If you work, study, or travel to China regularly, this guide explains how to legally get a Chinese mobile number with your passport, where to go, how to choose a plan, and how to keep the number at low cost after you leave (so you can still receive verification codes or reuse it later).

Policy check: SIM and number-retention rules vary by city and carrier, and they change. Prefer in-store advice plus official hotlines 10086 / 10010 / 10000. Last verified: September 2026.