Start here
Bring your passport and phone to an official operator’s service shop. Confirm that the particular shop can handle your document and that the plan works with your device before paying.
Start with an official operator
Official visitor guidance names China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom as operators where foreigners can apply for mobile service with a passport. It does not establish that every outlet handles every document or plan.
We have not field-checked individual Xiamen SIM counters or their opening hours. Ask your hotel to call a nearby official service shop before you make the journey. Confirm the full shop address, opening time and whether the person who needs the SIM must attend.
Take these with you
- Your original passport.
- The phone you plan to use, with enough battery to test the service.
- A way to pay and access to any existing account verification messages.
- Your hotel address if the shop requests local contact information.
Tell the staff how long you will stay, whether you need a Chinese number for SMS and whether your device has a physical SIM tray.
Ask before buying
- Does this plan include a mainland Chinese number and incoming SMS?
- What is the total initial payment, and what recurring charges apply?
- How much data is included, and what happens when it runs out?
- How do I cancel, and can I do it before leaving China?
- Can you demonstrate a call, a message and mobile data on my own phone?
These are our purchase-check questions, not a promise about any operator’s package. Do not assume that a local SIM includes the same access to overseas services as your home connection.
Show this at the counter
您好，我想用护照办理一张手机卡，需要中国手机号码和短信服务。请问这里可以办理吗？
“Hello, I would like to register a SIM card with my passport. I need a Chinese phone number and SMS. Can you arrange that here?”
If the shop cannot help, ask for the nearest official branch that can. Use roaming or a compatible travel eSIM as a separate connectivity option if appropriate.