Do I need a VPN when traveling to China? Can I use my international SIM card?

If you are only visiting China for a short time and do not rely heavily on international services, roaming with your international SIM card is possible. Most major providers (AT&T, Vodafone, T-Mobile, etc.) offer roaming in China, and these connections often bypass the Great Firewall (GFW), allowing direct access to global services. However, note:

• Roaming is very expensive — often $10–15/day
• Speed is usually limited and may have daily caps
• Not suitable for long-term or high-volume use

If you plan to stay in China longer, or rely on access to services like Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Google Docs, WhatsApp, we strongly recommend:

• Buying a local SIM card (e.g. China Unicom, China Telecom)
• Using a secure VPN to bypass the GFW

Popular services blocked in China without VPN include:

• Search: Google, Bing (EN), DuckDuckGo
• Social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Snapchat, X
• Messaging: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Messenger, Line
• Streaming: YouTube, Twitch, Spotify, Netflix (partially)
• Cloud: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud (partly)
• Email: Gmail, ProtonMail, Outlook (unstable)
• News: BBC, CNN, NYT, Wikipedia (EN)