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SHANGHAI PILOT · BEFORE ARRIVAL TO FIRST MONTH

Moving to Shanghai in the next 90 days?

Do not try to solve “China” all at once. Put the move into an order, know who owns each task, and keep a backup for the systems that may not work on day one.

Build the path →I am arriving now
01 · Put tasks in orderFormal deadlines before convenience.
02 · Name the ownerYou, HR, your host, landlord, or an official office.
03 · Keep proofSave confirmations, receipts, addresses, and contact names.
04 · Plan a fallbackAssume one app, card, or contact may fail.
YOUR MOVING PATH

Four stages, one next step at a time.

The exact formal process depends on your status and employer or host. This path organizes the practical work around it; it does not replace official immigration, legal, medical, or tax advice.

01
1–3 MONTHS BEFORE ARRIVAL

Clarify the formal route and the support gap.

Ask your employer or host for a written timeline. Separate the documents they manage from the practical tasks you must arrange yourself.

  • Confirm the purpose, planned arrival date, and official contact responsible for your formal process.
  • Ask what temporary accommodation is arranged and what happens if plans change.
  • Check phone compatibility, roaming access, and whether you need a physical SIM.
  • Understand when health coverage starts and save an emergency contact.
Common failureAssuming “HR handles relocation” includes housing, phone, payments, or family needs.
BackupAsk for a named person and a written owner beside every task.
02
2–4 WEEKS BEFORE ARRIVAL

Prepare the day-one essentials.

Save the information you will need before mobile data, foreign cards, or English search work reliably.

  • Keep your accommodation name and address in Chinese and English.
  • Save your employer, host, and accommodation contacts offline.
  • Prepare at least two payment routes and a small emergency cash fallback.
  • Create one secure folder for copies, confirmations, and time-sensitive instructions.
Prepare payments →Choose essential apps →Understand Shanghai renting →
03
FIRST 72 HOURS

Deadlines before convenience.

Verify accommodation registration, contact the responsible office, establish reliable connectivity, and keep a working payment fallback.

Common failureSpending the first day on delivery and lifestyle apps while a registration or sponsor deadline is unclear.
Next stepUse the focused four-task arrival checklist.
Open the first 72 hours checklist →
04
FIRST MONTH

Stabilize daily life without losing the records.

Move from temporary fixes to a setup you can maintain. Handle housing, transport, healthcare, payroll or school systems, and local services in a deliberate order.

  • Choose housing only after understanding the deposit, payment cycle, fees, and contract.
  • Confirm your local phone, account-recovery methods, and transport setup.
  • Save a healthcare route before you need it; confirm the correct hospital campus.
  • Keep contracts, receipts, official messages, and status documents together.
Open the Work route →Use the Hospital Finder →Find suitable food →
ONE TASK DOES NOT FIT THE CHECKLIST?

Show Martin the exact situation before you pay.

Use human help for an ordinary local-service shortlist, a confusing app or next step, or one practical Chinese phone call. High-risk professional decisions stay with the responsible official or licensed professional.

Choose the right help →