Best SIM for Calling China from the UK

For regular calls from Britain to mainland China, check Lyca Mobile's China-specific bundles before a general international-calling SIM. Lyca has published separate China 60GB and China 100GB UK bundles with large allowances for calls to Chinese numbers. Lebara is a sensible alternative if you want everyday UK service and a more modest international-minute allowance. If you are already on EE, Three or Vodafone, an eligible calling add-on may be cheaper than replacing your SIM.

The practical answer depends on how many eligible +86 minutes you need and what you already pay. For long, regular conversations, compare Lyca's dedicated China bundles; for lighter mixed-country calling, compare an eligible Lebara or standard Lyca SIM. Existing EE, Three and Vodafone customers should check a compatible add-on first. Mainland China uses +86; Hong Kong (+852), Macau (+853) and Taiwan (+886) are separate calling destinations. Calling from Britain is not the same as roaming in China.

If you already know you need a high-volume UK-to-China plan, explore Lyca's international plans (DealPriceCheck affiliate link). This is a general plans listing, not a guaranteed direct checkout for a particular China bundle. The product-specific comparison below explains what to look for.

The quickest way to choose

First identify the destination number: +86 mainland China, +852 Hong Kong, +853 Macau and +886 Taiwan are separate telephone destinations. A plan marked "China" does not automatically cover the others.

Lyca sells bundles specifically for China

Lyca does not only sell standard UK plans with a small shared pool of international minutes. It also advertises China 60GB and China 100GB packages for people calling mainland Chinese numbers from the UK. These are not just bigger UK data allowances with a vague overseas perk.

This is a dated example of the operator's published offers, checked on 22 October 2026, not a permanent price or entitlement list:

These are product-specific claims from Lyca's UK pages, not entitlements for every Lyca SIM in the DealPriceCheck catalogue. The separate "100 minutes to EU countries and Hong Kong" line must not be treated as an extra 100 China minutes or as 100 minutes per listed country. Verify how that shared or allocated benefit works for the product selected.

What the difference means in real conversations

Imagine speaking to family or colleagues on ordinary mainland telephone numbers:

• Twenty-five 20-minute calls = 500 minutes. That fits within an advertised 520-minute China allowance if all calls qualify and billing increments do not use extra minutes.
• Thirty 20-minute calls = 600 minutes. That exceeds 520, so you would need a larger allowance or pay the actual out-of-allowance charge.
• Fifty 25-minute calls = 1,250 minutes. That fits within 1,314 before any rounding, restrictions or other eligible usage. A general 100-minute UK international bundle would be a very different proposition.

On this snapshot, the larger package offered 794 extra advertised China minutes (1,314 minus 520) and 40GB more UK data for about £7 more per 30 days. The extra spend only makes sense if you need those benefits, because 794 unused minutes have no value. The £7 is not a per-minute rate or a guarantee that you can buy minutes separately.

The China packages also advertised China roaming data, which is a different benefit. Roaming data does not show how a UK-to-China voice call is billed, and UK-to-China minutes do not become calls from China because a plan has roaming.

The purchase route, without pretending the normal UK cards are China bundles

Use the Lyca international-plans affiliate listing to look for the named China 60GB or China 100GB package and open its full terms before ordering. It is a general international-plans destination, not a product-specific checkout link. The figures above apply only if the matching package is available with those terms.

The published China bundle offer is an online-only promotion: Lyca says the SIM must be activated within 30 days of ordering, and the advertised price and allowance are not applicable when purchased via top-up credit or a retailer portal. Before checkout, inspect the selected product's international-number legend to confirm whether your specific mainland mobile or landline qualifies; the product page distinguishes number types and a country name alone is insufficient. If the China bundle is unavailable or unsuitable, compare current Lyca UK SIM offers on DealPriceCheck instead, but do not assume a live UK data-price card includes 520 or 1,314 China minutes.

When a normal international-calling SIM is the better buy

Not everyone needs hundreds of China minutes. Someone who rings a parent for ten minutes every Sunday may use roughly 40 to 50 minutes a month, and should not pay for a large destination-specific bundle just because the headline allowance is impressive.

Lebara: one everyday UK SIM with eligible China calls

Lebara's UK international-destination list explicitly names China, and its UK plans advertise international-minute allowances that vary by product. For a qualifying plan, check the included standard overseas mobile and landline numbers: a country appearing on a list does not prove that every specific SIM deal offers the same China minutes. These are calls made from the UK, not simply roaming benefits.

Lebara is worth considering when:

• You want one everyday UK number and expect occasional or moderate calls to China.
• Vodafone-based UK coverage works better for you than EE-based coverage.
• You also call other countries covered by the same international-minute allowance.
• The whole UK plan, including its normal renewal price and commitment, is cheaper for your calling pattern than a China-specific package.

The trade-off is a shared international allowance and its exact scope. China on a published country list does not prove that every live Lebara deal contains the same minutes. If you also use the minutes for India, Australia or another destination, those calls may draw from the same pool. Special-rate and premium numbers are not ordinary landlines or mobiles.

Review Lebara's international-calling destinations (confirmed affiliate route), then use Lebara's live SIM-only comparison to compare current UK costs. For the underlying networks and general contract terms, our Lebara vs Lyca Mobile comparison covers that separate decision.

Standard Lyca plans: compare them with the China bundles

Lyca's own UK page for calls to China describes 100 international minutes to China on qualifying ordinary plans. That is a different proposition from dedicated bundles with 520 or 1,314 minutes. An ordinary package advertising 100 or 500 international minutes is not automatically interchangeable with a China-specific product: its China allowance must be checked by exact plan name. Included countries, shared pools, renewal conditions and roaming features can differ.

Compare three actual products, not two brands: the standard Lyca plan you qualify for, the China-specific Lyca package you can buy and a suitable Lebara plan. Compare UK SIM costs on DealPriceCheck and follow the eligible product's confirmed purchase route. The dynamic cards on this guide show UK plan prices and data, not independently verified China-calling entitlements.

Keep your current network? Three add-ons worth checking

A new international SIM is not automatically a saving if you already have a good UK plan, still owe an early termination charge or would need two subscriptions. Check the international option within your existing account before replacing it.

EE: the PAYG pack for China is not the EU pack

EE's published Pay As You Go Rest of World minutes include China. EE's separate EU minutes pack covers a different country group, so buying it does not cover +86 numbers. At the 22 October 2026 check, EE's PAYG information listed 100 Rest of World minutes for £3, with a 30-day limit. That is a dated PAYG example, not a promise that the same offer applies to EE Pay Monthly or will stay at that price.

EE Pay Monthly has different international calling add-ons, with China on eligible destination lists. Check your particular add-on's allowance, number types, contact limits (if any) and renewal rules. Do not carry a PAYG price or eligibility rule over to a Pay Monthly account.

If your EE SIM works well, the extra add-on cost may be less than a whole new SIM. Compare EE-network SIM deals only if you are also considering replacing your plan.

Three: China is on the Pay Monthly list, not the standard PAYG list

Three's published Pay Monthly Call Abroad destinations include China. Its Pay As You Go Call Abroad list is different and, at the check, did not name China. This is one of the easiest ways to buy the wrong product, because both carry the Call Abroad name but the destination lists differ.

The official Pay Monthly examples reviewed on 22 October 2026 offered either 100 minutes or an unlimited-labelled option for eligible destinations at a recurring extra charge. Check the account type, standard mobile or landline eligibility, any fair-use rules and how the add-on renews. A PAYG pack without China on its list is not a substitute because it is cheaper. Compare Three SIMs only if switching is also on the table.

Vodafone: an Extra is not a new mobile plan

Vodafone's published International Saver destination list includes China. At the 22 October 2026 check, the Pay Monthly International Saver 100 cost £6.95 per month for 100 minutes and International Saver 500 cost £14 per month for 500 minutes; Vodafone listed both as automatically renewing until cancelled. These are add-ons on top of an eligible Vodafone contract, not prices for a standalone SIM. On an account you intend to keep, they are real alternatives to compare with buying another China-calling SIM.

Check which Extra your account can actually buy, because Vodafone Pay Monthly, PAYG and PAYG Plus have different products and conditions. If the full cost of your Vodafone service plus the Extra is uncompetitive, compare a replacement UK plan at Lebara or Lyca. Our Vodafone vs Lebara guide covers their broader UK plan differences, while this page is about calls to Chinese numbers.

What if you make very few calls to China?

Pay-per-minute can be enough if you only make a couple of short conventional calls a month and have no reason to replace your everyday UK SIM.

1pMobile is one option to price, but its "1p" branding describes specified UK usage, not the price of calls to China. The operator says its Boosts do not include an international calls allowance, and overseas calls use separate account credit at the destination rate. Check the top-up and charging rules. Compare 1pMobile UK plans and, for destination rates, see its international and roaming section (confirmed affiliate route).

Your existing O2 or other UK SIM may also offer a destination-specific per-minute rate or an eligible international bolt-on. Compare the actual rate instead of accepting "calls from 1p" marketing as the rate for Chinese mobiles and landlines. If you already pay for a UK line that works, only the additional China-calling cost belongs on one side of the comparison.

Work out the cost before changing SIM

Start with billable minutes to eligible +86 numbers in the same renewal period. Calls differ from month to month, a 30-day package is not quite a calendar month, and some providers round up chargeable calls.

The offers below are real, dated examples checked on 22 October 2026, not four interchangeable prices. The crucial difference is whether you are adding a calling pack to a SIM you keep or buying a complete replacement/second SIM.

A £3 add-on is not automatically a cheaper new SIM than a £13 bundle: it requires the relevant existing service. Equally, £13 paid for a second SIM adds to your current monthly bill, while £13 for a replacement SIM may remove the old bill. Compare matching renewal periods, your actual number's eligibility and the excess-minute charge. A plan's theoretical price divided by all advertised minutes is not its guaranteed per-minute rate.

For a whole-SIM replacement, the comparison changes:

1. Keeping your current SIM: include the calls or add-on you would pay on top of the UK service you already use.
2. Replacing your current SIM: include the replacement plan's full ongoing price, less the old bill that actually disappears. Account for any remaining commitment or exit charge.
3. Keeping both SIMs: add the China-calling SIM's full price on top of your current UK bill, and check that your phone supports the dual-SIM or eSIM setup.

For frequent calling, a plan with more included minutes is efficient when it replaces your current line, or when the extra calls clearly outweigh a second subscription. For a light caller, paying for unused allowance is not a bargain.

The overlooked cost: many short calls

Some tariffs bill each call in whole-minute increments. 1pMobile's published tariff says calls are charged in whole minutes or part thereof. Under that rule, 40 separate calls lasting 61 seconds would count as 80 billable minutes, despite only about 41 minutes of conversation. This is an illustration of 1pMobile's published billing approach, not proof that Lyca's China bundles or Lebara use the same increments. Check the exact product's charging rules rather than dividing an advertised allowance by conversation time alone.

Mainland China, Hong Kong and Chinese-speaking contacts: don't mix up the numbers

This is a telephone-number distinction, not a question about someone's nationality, language or location.

Lyca's China-specific products advertise an additional allowance to EU countries and Hong Kong. That is meaningful because +852 is a separate dialling code, but Macau and Taiwan should not be inferred from that wording. If Hong Kong numbers are the main reason you are buying, use our guide to calling Hong Kong from the UK instead of treating this mainland-China page as a second Hong Kong comparison.

Calling a Chinese bank, business or university

A full ordinary mainland landline may qualify if your product covers that number type. A short domestic hotline, premium number, access code or specialist service can be unavailable from abroad or excluded from an international allowance. Ask the organisation for a full internationally diallable number instead of adding +86 to a short domestic code. Some operators charge different rates for different number classes or networks.

How to call mainland China from the UK

Dial +86, followed by the mainland Chinese mobile or landline number in international format. You can normally use 0086 instead of +86 from Britain, but the plus format is easier to save in your contacts.

These are formats, not live numbers. Mainland mobile numbers normally have 11 digits after +86 and no domestic trunk zero to remove. For a fixed-line area code starting with 0, drop that area-code trunk zero after adding +86. Other cities have different area-code and subscriber-number lengths.

If a call fails, check that international calling is enabled on your UK account, that the number has the correct country code and that the number type can receive calls from overseas. An extra 0 after +86 will not fix a landline trunk-code error. See the official Chinese government guide to calling formats for the numbering guidance.

WeChat calls, WhatsApp, Wi-Fi Calling and calls to ordinary numbers

For family in China, WeChat-to-WeChat voice or video calls may be the practical everyday option when both people have accounts, compatible devices and working internet. They use Wi-Fi or mobile data, not your UK SIM's international telephone minutes. If both sides can connect, you may need a good UK data SIM more than a large voice allowance.

Do not assume every messaging app available in Britain works equally in mainland China. Access to services such as WhatsApp can be restricted, so it is not a reliable fallback unless you and the recipient have confirmed it works. The UK government's information on internet restrictions in China explains why connectivity needs checking.

Three further distinctions:

• WeChat app-to-app calls are internet communication and generally do not use UK-to-China cellular voice minutes.
• A paid app calling an ordinary +86 number can reach someone without the app, but the app may charge its own per-minute rate. "Uses the internet" does not mean free.
• Wi-Fi Calling in your phone's normal dialler is still a call on your mobile operator's voice service. Dialling +86 through Wi-Fi Calling does not make it an app-to-app call or remove international charges.

A conventional voice-calling SIM still matters when a relative has a basic handset, a business only takes landline calls or reliable app-to-app contact is not possible.

One China-focused alternative the main catalogue does not cover

CMLink also offers China–UK monthly services and a separate 1-Card-Multi-Number feature aimed at people who need to retain or use a mainland Chinese number. That can matter for receiving Chinese verification texts or maintaining an existing Chinese number, which a UK-to-China voice allowance does not solve. It is not a confirmed DealPriceCheck affiliate partner or a live offer in our catalogue. We cannot establish a like-for-like price-and-minute winner against Lyca without the exact current CMLink plan terms, so do not treat its Chinese-number feature as free international minutes or vice versa.

Keep your UK number, or use two SIMs?

If you replace your UK network, you can normally keep your UK number. Text PAC to 65075 from the existing SIM and give the code to the new provider. Review any early-termination charge first, and let the new network arrange the transfer instead of cancelling the old number yourself. See Ofcom's mobile switching guidance.

A second SIM or eSIM can make sense when your current plan cannot be changed cheaply but you need conventional calls to China. Check that your phone supports the combination, which line is used for outgoing calls and whether two monthly payments are still economical. A wrong default calling line could send a +86 call through the SIM with the expensive standard rate.

If you have a long contract with early-exit costs, an eligible EE, Three or Vodafone add-on may be the least disruptive answer. If your line is out of commitment and one suitable Lyca or Lebara plan would replace it, switching may give the lower total. What matters is your combined UK service and China calling spend, not which network has the lowest first-month price.

Questions about calling China from Britain

Which UK SIM is best for regular calls to China?

For heavy conventional calling to mainland +86 numbers, begin with Lyca's China-specific plans and compare their advertised China-minute allowance with your usage. For lighter use on a new everyday UK SIM, also compare Lebara and qualifying standard Lyca plans. Existing customers should check suitable add-ons before switching.

Does Lebara include calls to China?

China appears among Lebara's international calling destinations, and qualifying SIM-only plans include international minutes. Confirm the exact product's minutes, ordinary mobile and landline eligibility and renewal conditions. A live UK tariff card does not itself confirm those details.

Is Lyca China 60GB the same as a normal 60GB UK SIM?

No. Lyca has published a China 60GB bundle with a specifically advertised UK-to-China allowance. That does not show that every Lyca SIM with similar UK data includes the same China minutes. Match the product name and terms before buying.

Do 520 China minutes also include Hong Kong?

Do not assume so. Mainland China uses +86 and Hong Kong +852. In the offers reviewed, Lyca advertised a separate line of benefits for calls to EU countries and Hong Kong. Check the exact pools and destination rules on the package you select.

Can I call China with EE Pay As You Go?

EE's published Rest of World PAYG minutes list includes China, and it is separate from the EU PAYG minutes add-on. Check the current price, allowance, validity and account eligibility before buying.

Is China covered by Three Call Abroad?

China appeared on Three's Pay Monthly destination list at our review, but not on the standard PAYG Call Abroad list. The products have different eligibility, so choose by your account type, not the shared add-on name.

Does the China dialling code change for a mobile?

No. +86 is used for both mainland Chinese mobiles and landlines. Mobile numbers normally have 11 digits after +86 with no trunk zero to drop. For a landline, omit the domestic 0 at the start of its area code. 0086 is another way to dial +86 from Britain.

Is WeChat cheaper than a normal international call?

WeChat-to-WeChat calls over an existing Wi-Fi connection may avoid per-minute international voice charges. Both people need the app and connectivity. A conventional call to an ordinary +86 number, or an app service that dials one, may still be charged.

Will a China calling allowance work while I am visiting China?

Not just because it says "China". UK-to-China voice calling and roaming while physically in China are different services. Some products advertise both, with separate limits, so check the benefit you actually need.

Bottom line: buy the right China-calling entitlement, not the largest UK data badge. Heavy conventional callers should examine Lyca's named China bundles; lighter callers should compare eligible Lebara or standard Lyca allowances; existing EE, Three and Vodafone customers should cost their account-specific extras first. Check whether you will replace your current UK bill or pay for a second SIM before choosing.

DealPriceCheck compares selected UK providers and may earn commission from eligible partner links. Offer availability, advertised prices, international minutes, number eligibility and renewal terms can change. Confirm the exact product at checkout before buying.