Expat Guide: Moving to Shanghai Checklist

Having a checklist or a to-do list helps with complex tasks and processes. I hope this checklist is helpful.

1. Apartment 

The first and most important thing you can do to ensure you start on the right foot is to find an ideal apartment. However, negotiation with agents and the landlord can be hectic, and that’s how an Orientation Consultant can help you to understand the location, distances, and means of transportation between work, home and the city. You should list your apartment requirements: budget, size, number of rooms, and other preferences in detail. I wrote a detailed guide here for apartment rental for your reference.

2. Unpack

When you begin unpacking everything, be sure to do it properly. Find a new home for everything inside your new home. You can enjoy deciding where you want everything to be placed in your new home or hire a team of Marie Kondo-alikes to do that for you. They can help arrange the furniture, declutter, and create a scientific storage system to suit your needs and desires. Just be sure not to rush it—fold clothes diligently, organize your chaos, and begin to make this house a home! 

3. Your First Grocery Shop

Having your first grocery shop can be done in different ways. Locate your closest grocery shops. It can be a local supermarket, a wet market, or an international import supermarket. I recommend you walk up and down every aisle, ensuring you have everything you think you will need in your new home. It will save unnecessary return trips on the same day. I could do this with you during the orientation tour, so you don’t have to be confused about some food items you will purchase.

Alternatively, this can be done entirely on the phone, and I would love to show you how to do it yourself.

4. Your First Trips to the Essentials

Other than grocery shopping, you may also need to visit banks, a telecom provider for phones and broadband Internet, and maybe IKEA to get things sorted. My role is to ensure you visit the right location, understand what you are getting, and determine whether the plans are fair to your usage, as English support is not guaranteed in these locations.

5. Set up your utilities

Power, water, Gas, etc. Get it sorted straight away. If you don’t speak the language, consider hiring a professional orientation consultant. Ask a neighbour or anyone you know (friend, colleague) who might help. Still, it may not be in your best interest to assist in this area as it can sometimes be difficult, depending on where you reside. An orientation consultant will ensure all of these are well set up and walk you through how you can pay each utility bill in the future without hustling. 

6. Stay Connected

Oh, the digital age. The unavoidable digital age.

Love it or hate it, technology is as much a part of all Shanghai residents. Shop around for the best phone connection and get your wi-fi up and running straight away – it’s a lifesaver when you need to google “how to …” and a range of other embarrassing firsts. But as you might already know, Google doesn’t work in China! So, here comes a solution that will be shared by the orientation consultant to ensure that Google will still be reachable in China and at a reasonable cost. Visit this link to find out my recommendation for reliable VPNs in China.

7. Keep an expenses report

 It’s good to grasp your expenditures early on for peace of mind. I recommend creating an expense report from the get-go so you can monitor how much the move costs and ensure you’re sticking to your budget. After all, there’s nothing more overwhelming than finding yourself completely off track with budgeting and scrounging for money to get by. With that, I can help you save money on your relocation expenses and ensure you are not getting ripped off because you are a new foreigner in the city. My goal is to teach you how to pay the same as a local would have paid for the same products and services.

8. Integrate with your Local Community

Are you looking forward to meeting people around your community? Shanghai is a melting pot. Getting to know your neighbours and getting your neighbours to notice that you are a friendly new neighbour might be helpful in the future. Sometimes, a small note, homemade snacks, or small gifts can go a long way. You may find friendly local neighbours eager to hang out with you or a grumpy Shanghainese grandma who loves sunbathing and chitchatting with other neighbours in the courtyard.

Most importantly, finding out which community your apartment belongs to is important. All new arrivals must register with your district's local community and police. Failing to do so may face serious consequences with the police and the neighbourhood community, including fines and penalties.

9. Change your postal address 

Now that you’re settling into your new place, it’s time to think about the logistics. Be sure to change and set up your address and ensure you receive your mail or any delivery. This can be difficult in a new city as the process is invariably different. I can assist in looking into it to ensure this is set up properly. Your new address is very important in Chinese and English for your daily lives in Shanghai. After a while, you will happily receive new items purchased on Taobao (China’s Amazon, much bigger and faster!) I can tell you a story about how I bought an Apple TV, and delivered it to my doorstep in 30 minutes without leaving my home at 11 pm.

10. Find your locals

Here, we are talking about your local coffee shop, brunch haunt, running track, and anything else that might be important to you. Explore your immediate vicinity by joining known expat communities such as the Shanghai Expats Association, M2, Shanghai Mamas, etc.; you’ll feel at home quickly! This is the biggest part of my service, and I am glad to help!

11. Create an emergency contacts list

Doctor, Ambulance, Dentist, Embassy… anything and everything you’ll need to know to avert a crisis. I can help you create this list based on your needs in different scenarios. Better be well-prepared than sorry in the future.

12. Insurance

Insurance is important when you live in a foreign country. Usually, the expat’s company would cover that, but the terms vary. For medical, accident, and life insurance, ensure you know where you are, what service you have access to, and how to access it. There may also be social insurance mandatorily in place. I can also explain how it works, but most ex-pats do not use social insurance if private ones are in place.

13. Sign up for language lessons

If you want to learn the language, sign up for language lessons. I can share recommendations and tips to help you learn the language faster, at least some essential basic conversations and what they mean! Click here to read about choosing the right Chinese teacher in Shanghai.

14. Join a gym or try something new

Whether you go to your favourite gym class twice a week or try a new yoga class, don’t forget to get outdoors and see/meet new people. If you don’t enjoy it, you never have to return. There are many more communities with other expats that you can try to do, such as sip and paint, reading clubs, cycling clubs, sailing, horse riding, water polo, ice hockey etc. It is best to follow word of mouth and referral of the existing community.

15. Socialize & Explore your new city

And last but certainly not least – don’t forget to explore Shanghai city, socialize with the locals, and make a life for yourself in your new city! This is where the fun begins! Check out the top 10 new things to try when you first move here!