Can a phone bought in mainland China use a travel eSIM?
Most phones sold in mainland China cannot use an eSIM, but the newest iPhones can, with two rules of their own: the travel eSIM goes on only once you are abroad, and the phone holds at most two eSIMs. How to tell what your phone can do, what those rules mean on a trip, and what to use if it cannot.
Check your phone in ten seconds
- Dial *#06#. If an “EID” line shows, the phone supports eSIM; if it does not, it cannot install one.
- On an iPhone you can also look in Settings → General → About for EID.
- Where the phone was bought matters more than the model name: the same iPhone sold in Hong Kong or abroad can differ from the mainland one.
Mainland-China iPhones with eSIM
Apple lists these iPhones bought in mainland China as supporting eSIM: iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo. Other iPhones bought in mainland China do not support eSIM. iPhone Air and iPhone Duo have no SIM slot at all; the others take a nano-SIM too. (Apple’s list as of October 2026; newer models may join it.)
Source: support.apple.com/123879
The two rules on a trip
- The travel eSIM installs only abroad: Apple says eSIMs from carriers outside mainland China cannot be installed while the phone is in mainland China, and abroad Location Services must be on. So buy before you go, and install it after you land, on airport or hotel Wi-Fi.
- At most two eSIMs: if both places already hold your mainland eSIMs (say one number for work, one personal), one has to be deleted to add a travel eSIM, and getting the deleted one back at home means a visit to your carrier’s store.
- With a nano-SIM model (17e, 18 Pro), keeping your mainland number on the physical SIM leaves both eSIM places free.
Using a travel eSIM on one
- Before you go: buy the plan; the install code appears on the order page and in My cards, and is emailed to you. Do not try to install it at home.
- After you land: connect to Wi-Fi, check Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services is on, then install from My cards (one-tap install in Safari, or scan the QR code from another screen).
- Then in Settings → Mobile Data, turn on Data Roaming for the travel eSIM and set mobile data to use it.
Android phones from mainland China
Most Android phones sold in mainland China do not support eSIM, and no single list covers every model. The *#06# check settles it: no EID, no eSIM.
Look up your phone by model, with where each version was sold
No eSIM? What to use instead
- Going to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan: our physical SIM card works there, from $1.90, delivered 1–3 days after ordering.
- Elsewhere: your own carrier’s roaming, or a local SIM bought on arrival.
Comparing every way to get online abroad? Roaming, eSIM, SIM card or pocket WiFi
Questions
Do iPhones bought in mainland China support eSIM?
Only some: Apple lists iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo bought in mainland China as supporting eSIM. Other mainland-China iPhones do not.
Does the mainland-China iPhone 17 have eSIM?
The iPhone 17e does. The mainland-China iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are not on Apple’s eSIM list. Dial *#06#: an EID line means eSIM works.
Can a mainland-China iPhone Air use a travel eSIM abroad?
Yes, once you are abroad: it cannot install an eSIM from a carrier outside mainland China while in mainland China. Install it after you land, with Location Services on. It holds at most two eSIMs.
Why will my travel eSIM not install at home?
On an eSIM iPhone bought in mainland China, Apple only allows eSIMs from carriers outside mainland China to be installed abroad. Keep the install code in My cards and install after you arrive.
Can Android phones from mainland China use eSIM?
Most cannot. Dial *#06#: no EID means no eSIM. Then a physical SIM card (ours works in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan), your carrier’s roaming, or a local SIM.