China Unicom SIM Card Guide: Activate, Recharge, Help (2026)

Updated October 2026 · Written by Harry Cheng, founder of china-mobile-phones.com (est. 2003)

How to buy and activate a China Unicom SIM card

China Unicom is one of the three national carriers. As a visitor you have the same options as with any carrier: register a SIM in person, order a tourist SIM before you travel, or skip the SIM with an eSIM. The in-person route takes five steps.

1. Check your phone. Make sure your phone is unlocked and supports the networks used in China. A locked phone will not accept a Chinese SIM.
2. Bring your passport. Real-name registration is mandatory in China. Take your original passport; municipal government guidance also accepts a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, and some guidance recommends a passport valid for at least six months.
3. Go to a China Unicom hall. Search for 中国联通营业厅 in a Chinese map app such as Baidu Maps or Amap. Central halls in big cities are the most likely to be used to foreign passports; smaller shops may not be.
4. Ask for a SIM and choose a plan. Say “我要办SIM卡” (Wǒ yào bàn SIM kǎ) or show it on your phone, then pick a prepaid plan from what the staff offer.
5. Let the staff register and activate it. They enter your passport details and activate the SIM. Ask them to write your new number down, put the SIM in your phone, and test a call and some data before you leave.

Prefer to skip the hall? A tourist SIM you order before the trip (my notes list Talktiko, which runs on the China Unicom network and includes a Chinese number) avoids the counter. An eSIM for short stays avoids it altogether. My China prepaid SIM guide compares them, and you can check your phone with the compatibility checker first.

How to find your China Unicom number

Many phones do not show the number of a newly inserted SIM. The simplest fix is to ask the staff to write it down when they register the SIM. You can also look in your phone's SIM or phone settings, or text another phone you can read. I have not found a universal code that works reliably, so I do not suggest relying on one.

Check your balance

There are five ways to check a China Unicom balance: a free SMS to 10010, the China Unicom app, the website, WeChat or Alipay, or calling 10010. I keep the current shortcodes and steps in a separate guide: How to check your China Unicom balance online.

Recharge your SIM

You can top up in three ways: at a China Unicom hall, in the China Unicom app, or through payment platforms such as WeChat Pay and Alipay. Chinese media have reported that some payment platforms offer only larger fixed amounts for Unicom numbers, so the app is the reliable route if you need a small or exact top-up. If you are outside China, my top-up guide covers recharging remotely.

China Unicom customer service: 10010

10010 is China Unicom's national hotline and runs 24 hours a day. An automated voice menu handles routine requests such as balance, data and package queries. Say “人工” (rén gōng) to be connected to a person. The China Unicom app also has an online chat with human service from 09:00 to 21:00. I could not confirm an English option, so keep a translation app handy. If text messages from your SIM will not send, the SMS service center number set on your phone may be the cause; my list of China Unicom SMS service center numbers by province has them, and China SMS: problems and fixes covers the wider troubleshooting.

China Unicom network and phone compatibility

China Unicom is one of China's three national carriers and runs 4G and 5G service across the mainland. Whether your own phone connects well depends on its exact model and the bands it supports, and it must be unlocked. Rather than a band list that goes out of date, run your model through my China phone compatibility checker.

China Unicom in Shanghai

China Unicom's national network covers Shanghai like the rest of mainland China, and the city's area code is 021. I do not maintain a hall directory for China Unicom, only for China Mobile, so use a Chinese map app to find a hall and pick a central one for registration. For eSIM and tourist SIM options in the city, see my Shanghai SIM card and eSIM guide.

Frequently asked questions

中文要点

Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links (Holafly, and Talktiko via Amazon). If you buy through them I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.