Yes. China is in Zone 2 of Telstra's International Day Pass, which costs A$10 a day for 2GB of data and unlimited standard calls and texts. Pre-Paid customers can buy a Travel Pack instead, from A$10 for 3 days. Telstra doesn't say how it routes roaming data. Members of Australian forums wrote in 2024 that Google and Facebook worked on Telstra roaming in China, so it is likely but not confirmed.
- China, Hong Kong and Macau are all in Telstra's Zone 2, so Day Pass costs A$10 a day in each.
- Day Pass costs A$10 a day for 2GB of data, unlimited standard calls and unlimited SMS. Extra data costs A$10 for 2GB, valid for 31 days.
- Turn Day Pass on in the My Telstra app before you fly, because it can take up to 2 hours to activate. Telstra charges for each day your phone is used in China, including background data.
- On Pre-Paid, Travel Packs cost A$10 for 3 days with 400MB, A$15 for 7 days with 2GB, or A$25 for 14 days with 4GB. A pack starts when you buy it, so buy it after you land.
- Telstra doesn't publish how it routes roaming data. Two OzBargain members wrote in May 2024 that Facebook and Google worked on Telstra roaming in China. Not confirmed by Telstra.
- Seven days of Day Pass costs A$70. Seven days of unlimited data costs A$35.97 on Nomad and A$40.00 on Airalo.
What Telstra includes in China
China is in Zone 2 on Telstra’s Day Pass list. Zone 2 covers more than 80 destinations, including Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and Taiwan, at the same daily price. All prices on this page are in Australian dollars.
| Option | Price | Data in China | Calls and texts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day Pass (Zone 2), on a plan | A$10 a day | 2GB a day | Unlimited standard calls and SMS |
| Pre-Paid 3 Day Travel Pack | A$10 | 400MB | 15 minutes of calls, 15 SMS or MMS |
| Pre-Paid 7 Day Travel Pack | A$15 | 2GB | 25 minutes of calls, 25 SMS or MMS |
| Pre-Paid 14 Day Travel Pack | A$25 | 4GB | 50 minutes of calls, 50 SMS or MMS |
| Non-Upfront plan without Day Pass | Pay as you go | A$3 per MB | 75c per SMS; call rates vary by destination |
Day Pass prices are from Telstra’s roaming page for plans, and Travel Pack prices from its Pre-Paid roaming page, both checked Oct 9, 2026.
- What counts as a day: Telstra charges a Day Pass for each day your service makes or receives a call, sends an SMS or uses data overseas, including background data.
- When a day ends: on Upfront plans, Day Pass inclusions last 24 hours from when your service is used. On other plans, they expire at 11.59pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), not China time.
- When the 2GB runs out: on Upfront plans, Telstra sends an SMS with the option to buy a Data Top-Up. On other plans, the top-up is added automatically. A top-up is 2GB for A$10, valid for 31 days.
- Back home: Telstra says you can leave Day Pass switched on in Australia and you won’t be charged.
Pre-Paid Travel Packs
China is one of 38 destinations for Telstra’s Pre-Paid International Roaming Packs. Hong Kong is on the list too, but Macau isn’t. A pack starts as soon as you buy it, so Telstra suggests waiting until you’re overseas. You can buy one in the My Telstra app, on Telstra’s online recharge page or by calling +61 439 125 109. Allowances expire on the pack’s expiry date, and auto recharge isn’t available.
How to turn on Telstra roaming in China
On a plan:
- Download or update the My Telstra app on the phone you’re taking, and sign in with your Telstra ID.
- Before you fly, select your service, then Extras and International Roaming, and turn Day Pass on. Telstra says it can take up to 2 hours to activate.
- Under International Roaming, choose how Telstra lets you know when your data is low.
- In China, make sure data roaming is on in your phone’s settings. Day Pass activates the moment your service is switched on and used there.
On Pre-Paid, Telstra says international roaming in your phone’s settings is on by default. If you turned it off, turn it back on. Buy a Travel Pack after you land.
If you’d rather not use Day Pass: on Upfront plans, Telstra says you’ll need local Wi-Fi to connect without it. On other plans, you can roam at pay-as-you-go rates, which Telstra says isn’t recommended because it can be far more expensive.
Google and WhatsApp on Telstra: what’s known
Likely, but not confirmed by Telstra. We found no Telstra page that says how Telstra routes roaming data or whether apps blocked in China work on it. Reports from Telstra customers on Australian forums say they do:
- On OzBargain in May 2024, a customer wrote that on a trip to Qingdao over Easter, “Telstra roaming worked fine. no problems even with facebook.”
- In the same thread, another member wrote that their wife’s Telstra postpaid service “worked with Google” in China weeks earlier.
- In an Australian Frequent Flyer forum thread started in October 2025, a member asked whether they would need a VPN for Facebook and WhatsApp on Telstra roaming. One member replied “No VPN needed”, and another wrote that Optus and Telstra roaming “should work”. Neither described a trip to China.
The OzBargain thread started with a report that went the other way. The poster wrote that their parents’ roaming with Amaysim, a different Australian provider, couldn’t reach Google services in China in March and April 2024, and WhatsApp was patchy.
Salil Kanhere, a cybersecurity expert at UNSW, said in a Canberra Times article in July 2026 that roaming data is in many cases routed through the traveller’s home carrier or an overseas gateway, so some blocked apps might still work in China. He didn’t name Telstra.
None of these reports describes a test. Have a backup ready. Our WhatsApp in China page covers other ways to reach it.
When you still need a VPN
Roaming doesn’t help on Wi-Fi. The Canberra Times article says that if you rely on local Wi-Fi at hotels and cafés, blocked apps stay blocked. On hotel or café Wi-Fi in China, you need a VPN for blocked apps, whatever your phone plan. A VPN is also your fallback if Telstra roaming data doesn’t get past the firewall for you. Install and test one before you leave Australia. See eSIM or VPN for China and VPN for hotel Wi-Fi in China.
Cost compared with travel eSIMs
Extra cost for data in China for one person, in Australian dollars, checked Oct 9, 2026, on each provider’s site:
| Option | Data in China | 7 days | 10 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra Day Pass | 2GB a day | A$70 | A$100 |
| Telstra Pre-Paid Travel Pack | 2GB (7 Day pack) or 4GB (14 Day pack) for the whole trip | A$15 | A$25 |
| Nomad | Unlimited | A$35.97 | A$47.48 |
| Airalo | Unlimited | A$40.00 | A$51.50 |
- 7 days: Day Pass costs A$70. Unlimited data on Nomad costs A$34.03 less, and on Airalo A$30.00 less.
- 10 days: Day Pass costs A$100. Nomad costs A$47.48 and Airalo A$51.50.
- Pre-Paid: the Travel Packs cost less than either eSIM, but the 7 Day pack has 2GB and the 14 Day pack 4GB for the whole trip.
Day Pass and the Travel Packs include calls and texts. Speed limits on unlimited eSIM plans, and how each one routes data, are on our eSIM comparison.
FAQ
Will my Telstra phone work in China?
Yes. China is in Zone 2 for Telstra's Day Pass and on the list for Pre-Paid Travel Packs. On a plan, turn Day Pass on in the My Telstra app before you fly, because it can take up to 2 hours to activate. Make sure data roaming is on in your phone's settings.
Does Telstra roaming work in China without a VPN?
Probably, but Telstra doesn't say so. Two OzBargain members wrote in May 2024 that Facebook and Google worked on Telstra roaming in China. In a thread started in October 2025, one member of the Australian Frequent Flyer forum said no VPN is needed on Telstra roaming, and another said it should work. On Wi-Fi in China you need a VPN either way.
How much does Telstra roaming cost in China?
On a plan, Day Pass costs A$10 a day for 2GB of data and unlimited standard calls and SMS. Extra data costs A$10 for 2GB. On Pre-Paid, Travel Packs cost A$10 for 3 days, A$15 for 7 days or A$25 for 14 days. Prices checked Oct 9, 2026.
What happens when I use up the 2GB of Day Pass data?
On Upfront plans, Telstra sends an SMS with the option to buy a Data Top-Up of 2GB for A$10. On other plans, Telstra adds the top-up automatically. A top-up is valid for 31 days.
Can I use Telstra roaming in China without Day Pass?
On Upfront plans, Telstra says you'll need local Wi-Fi to connect without Day Pass. On other plans, you can roam at pay-as-you-go rates of A$3 per MB of data and 75c per SMS. Telstra says this isn't recommended because it can be far more expensive.
Sources
- International roaming on a plan (Telstra), accessed Oct 9, 2026
- International roaming and data packs on Telstra Pre-Paid (Telstra), accessed Oct 9, 2026
- Connect to the internet from overseas (Telstra), accessed Oct 9, 2026
- Google services blocked over roaming in China? (OzBargain forum), May 2024
- Great Firewall of China and Facebook (Australian Frequent Flyer forum), October 2025
- No Google, no WhatsApp: how to legally bypass China's internet restrictions as a tourist (The Canberra Times), July 2026
- China eSIM (Nomad), accessed Oct 9, 2026
- China eSIM plans (Airalo), accessed Oct 9, 2026