Our China Travel · 23 September 2026 · Original checklist worksheet
Work down the three tables in order. Write the date you confirmed each item, and the source you used, rather than leaving a tick with no trace. Print or save this file before you fly.
| Item | Why it gates the booking | Where to confirm it | Date confirmed | Result / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your passport's nationality and current visa-free or visa-required status | The answer decides whether you need a consulate appointment at all, and it changes between editions of the scheme | The official immigration or foreign-affairs source for your own nationality | ||
| Passport validity measured against your intended exit date | Validity is checked on the way out as well as on the way in, and different sources quote different margins | Your passport plus the same official source as row 1 | ||
| Whether your route passes through a third country | Transit-only allowances are separate from tourist allowances and carry their own time limit | The official transit-allowance list for your nationality | ||
| Visa application lead time, if a visa is still required | Processing and appointment queues set the earliest date you can realistically fly | The visa centre that serves your region | ||
| Regions inside the country that need a separate permit | A permit and an organised tour can be a precondition for entry, not an optional extra | The official source or a licensed agency |
| Item | What to prepare | Where to get it | Date prepared | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment fallback set | Two payment apps installed and set up before departure, plus a card and a small cash reserve | Your bank and the apps themselves | ||
| Connectivity plan | A data option that works on arrival, tested on your own handset, with a second option written down | Your carrier or a travel data provider | ||
| Offline map and translation tools | Downloaded content rather than streaming, so they work without a live connection | The app stores | ||
| Your hotel's name and address in Chinese characters | A physical card or an offline screenshot, since the English name may not be recognised | Your accommodation, before you leave | ||
| Medication, prescriptions and a written medical note | Original packaging plus the reason you carry it | Your prescriber | ||
| Battery and charging reserve | A power bank inside your airline's published limit, plus the cable your phone actually needs | Your airline's baggage rules | ||
| Toilet kit | Tissues, hand sanitiser and closed shoes you can walk in | Any shop before departure |
| Step | What to do | Why it matters on arrival day | Done (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turn your prepared data option on and test one payment app | Both are hardest to fix on the day you land, when your hotel name is the only address you can show | |
| 2 | Save your accommodation's Chinese name and address where you can reach it offline | It is the one document that gets you back if you are separated from your group | |
| 3 | Ask your accommodation to help with any registration step attached to your stay | Registration is normally part of check-in but the burden is on the traveller | |
| 4 | Write down your onward transport and the date you booked it | Tickets and seats sold in advance are the parts that sell out first around holidays | |
| 5 | Record the local emergency numbers and your own embassy's contact details in writing | Consular help depends on you reaching someone, not on a search working |
1. Enter the date you checked the item, not the date you first thought about it.
2. If a rule changed since you wrote it down, overwrite the row and record the new date rather than adding a second row.
3. Two sources disagreeing means the row is not finished; go to the official source and note which one you followed.
4. Keep this file with your travel documents. A checklist you cannot find is a checklist you did not complete.
Personal planning worksheet; blank cells contain no destination data and no rule claims. Every entry rule must be confirmed against the official source that applies to your nationality and your region, and the date you checked it recorded above.