01Getting started
Have you just arrived?
Handle registration, your responsible contact, connectivity, and a payment backup before convenience.
Four-task checklist: use the focused First 72 Hours guide →
Free guides to apps, payments, transport, food, paperwork, and lessons learned by other newcomers.
Choose Student, Work, or Other, then open one checklist.
Paperwork and deadlines differ by programme.
Choose a card to open the matching checklist below.
Track your contract, deadlines, registration, salary, insurance, and status changes.
Choose a card to open the matching checklist below.
For family, research, short visits, remote work, or stays without a local job.
Choose a card to open the matching checklist below.
Open one topic to see what to check and keep.
Arrival, campus, status, and departure.
Offer, arrival, job changes, and departure.
Choose a situation and confirm it with your host.
Handle registration, your responsible contact, connectivity, and a payment backup before convenience.
Both accept international cards, but features and fees differ.
Small payments may be fee-free, while larger ones may carry about 3%. Check current caps and pay in RMB to avoid double conversion.
Use local apps for rides and tickets.
In Alipay, open Transport, choose the city, and activate a ride QR code. A physical card is another option.
Scan the official bike QR, then park in a marked zone and close the lock.
Use Meituan for delivery and Dianping for reviews or deals.
放门口，不用打电话
= “Leave it at the door; no call needed.”
Scan the table QR to order. Dianping may offer set-meal vouchers below menu price.
WeChat connects people; Xiaohongshu helps you search locally.
Search Chinese keywords for restaurants, trips, and local how-to posts. Treat results as recommendations, not verified facts.
Keep proof, assign each task, and confirm local requirements.
Check permitted stay, entries, expiry, sponsor, and any later application. Do not copy another person’s deadline.
A new State Council regulation takes effect on 15 September 2026. Entry, exit, stay, and residence application purposes must be truthful and lawful; immigration and visa authorities may ask for supporting documents, materials, or electronic data when verifying identity and purpose. Keep your application story and supporting records consistent.
Write the responsible person or office beside every step and keep your own copy.
Start several weeks before departure.
Complete clearance, collect records, settle housing, and preserve account access.
Collect final pay, employment records, cancellation papers, and status dates.
Review accounts and keep recovery methods that work abroad.
Start with these eight; some also work as mini-programs.
| App | What for | English? |
|---|---|---|
| Alipay | Payments + the hub for transport codes, DiDi, bikes and dozens of mini-apps | Yes |
| Messaging, payments, mini-programs, built-in translate, social life runs on it | Yes | |
| Amap | Maps & navigation that actually work in China (Google Maps doesn't), 15 languages | Yes |
| Meituan | Food delivery, restaurant deals, movie tickets, hotels | Yes |
| Dianping | Restaurant reviews & group-buy deals (China's Yelp) | Yes |
| DiDi | Ride-hailing with auto-translated driver chat | Yes |
| Railway 12306 | The official train-booking platform | Yes |
| Trip.com | Flights, hotels, attraction tickets, international cards, English support | Yes |
For immigration information, use official 12367 services.
Short lessons, mistakes, and near-misses shared by people adapting to China. Read them before you repeat them — and add your own.
Check your phone before moving. Recent US-model iPhones are eSIM-only and may not support a mainland Chinese local number, so you may need another device.
Check whether your app-store region offers the Chinese apps you need before travelling.
Set up and verify Alipay or WeChat Pay before travelling if possible, then test a merchant payment.
Research apartments before arrival. Pressure can lead to a long contract that misses basics such as a usable kitchen.
Keep enough savings for delays. Your first salary may arrive later than expected.
The first weeks can feel isolating and paperwork-heavy. Expect an adjustment period.
Arrive with flexible expectations. Different does not always mean worse.
After moving or re-entering China, check whether accommodation registration is required. Hotels usually handle it; private homes may not.
Get a reliable translation app and learn a few everyday phrases before arrival.
DiDi drivers may call or ask for the last digits of your phone number to find you.
Carry tissues. Some toilets do not provide paper.
Crowded subways may feel closer than you expect. It is normal during busy periods.
Some people may ask for—or take—a photo out of curiosity.