eSIM for Hong Kong, Macau and China (October 2026)

Short answer (14 October 2026): Simbye says one China plan covers mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, so a trip that crosses the border needs one eSIM, from $2.99 (1 GB, 7 days). Holafly says you need a separate eSIM for Hong Kong. Both are vendor statements.

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Simbye lists mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in one plan and says data is routed through Singapore (plan page and email, 7 Oct 2026). We could not reload the page on 14 October (HTTP 429), so prices and coverage are the 7 October reading.

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Coverage and prices

What	Simbye China eSIM	Source, date
Regions	Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, one plan	Simbye plan page, 7 Oct 2026
Networks	China Unicom and China Telecom (mainland), csl and SmarTone (Hong Kong), CTM (Macao)	same page
Plans	1 GB 7 days $2.99; 5 GB 30 days $9.99; 10 GB 30 days $19.99; 20 GB 30 days $24.99; 50 GB 180 days $49.99	same page
Data route	Singapore, per Simbye	Simbye plan page and email, 7 Oct 2026
Registration	None, per Simbye	same page
Other vendor	Holafly: separate eSIM needed for Hong Kong or Taiwan	Holafly, 14 Oct 2026

Why the border matters

Hong Kong and mainland China have different internet rules. Twise, an eSIM seller, writes that on a Hong Kong SIM you can use Google Maps, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram freely, and that these stop working across the border on a mainland connection (vendor blog, read 14 October 2026). Our OONI data shows the mainland side: Google Search did not load in 42 of 42 tests, Instagram 0 of 5, WhatsApp 0 of 5, 8 September to 8 October 2026 (data). OONI has almost no recent tests from Hong Kong or Macau, so we do not state numbers for them.

What this means for you:

1. A Hong Kong or Macau SIM is a local network. It will not follow you into the mainland.
2. A single eSIM that routes data outside the mainland avoids switching at the border. That is the vendor’s claim; no OONI test covers eSIM data paths.
3. Check whether the plan covers all the places on your route. Do not assume.

Before you buy

1. Check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. Simbye lists iPhone XS and later, Galaxy S20 and later, Pixel 3 and later.
2. Count the days. Validity starts at first connection, per Simbye.
3. Install at home on Wi-Fi and keep the phone in aeroplane mode until you land.

Ready? Simbye China plans, 15% off (affiliate link, how we earn). More: Does Simbye work in China?, best eSIM for China, UK phone roaming vs eSIM, German phone roaming vs eSIM.

How we checked

Simbye plan page read 7 October 2026 and routing confirmed by email that day. A reload on 14 October returned HTTP 429, so nothing was re-read. Holafly and Twise pages read 14 October 2026 (saved). OONI aggregation API, probes in China, 8 September to 8 October 2026; Hong Kong and Macau queries on 14 October returned 0 to 2 tests per site.