Embodiments of the present application provide a method for a handover without a default bearer. A first network device sends a relocation request to a second network device. The second network device establishes a connection to a third network device indicated by the relocation request, and sends a response to the first network device and indicates that data is to be sent by using a signaling plane. Then the first network device instructs a source network device to forward the data to a target network device according to a forwarding mode indicated by a handover command. Alternatively, after the second network device establishes the connection to the third network device indicated by the relocation request, the third network device caches data, and after a handover of user equipment is completed, the third network device sends the cached data to the second network device.