Before China, or after you land
Every task in this library that carries an explicit setup verdict, and which side of the flight it belongs on. The table is generated from 20 dated records out of 137; it is not maintained by hand, so it cannot quietly fall out of step with the guides it links to.
| Task | Before China | After arrival |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | ||
| China arrival card →arrival-card | ○Optional — either side of the flight works | Still possible hereNational Immigration Administration ↗ |
| Identity & verification | ||
| 12306 English site →12306-english-accepts-passport-only | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathChinese government body (China Railway 12306 official FAQ) ↗ |
| Alipay →alipay-foreign-card-binding-requirements · confidence: medium | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathOperator or service provider, official channel (Ant International press release) ↗ |
| NIA online arrival card →arrival-card-passport-scan | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathChinese government body (National Immigration Administration service platform) ↗ |
| Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay) →weixin-pay-identity-documents | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathOperator or service provider, official channel (WeChat Help Center) ↗ |
| Chinese mobile SIM card →sim-card-real-name-passport | —Cannot be done in advanceNot possible — the procedure itself requires you to be in China. Preparing harder at home changes nothing. | This is where the whole thing happens, in personChinese government body (State Council Gazette, MIIT Order No. 25) ↗ |
| Internet & phone | ||
| Travel esim install before arrival →travel-esim-install-before-arrival | ★Required — it does not work unless it is done first | Repairing it here is the slow pathOperator or service provider, official channel ↗ |
| Connectivity paths overview →connectivity-paths-overview · confidence: medium | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathEditorial inference |
| Payment | ||
| Alipay →alipay-supported-card-networks | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathChinese government body ↗ |
| Payment methods overview →payment-methods-overview | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Still possible hereChinese government body ↗ |
| Weixin Pay →wechat-international-card-setup-steps | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathOperator or service provider, official channel ↗ |
| foreign card at POS →foreign-card-pos-acceptance | —Nothing to prepareNot needed — there is no preparation step to miss. | It simply works when you get thereChinese government body ↗ |
| Romania-specific | ||
| App store region change rules →app-store-region-change-rules · Romania-specific | ★Required — it does not work unless it is done first | Repairing it here is the slow pathOperator or service provider, official channel (Apple Support) ↗ |
| Notify bank and enable international payments →notify-bank-and-enable-international-payments · Romania-specific | ★Required — it does not work unless it is done first | Repairing it here is the slow pathOperator or service provider, official channel (BCR, Romanian bank) ↗ |
| DiDi →didi-requires-card-on-file · confidence: medium | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathOfficial body outside China (Romanian MFA travel conditions for China) ↗ |
| Register presence with romanian mission →register-presence-with-romanian-mission · Romania-specific | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathOfficial body outside China (Romanian MFA travel conditions for China) ↗ |
| Revolut eSIM →revolut-esim-install-flow · Romania-specific · confidence: medium | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathOperator or service provider, official channel (Revolut Help Centre, Romania) ↗ |
| Transport & maps | ||
| 12306 identity verification for foreign passports →12306-passport-identity-verification | ★Strongly recommended — allow working days, not minutes | Repairing it here is the slow pathChinese government body ↗ |
| Alipay transit QR code →alipay-metro-ride-code-identity-verification | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathChinese government body ↗ |
| DiDi (滴滴出行) mainland China app →didi-app-foreign-registration | ★Recommended — cheaper and calmer at home | Repairing it here is the slow pathChinese government body ↗ |
How to read it
The Before column is the record’s own structured.setup_before_arrival verdict, not our reading of it. The After column follows from the record’s timing. Where a record says nothing about setup timing, it has no row here at all rather than a guessed one — 117 of the 137 records are in that position.
Each row names the record it came from and links to its source. If a row looks wrong, the record behind it is wrong, and fixing the record fixes this table and every guide at the same time.