The last day is where small oversights cause big stress. A quick checklist keeps your departure as smooth as the rest of the trip.

Before you leave the hotel

• Check out and reclaim your deposit (cash or card).
• Spend or keep small cash — you can’t easily exchange yuan once home, so use it up on snacks and souvenirs.
• Sort your SIM/eSIM — cancel any auto-renewing data plan you no longer need; keep just enough data for the airport.
• Double-check you have your passport and any purchase receipts (for VAT refunds).

Getting to the airport

• Allow extra time — Chinese airports are huge and traffic is heavy. Leave 3+ hours before an international flight.
• The airport metro or express is reliable and beats traffic; Didi is the door-to-door option.
• Confirm your terminal — major hubs have several, sometimes far apart.

At the airport

1. Check in (about 3 hours early for international flights).
2. Claim your VAT tax refund before security if you bought eligible goods — allow time, the desk can be slow. (VAT refund guide)
3. Emigration / passport control — hand over your passport for an exit stamp; have your boarding pass ready.
4. Security — power banks in carry-on, the usual liquids rules.

Duty free & last buys

Chinese airports have plenty of duty-free shopping — tea, baijiu, and electronics. Prices aren’t always a bargain, so compare before splurging.

Quick tips

• Keep your VPN on until you’ve boarded if you need Google or WhatsApp; airport Wi-Fi is behind the firewall too.
• Airport Wi-Fi often needs your passport or phone number to log in — your own data is simpler.
• Carry any prescription meds in hand luggage with their packaging.
• Take a final screenshot of your boarding gate; signs are bilingual but gates can change.

Tie up these loose ends and your exit will be as painless as your arrival.