China Packing List – Essential Items for Travel or Moving to China.
Whether you are doing a once in a lifetime trip across China, or packing up to move to the Motherland, I have got you covered with this ultimate China Packing List.
If I had of known everything that I know now, I would have packed my bag very very differently before going to China. That’s why I decided to create this ultimate guide; to help YOU pack your bags the right way for your trip to China.
Here you will find all of the must-haves, the travel essentials and the things you will not find in China. I’ve also got a packing list specific for men and women. And if you’re packing up and moving to the other side of the world, don’t worry I’ve also got you covered.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
China Packing List: Must-Have’s
- Passport & Visa
- Cash & cards
- VPN
- eSIM (& Unlocked Phone)
- Travel Insurance
- Power Adapters
Passport & Visa
Your passport needs to be within date for at least 6 months and you need to ensure you have the correct visa for your stay (holiday, working etc).
Cash & Cards
Bring a small amount of cash with you to get by upon arrival. Make sure you pack your bank card to withdraw money when needed. ATMS are available, but only at the bank. I highly recommend having WeChat and AliPay installed on your phone before arriving as payments can easily be made via these apps.
VPN
A lot of Western apps & social media sites (Google, WhatsApp, Instagram etc.) are blocked in China. If you want to be able to access such apps and sites, you need to install a VPN. I highly recommend getting NordVPN or LetsVPN. They are the best VPNs for China, from our experience. We tried a few VPNs that were hit and miss and then we found NordVPN and LetsVPN. Both work perfectly in China. We had Surf Shark at one stage too, it was ok, but the connection was not always 100%.
Haven’t got a VPN for China yet? Check out our favourite VPN here.
eSIM
If you want to have data on your mobile while your away you will need an eSIM. And to be honest, I don’t think it would be easy to navigate China without data. You can get our recommended eSIM for China here.
Travel Insurance
No matter where in the world you are travelling to, I firmly believe it is so important to have travel insurance. (A general visit to a GP in China can be as low as €2, however, if something major were to happen, you need to make sure you have yourself fully covered for those costs). Get a quote here.
Power Adapter
China uses Type A, I, and C plugs (220V). You can purchase some when you arrive in China, but they are not easily found, so I would make sure to have at least one adapter with you on arrival to make sure you can keep your phone charged.
China Packing List: Essential Travel Items
- Medications
- Sunscreen
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Reusable water bottle
- Earphones
- Tissues & hand sanitiser
- Mosquito spray
- Weather appropriate clothing
Medications
If there are any specific branded medications you use at home, I highly recommend taking it with you. A lot of the medication you can buy over the counter is not available without a doctor visit here. Most over the counter medications in China are natural remedies and some items can be a struggle to find. For example, I recommend taking allergy tablets, stomach issue tablets (necessary for the food situation lol) and painkillers (paracetamol) with you.
Sunscreen
Although it is possible to purchase sunscreen in China, the majority of it you will find will have a whitener in it. Yes whitener (or bleach), because Chinese people prefer to have whiter skin, rather than a suntan. I have not been able to find normal sunscreen at any of my local shops. If you are short for space, pack a travel set with you, you can find my favourite one here.
Comfortable Walking Shoes
Travelling in China requires lotssss of walking and hiking. I highly recommend you have a good quality pair of shoes, to avoid ending the day with sore feet, blisters on your toes and a pain in your back. I always wear my Asics and they’re honestly like walking with gloves on my feet.
Reusable Water Bottle
You cannot drink the tap water in China; however, you will find most malls and public areas have drinkable water fountains. So having a reusable water bottle to fill up is essential. You can find my favourite water bottle here. If not, you will be spending lots of money on bottles of water to stay hydrated while out and about.
Earphones
You will spend a lot of time on trains and metros, so I highly recommend you bring your earphones. Along with a good podcast downloaded and some e-books.
Tissues and hand sanitiser
Public toilets often have no toilet paper in them, so I always carry tissues with me. And I like to have hand sanitiser because not everywhere has soap.
Mosquito Spray
For a country that is full of mosquitoes, it’s hard to find a good and cheap mosquito spray. I did not even think to pack spray with me when coming to China, and you bet I was destroyed in bites my first few days here. Make sure you pack a good mosquito repellent with you.
Weather appropriate clothing
So, the weather in China varies hugely from region to region and throughout different times of the year. Be sure to check what the weather is like in the area you are going to at the TIME you are going. For example, where I live in Shenzhen is unbearably hot and humid during the summer with high chances of rain. But in the winter its cooler with little to no rain. Pack accordingly, but don’t over pack, you will find everything you want clothes wise in China (and at very cheap prices!).
Check out some of my favourite places to travel in China: Guilin and Macau.
Packing List for Females & Males (Items You Might Not Easily Find in China)
China Packing List for Females
- Skincare & Makeup
- Hair Products
- Feminine Products
- Clothing for taller and larger sizes
Skincare & makeup
Western brands are hard to find and can be very expensive. If you are particular about skincare and makeup brands, I recommend you bring it with you. For example, I only use La Roche Posay Moisturiser and CeraVe Cleanser, so I made sure to pack lots with me.
Hair Products
If you use a particular shampoo from home, bring it! I regret not bringing a few bottles of my favourite Alfaparf shampoo with me. The water in China has been very harsh to my hair, causing hair loss and lots of split ends. If you’re short for space, pack a small travel kit with you!
Feminine Products
Pads are common, you will find them in every store, however you will not find tampons anywhere. So, make sure to pack them if they are something you use.
Clothing for taller or larger sizes
If you are bigger than the average size, I recommend you bring everything you need with you. It can be hard to find clothes for larger females in China. For example, at home I would be a XS/S, however in China I often go for a large.
China Packing List for Males
- Clothing and shoes for larger sizes
- Shaving supplies
Clothing and shoes for taller or larger sizes
Like women, its hard-to-find clothes for taller and larger men in China. T-shirts and trousers can be quite short. As with shoes, if you wear over size 44 (EU) or bigger, you will be very limited to options. Shoes are only widely available to buy up to a size EU43/ US10/ UK8. My boyfriend is over 6ft and struggles to find clothes and shoes that fit properly.
Shaving Supplies
Quality razors and shaving creams are limited. So, if there are brands you like, make sure to pack sufficient. Or you can pack a travel kit, with all your favourite travel size products.
Packing List for Moving to China
Here, I have created a list of things to take with you if you are moving to China. Most importantly make sure you have all your documents with you and some home comforts. Make sure you also check all of the lists above for the must haves, the travel essentials and items hard to find for women and men in China.
Things I regretted not bringing with me when I moved to China include more of my favourite skincare, haircare and home comforts.
Packing List for Moving to China:
- Passport (read must-have list)
- Visa
- Bank cards
- Driving license & ID cards (and copies)
- Original degree certificate
- Authenticated documents (for work) (Degree certificate, police check, TEFL, medical check)
- International insurance policy document (if purchased)
- Digital backups of all important paperwork
- Unlocked phone (& VPN Installed)
- Products & items you love from home
Passport, Visa, Bank Cards, Driving License & ID Cards
I guess all of these are must must must haves when moving to China. Make sure your passport is in date and you have the correct visa. Your bank cards, driving license and ID cards are also must-haves, and I recommend you also have copies of these cards with you, just in case the originals get lost or stolen.
Documents
The documents you will need to bring may vary slightly depending on your own unique situation, so be sure to check exactly what you need.
However, if you are going to be working you may need:
- Your degree certificate (the original AND a copy that is authenticated)
- Criminal Background Check (the original needs to be authenticated)
- TEFL Certificate (for teachers).
- Medical Check Results (if required from your employer)
- International insurance policy document (if purchased)
Tip: Have digital backups of all your important paperwork. When we were moving to China, I scanned every document and saved them to a folder on my phone, as well as on a USB stick. Just to be safe in case the originals got lost or stolen.
Unlocked Phone & VPN
Make sure you have got your phone unlocked before you leave for China (i.e make sure it is not locked to one phone provider so you can use an eSIM or Chinese SIM card in your phone). I have talked about installing a VPN above (under the must-have list). It is necessary to have one in China and I would recommend going for either NordVPN or LetsVPN. You can check out the best prices for NordVPN here.
Products & Items you Love from Home
If there are branded items you like from home (for example skincare, haircare, makeup etc) take them with you. As I mentioned above, a lot of western brands are hard to find in China. If you do find them, you will generally pay a higher price for them than you would at home. I really regret not bringing more of my favourite skincare and haircare products with me. Also, it’s important to note that the ingredients can be different too due to different regulations. (This actually caused me to have a huge breakout on my face.)
Also, I recommend you take some home comforts with you. You will really appreciate them on days you miss home. For me, having Irish tea bags and chocolates with me, made the hard days that bit easier. The chocolate in China is just not the same.
Packing List for Teaching in China
Planning on becoming an English teacher in China? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Teaching English in China.
Of course, I have to add a packing list for teaching in China. When I was moving to China to become an English teacher, I had no idea what I needed to take with me. So here are some recommendations from my own experience.
Take this list, along with everything from the packing lists above, and you’ll have everything you need.
Degree & TEFL Certificate
Make sure to take both your original degree certificate with you and a copy of your degree that is apostilled/authenticated. If you need more information on the documents needed for teaching check step 2 and step 4 of my ultimate guide to teaching English in China.
It is also important to take your TEFL Certificate with you. We got our TEFL Certificate from The TEFL Institute, and I could not recommend them enough. It is important that your TEFL certificate is from an accredited organisation and a minimum of 120 hours. Unsure of what TEFL course to choose? Check out my post about The Best TEFL Courses for China.
Still need to get TEFL certified? You can purchase the best 120-hour TEFL course here.
Electronics
Make sure you have your laptop, unlocked phone, adapters and USB (Don’t forget to install a VPN on all electronics). I’m currently using the HP Pavilion laptop and I absolutely love it for planning my lessons.
USB
Bring a prepared USB with you, where you can save lesson plans, materials, songs, videos etc to bring to class with you. You can have it filled with pre-prepared teaching materials/ videos/ songs etc. I highly recommend looking at Super Simple Songs. You can save songs, worksheets and resources from this website, which I found are very good at keeping students engaged in class.
Teacher Planner or Diary
A planner or a diary makes life so much easier as a teacher. You can quickly jot down a plan for the week and see what classes you have and what you plan to teach each day. It also makes me feel so much more organised even on the days that I am not. You can check out my favourite planner here. I found it impossible to find a good diary or planner in English in China.
Books
Bring a few of your favourite storybooks with you. Its not mandatory but it is nice to have some stories from home to share with your class. Mine particularly enjoyed The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Gruffalo and The Maisy Storybook Collection.
Gifts
I recommend bringing some small gifts from your home country to give to your Teaching Assistant and Principal. I brought some Butlers chocolates with me for my school and the staff in my school loved them. It’s a nice gesture when you are starting.
Must-read’s for teachers moving to China:
Planning a trip to China?
- Taking a train or flight in China? ✈️ To find the best prices on flights and trains click here.
- Spending a few nights in China? 🏨 find the best hotel prices here.
- Do you want to take a guided tour in China? Check out the best tours here.
- Need the best sim card for travel? 📱 here you are!
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
I hope this China packing list helps you pack you bags to either travel to or move to the Motherland (aka. China).
Let me know below in the comments below if you have any questions about packing for China!
