China Unicom Tourist SIM: Price, Plans and How to Buy

What China Unicom sells to visitors

China Unicom sells visitors short-term SIM cards with a Chinese (+86) number, bought in person in mainland China with a passport. These are the China Unicom products for visitors that the sources describe:

Product	What you get	Where to buy	Price
SIM card plans (Beijing)	7, 10, 15 or 30 days	China Unicom halls at Beijing Capital and Daxing airports, and the Beijing Service counter at Daxing	Not published
CUBe Card (Beijing)	A China Unicom 5G SIM with data, calls and texts, plus a digital yuan (e-CNY) wallet and the BEIJING PASS transport card	China Unicom halls at both Beijing airports and the Tayuan hall in Beijing	Not published
TRAVEL PASS (Beijing)	A pocket Wi-Fi and payment device that holds a China Unicom SIM and a Bank of Beijing UnionPay card	China Unicom halls at both Beijing airports	Device 400 yuan, or free to rent with a 400-yuan deposit during the trial; SIM plan price not published

China Unicom’s Hong Kong brand, CUniq, sells a separate range of Hong Kong SIMs and eSIMs. See how China Unicom and CUniq differ.

China Unicom tourist SIM price

We found no prices for China Unicom’s own visitor plans on China Unicom’s or the Beijing government’s websites. Beijing’s government lists the plan lengths without prices, and China Unicom’s booking form for foreign customers says staff confirm the service details. These are the prices the sources do give:

• TRAVEL PASS in Beijing: Beijing’s government lists the device at 400 yuan, or free to rent with a 400-yuan deposit during the trial period. In March 2025, it said rentals would be free until June 30, 2025. Current rental terms are not confirmed.

For China Mobile’s visitor plans, see our guide to a Chinese phone number for foreigners.

China Unicom SIM on Trip.com

Trip.com sells a “China Unicom Nihao 5G SIM Card” with a +86 number that you collect at an airport counter. The listing names China Unicom (CUCC) as the network and points to Nihao Mobile’s app for checking your usage. Nihao Mobile calls itself a Chinese mobile virtual network operator serving expats, and Shanghai’s government lists it in its guide to mobile services. Trip.com’s prices on October 14, 2026:

Days	Data in mainland China	Calls in mainland China	Texts in mainland China	Price
7	10 GB	80 minutes	20	US$14.04
15	30 GB	200 minutes	50	US$28.07
30	60 GB	300 minutes	50	US$42.10

The plans run on calendar days and cover mainland China only, not Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan. You order at least 2 hours ahead and collect the card with your passport at a Roamingman counter at Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Guangzhou Baiyun or Chengdu Tianfu airport. Staff complete the real-name registration and activate the card. Each passport can get one card, and only adults aged 18 or over can buy it. The listing says cards that haven’t been collected or activated can be refunded.

China Unicom travel SIM in Beijing: CUBe Card and TRAVEL PASS

In Beijing, China Unicom’s travel products for visitors are the CUBe Card and TRAVEL PASS. Beijing’s government announced both in March 2025, and China Unicom released upgraded versions in September 2026, according to the telecom news site 运营商财经网. It says the two products had served more than 40,000 foreign customers from 120 countries and regions.

• CUBe Card (幂方卡): a China Unicom 5G NFC SIM card with data, calls and texts that work across China. It also holds a Bank of China digital yuan (e-CNY) wallet and BEIJING PASS, which you tap for Beijing’s buses and subway. Beijing’s government says it currently works in Android and HarmonyOS phones, in SIM slot 1, and each person can get up to three. In March 2025, it said visitors whose phones can’t take another SIM could borrow a phone free of charge. Bank of China said in April 2026 that more than 10,000 CUBe Cards had been issued, and that visitors get one with their passport on arrival at Beijing Capital or Daxing airport.
• TRAVEL PASS (畅游通): a white device about the size of a power bank that holds a China Unicom (Beijing) SIM card and a Bank of Beijing UnionPay card. It gives you portable Wi-Fi, UnionPay QR code payments, translation and map navigation, and the SIM also works in a phone for calls. You can return the device at China Unicom halls at Beijing Capital Terminal 3, Beijing Daxing and Shanghai Pudong. 运营商财经网 reports that the September 2026 version adds a phone app that does the same job without the device.

Outside the mainland, China Unicom’s Hong Kong brand sells the CUniq Travel SIM, a Hong Kong SIM with daily data packs. See how China Unicom and CUniq differ.

China Unicom prepaid SIM

China Unicom’s visitor SIMs are prepaid plans that last a set number of days. Beijing’s government says you top up the CUBe Card and the TRAVEL PASS SIM at a China Unicom hall or in the China Unicom app. When the plan ends, it expires on its own, and any balance left isn’t refunded.

Xinhua reported in July 2024 that Beijing Unicom’s 7-, 15- and 30-day cards for foreign visitors take effect as soon as they’re activated. They also include some direct-dial calls abroad and to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Trip.com’s listing calls the SIM it sells a one-time prepaid plan. Service ends when the data runs out or the days are up, you don’t need to visit a store to cancel it, and the listing offers no renewal.

Where to buy a China Unicom tourist SIM

You buy a China Unicom tourist SIM at a China Unicom counter at a major airport or at a China Unicom store in the city. China’s tourism ministry says many international airports have SIM card kiosks, and operator stores are in shopping malls and commercial districts.

• Beijing Capital (PEK): China Unicom’s hall in Terminal 3 is open 7:00 to 21:00, according to a Beijing government answer from February 2025. Xinhua reported in July 2024 that the service point is at exit B on level 2 of Terminal 3.
• Beijing Daxing (PKX): China Unicom’s outlet is on the ground floor, east of the tourism information office, open 7:00 to 19:00, and it only sells SIM cards. The Mobile Services section of the airport’s Beijing Service counter also issues China Unicom SIM cards and the CUBe Card.
• Beijing city: Xinhua says Beijing Unicom has three halls for foreign customers in the city’s embassy districts, with English-speaking staff and an English service desk. China.com reported in December 2025 that the Tayuan hall also issues the CUBe Card.
• Shanghai Pudong (PVG): the airport lists a China Unicom counter in the public area of Terminal 2 arrivals (2D-7-1, near South Wuzhou Road), open 7:00 to midnight. More in our Pudong airport guide.
• Shenzhen and other cities: EyeShenzhen, an English-language portal run by the newspaper Shenzhen Daily, says to take your ID to a China Unicom business hall. Beijing’s government suggests a hall run directly by the operator, and calling ahead on 10010 to ask whether it takes applications from foreign nationals.

Book online in Beijing

China Unicom’s English booking form for foreign customers asks for your name, nationality, ID number and its expiry date, date of birth, gender and a contact number. You then pick a service hall in Beijing and a time slot. The form says it only books an appointment and that staff confirm the service details. Beijing’s government says you collect the card at the Beijing Service counter at Daxing airport.

For other airports, see our guides to Beijing Capital airport, Daxing airport and China airport Wi-Fi.

What you need for a China Unicom SIM

You need your passport. China’s tourism ministry says visitors can buy a SIM card with a passport or a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, and EyeShenzhen also lists overseas Chinese passports. EyeShenzhen describes three steps:

1. Choose a number and a plan.
2. Complete real-name registration and face recognition.
3. Sign the notice and the network access agreement.

• Visa: Beijing’s government said in March 2025 that visitors need their passport and visa for China Unicom’s airport products, and that it takes about 5 minutes.
• Face check: since December 1, 2019, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has required stores to match each customer’s face to their ID before issuing a number.
• Fees and limits: Beijing’s government says the card is issued on the spot with no processing fee; you pay for the plan. One person with a valid passport can apply for up to five SIM cards.
• Phone: bring an unlocked phone. Trip.com’s listing says carrier-locked and contract phones may not work with its China Unicom SIM.

Google and WhatsApp on a China Unicom SIM

Google, WhatsApp and Instagram need a VPN on a China Unicom SIM, because it is a local mainland connection. Trip.com’s 2026 SIM guide says China’s firewall restricts Western sites and apps such as Google, Facebook and WhatsApp on all local Chinese SIMs, whatever the provider. China’s tourism ministry says Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are not directly accessible in China. It advises installing a VPN before you arrive, because local app stores may not carry VPN apps.

Roaming eSIMs work differently. Airalo says its China eSIMs send traffic through gateways outside mainland China, so the firewall sees an international roaming user. Our guide to choosing an eSIM or a VPN for China compares the two, and does WhatsApp work in China covers WhatsApp.

China Unicom vs CUniq (China Unicom Hong Kong)

CUniq is the brand of China Unicom’s Hong Kong company, and it sells Hong Kong SIMs, not mainland China Unicom SIMs. Its online shop is titled 中國聯通(香港)CUniq網上商城 (China Unicom (Hong Kong) CUniq online shop). Prices checked October 14, 2026:

• China data eSIMs: CUniq’s Chinese Mainland and Macau eSIMs cost from HK$21 for 4 GB over 2 days to HK$508 for 100 GB over 180 days. They have no calls or texts. Since August 1, 2026, you must activate them in Hong Kong or another listed place before you travel to the mainland.
• CUniq Travel SIM: its Chinese Mainland data pack has a standard price of HK$12 a day.
• CUniq Monthly SIM: a contract-free monthly prepaid SIM from HK$48 every 30 days, with 3 GB of data shared between mainland China and Hong Kong.
• Mainland number: CUniq adds a China Unicom mainland number to designated Hong Kong plans for a standard HK$10 a month. It registers the number only with a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, a PRC Resident Identity Card or a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, so a foreign passport doesn’t qualify. Each ID can hold up to five China Unicom mainland numbers, and CUniq says the mainland authorities decide each registration.
• 3HK: Hong Kong carrier 3HK’s Chinese Mainland & HK 1-Card-2-Number service adds a China Unicom number for HK$28 a month. It is only for customers who have used 3HK postpaid service for two years or more, and you must show your original Hong Kong Identity Card and Mainland Travel Permit.

Our pages on CUniq in China and 3HK in China cover their data plans and whether blocked apps work on them. For eSIMs that come with a number, see China eSIM with a phone number.

China’s real-name rule for phone numbers

Every phone number in China must be registered to its user’s real identity. The rule comes from MIIT’s Provisions on the Registration of Real Identity Information of Telephone Users (Order No. 25), in force since September 1, 2013:

• Carriers must ask for a valid ID when you sign up for a mobile line, including a mobile data card, and record the details on it (Articles 3, 6 and 9).
• A foreign passport is one of the accepted IDs (Article 7).
• Carriers must refuse anyone who won’t show ID, uses someone else’s ID or uses a forged one (Article 10).

The Anti-Telecom and Online Fraud Law, in force since December 1, 2022, requires carriers to enforce real-name registration in full and limits how many phone cards one person can hold (Articles 9 and 10). It also bans the shortcuts some websites sell:

• Renting or buying numbers. No one may buy, sell, rent out or lend phone cards, or help anyone pass a real-name check (Article 31). Police confiscate any income and fine 1 to 10 times that amount, or up to 200,000 yuan if there was no income or it was under 20,000 yuan. Serious cases add up to 15 days’ detention (Article 44).
• Code-receiving platforms. No one may make, sell, provide or use platforms that receive SMS or voice verification codes in bulk. Carriers and internet companies must block them and report them to the police (Article 14).

Since the end of November 2019, MIIT has also required carriers’ service agreements to say that users may not resell their SIM cards.