. On hotel or café Wi-Fi in China, you need a VPN for blocked apps, whatever your phone plan. A VPN is also your fallback if Singtel roaming data doesn’t get past the firewall for you. Install and test one before you leave Singapore. See eSIM or VPN for China and VPN for hotel Wi-Fi in China.

Singtel roaming China cost compared with travel eSIMs

Extra cost for data in China for one person, in Singapore dollars, checked Oct 18, 2026, on each provider’s site:

Option	Data in China	7 days	14 days
Singtel Unlimited Data China, Hong Kong, Macau	Unlimited, 1GB a day at full speed	S$20	No 14-day plan
Singtel ReadyRoam Asia	6GB, then unlimited for another S$18	S$18	S$18
Singtel UnlimitedRoam Asia	Unlimited, 15GB at full speed	S$35 (14-day plan)	S$35
Singtel DataRoam Unlimited Daily	Unlimited each day	S$175	S$350
Nomad	Unlimited, 2GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps	S$32.00	S$49.92 (15 days; no 14-day plan)
Airalo	Unlimited, 3GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps	S$35.00	S$63.00 (15 days; no 14-day plan)

• 7 days: Singtel’s 7-day plan costs S$20, S$12.00 less than Nomad and S$15.00 less than Airalo. It has 1GB a day at full speed, against 2GB on Nomad and 3GB on Airalo.
• 14 days: UnlimitedRoam Asia costs S$35 for 15GB at full speed over the whole trip. Nomad’s 15-day plan costs S$49.92 and Airalo’s S$63.00.
• Light use: ReadyRoam Asia’s 6GB for S$18 costs about the same as 5GB for 30 days on Nomad (S$17.92) or Airalo (S$20.00).
• Day passes: DataRoam Unlimited Daily costs S$25 a day, or S$175 for a week.

On Oct 18, 2026, Singtel’s plans page also showed 30% off UnlimitedRoam for 5G+ Priority customers, 15% off for 5G+ Enhanced XS-M customers and a promo code, 5LESS, for S$5 off; the table uses full prices.

If you use a travel eSIM instead, turn off Data Roaming (Network) in the My Singtel app, so AutoReadyRoam doesn’t start a ReadyRoam plan on your Singtel line. Speed limits on unlimited eSIM plans, and how each one routes data, are on our eSIM comparison.