Documents, entry and checks
The important points to settle before you set off. This is here to bring order to the planning; the official details are worth checking close to your departure date.
The first layer to settle is your paperwork: a valid passport, entry requirements, a visa if one is needed, travel insurance, flight tickets and hotel confirmations. In China it matters especially that you keep hotel details and addresses in both English and Chinese, because drivers, clerks and service staff won't always manage with an English-only address.
Check your passport against your actual travel dates, including a safety margin after you return. Entry requirements can change according to citizenship, destination, length of stay and trip type, so it is worth checking the official details close to your departure and not only when you book.
Keep digital and printed copies of your passport, insurance, flights, hotels and important contacts. Save a passport photo on your phone, an offline file, and a printed copy in a separate bag. Hotels, railway stations and the entrance to certain sites may ask for the physical passport.
In summary
- A valid passport with a safety margin after your return date.
- Check entry requirements and visas against your citizenship and travel dates.
- Keep hotel and site addresses in both English and Chinese.
- Digital and offline copies of passport, insurance, flights and hotels.