What phone card do foreigners use for short-term travel in China and how to apply for it?

Foreigners can apply for mobile phone cards at the China Mobile lobby with their passports.

Article 7 of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Order No. 25 "Provisions on the Registration of Real Identity Information of Telephone Users" stipulates:

If an individual registers the real identity information of a telephone user, he or she can present One of the following valid documents:

1. Resident ID card, temporary resident ID card or household registration book;

2. Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldier’s ID card, Chinese People’s Armed Police ID card;

3. Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents, Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan residents, or other valid travel documents;

4. Passports of foreign citizens;

5. Law, Administrative regulations and other valid identity documents stipulated by the state.

This includes passports of foreign citizens.

Extended information

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Order No. 25 "Provisions on the Registration of Real Identity Information of Telephone Users"

Article 14

< p> If a telecommunications business operator entrusts others to act as agents for telephone network access procedures and registration of telephone users’ true identity information, they shall supervise and manage the agent’s registration and protection of the user’s true identity information, and shall not entrust other persons with relevant user true identity information that does not comply with these regulations. The agent responsible for registration and protection requirements handles the relevant procedures.

Article 15

Telecommunications business operators shall conduct self-examination at least once a year on the registration and protection of the true identity information of telephone users, and conduct a self-examination on the true identity information of telephone users on their staff. Knowledge, skills and security responsibility training related to identity information registration and protection.

Article 16

Telecommunications management agencies shall supervise and inspect the registration and protection of telephone users’ true identity information by telecommunications business operators. When telecommunications management agencies carry out supervision and inspection, they may require telecommunications business operators to provide relevant materials and enter their production and business premises to investigate the situation, and telecommunications business operators shall cooperate.

Official website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology - Regulations on Registration of Real Identity Information of Telephone Users