China (CN)
China is one of the world's largest economies and most important expat destinations, combining global business hubs such as Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou with deep history, fast infrastructure, and a highly digital daily-life ecosystem.
Capital: Beijing
Region: Asia
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Currency: CNY (RMB)
Cost of living: Affordable (index 50)
Emergency: 110
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Deadline: Within 1 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Official notices and renewals can fail.
Where to go: The specific city bureau or provider named on your appointment notice; bring originals, copies, and screenshots even when an online upload was accepted.
Tip: Calendar every expiry date: passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, lease, insurance, school enrolment, and bank card. China processes can be fast when documents are right and painfully slow when one record does not match.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: 30-90 minutes · Cost: Usually free, but missing landlord documents can create indirect costs through agent visits, hotel extensions, or failed appointments.
Deadline: Within 1 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Fines, visa/residence permit problems, and difficulty renewing documents.
Where to go: Local police station or city online system
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Visa/residence permit
- ✓ Lease
- ✓ Landlord ID/property documents
Tip: Do this before bank and residence-permit appointments where possible.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Work and residence permit processing stalls.
Where to go: International Travel Healthcare Center in your city
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Photos
- ✓ Employer forms
- ✓ Prior medical record if any
Tip: Public hospitals, VIP departments, and international clinics work very differently. Save the nearest emergency hospital in Chinese, check whether your insurer has direct billing, and keep a bilingual note listing allergies, prescriptions, blood type if known, and emergency contacts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: 1-3 weeks · Cost: Government fees are often modest, but translations, medical checks, photos, authentication, and agent support can make the real cost RMB 500-10,000+ depending case.
Deadline: Within 15 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You cannot lawfully continue the residence-permit process or work long term.
Where to go: Employer/agent files with local work-permit bureau
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Z visa
- ✓ Health check
- ✓ Employment contract
- ✓ Notification letter
Tip: China immigration practice is city-specific. Keep passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, police registration, and employer licence documents together as scans and paper copies. Do not rely on generic internet advice: confirm the exact sequence with the local Exit-Entry Administration office or the employer vendor before appointments.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: 7-15 working days plus appointment time · Cost: Government fees are often modest, but translations, medical checks, photos, authentication, and agent support can make the real cost RMB 500-10,000+ depending case.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Overstay risk and loss of legal residence.
Where to go: Exit-Entry Administration office
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Work permit card/notice
- ✓ Police registration
- ✓ Photos
- ✓ Employer documents
Tip: China immigration practice is city-specific. Keep passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, police registration, and employer licence documents together as scans and paper copies. Do not rely on generic internet advice: confirm the exact sequence with the local Exit-Entry Administration office or the employer vendor before appointments.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: Several days to several weeks depending appointment availability, employer documents, and local bureau review. · Cost: Government fees are often modest, but translations, medical checks, photos, authentication, and agent support can make the real cost RMB 500-10,000+ depending case.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Family members may overstay or lack proper status.
Where to go: Employer/vendor plus the local Exit-Entry Administration or foreigner work-permit service window for the city where you will actually work.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Marriage/birth certificates
- ✓ Apostille/legalisation
- ✓ Translations
- ✓ Sponsor documents
Tip: China immigration practice is city-specific. Keep passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, police registration, and employer licence documents together as scans and paper copies. Do not rely on generic internet advice: confirm the exact sequence with the local Exit-Entry Administration office or the employer vendor before appointments.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Quarantine, refusal, fines, or inability to keep a dog in your district.
Where to go: Airline, customs/quarantine provider, veterinarian, district dog-registration office, and compound management.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Microchip record
- ✓ Rabies vaccination certificate
- ✓ Official health certificate
- ✓ Titre test where required
- ✓ Local dog registration documents
Tip: Pet import compliance is national, but keeping the animal legally is local. Check district dog size/breed limits, compound rules, annual registration fees, and airline heat/breed restrictions before signing a lease or booking flights.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Incorrect contributions can affect benefits, net pay, and departure refunds.
Where to go: Employer payroll, local social insurance bureau, housing fund centre, and home-country social security authority for treaty certificates.
Tip: Ask payroll for the exact city, base, rate, and treaty position. Social insurance and housing fund deductions affect net pay and departure refunds, and the rules can change with annual local contribution-base notices.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: 30-90 minutes for basic setup; several hours with payroll or advisor for cross-border cases. · Cost: App setup is free; professional expat tax help commonly costs RMB 3,000-20,000+ depending cross-border complexity.
Deadline: Within 120 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Penalties, refund loss, or missing tax records.
Where to go: Employer payroll, Individual Income Tax app, local tax bureau counter, or China-focused expat tax adviser.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Work permit/residence permit
- ✓ Employment contract
- ✓ Monthly payslips
- ✓ IIT app records
- ✓ Social insurance and housing fund records
Tip: China individual income tax is cumulative and payroll-driven. Keep monthly payslips, IIT app screenshots, tax-paid certificates, and allowance evidence because banks may require them for outbound remittances and because annual reconciliation can produce refunds or extra tax due.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 1 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You will struggle to use essential apps and receive verification codes.
Where to go: China Mobile, China Unicom, or China Telecom store
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Visa/residence permit if requested
Tip: Keep Chinese and English copies, confirm the city-specific process, and save written evidence of every submission.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 1 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You may be unable to access work systems, email, maps, or banking tools.
Where to go: Official app or mini-program, with passport, Chinese SIM, and bank card ready for real-name verification.
Tip: Set up digital access while your passport, phone number, and bank card are all active. China systems use real-name verification heavily, so losing a SIM card or changing passport numbers can lock you out of payments, tax records, hospital bookings, and transport accounts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: A few hours for review and handover; 1-3 weeks for a careful search in tier-1 cities. · Cost: Expect deposit, first rent, possible agent fee, utilities, management fees, and handover costs. Tier-1 city deposits can tie up substantial cash.
Deadline: Within 1 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Deposit deductions become hard to dispute.
Where to go: Licensed agent, landlord, compound management office, police station, and utilities/payment mini-programs depending the step.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Signed lease
- ✓ Landlord ID or agent authorisation
- ✓ Property ownership certificate copy
- ✓ Payment screenshots and receipts
Tip: The lease must support police registration. Before paying a deposit, verify landlord authority, property certificate details, agent commission, utility responsibilities, fapiao availability, early-termination penalties, and whether the Chinese lease matches the English summary.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 2 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Daily payments, taxis, food delivery, and QR-code services become difficult.
Where to go: WeChat and Alipay apps
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Chinese phone number
- ✓ Bank card if available
Tip: Set up digital access while your passport, phone number, and bank card are all active. China systems use real-name verification heavily, so losing a SIM card or changing passport numbers can lock you out of payments, tax records, hospital bookings, and transport accounts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 2 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Emergency response can be delayed by language and address barriers.
Where to go: Official travel health centre, public hospital international/VIP department, private clinic, insurer network hospital, or emergency department.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Insurance card or policy number
- ✓ Chinese address
- ✓ Medication list
- ✓ Allergy and emergency-contact details
Tip: Public hospitals, VIP departments, and international clinics work very differently. Save the nearest emergency hospital in Chinese, check whether your insurer has direct billing, and keep a bilingual note listing allergies, prescriptions, blood type if known, and emergency contacts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 3 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Navigation and emergency communication become harder.
Where to go: The specific city bureau or provider named on your appointment notice; bring originals, copies, and screenshots even when an online upload was accepted.
Tip: Calendar every expiry date: passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, lease, insurance, school enrolment, and bank card. China processes can be fast when documents are right and painfully slow when one record does not match.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 3 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: International hospital bills can be very high.
Where to go: Employer benefits team, insurer app, broker, direct-billing desk, and hospital billing office.
Tip: For China, the practical question is not only whether you are insured but where you can be treated cashless. Confirm outpatient, inpatient, maternity, dental, psychiatric, evacuation, Hong Kong/Singapore coverage, and whether dependants are included before you need care.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Where to go: Compound management, utility mini-programs, delivery apps, local service counters, and verified official city accounts.
Tip: Daily life runs through Chinese apps and compound rules. Save your address in Chinese, learn the building delivery point, understand waste sorting, and keep a local contact who can help with property management notices.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Where to go: Compound management, utility mini-programs, delivery apps, local service counters, and verified official city accounts.
Tip: Daily life runs through Chinese apps and compound rules. Save your address in Chinese, learn the building delivery point, understand waste sorting, and keep a local contact who can help with property management notices.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Document loss can disrupt travel and renewals.
Where to go: Official app or mini-program, with passport, Chinese SIM, and bank card ready for real-name verification.
Tip: Set up digital access while your passport, phone number, and bank card are all active. China systems use real-name verification heavily, so losing a SIM card or changing passport numbers can lock you out of payments, tax records, hospital bookings, and transport accounts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Weeks to months; company formation and tax setup should not be treated as a weekend task. · Cost: Formation and compliance costs range widely; budget for legal, accounting, translation, registered address, bank, fapiao, and annual reporting.
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Contract mismatch can create payroll, labour, and immigration risk.
Where to go: Employer HR, local work-permit vendor, labour contract lawyer, labour arbitration commission, or district human-resources bureau.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Employment contract
- ✓ Offer letter
- ✓ Work permit documents
- ✓ Payslips
- ✓ Employer handbook
- ✓ WeChat/email evidence for any disputed instruction
Tip: Work authorisation, job title, employer entity, city, and actual duties should align. If the contract, work permit, and day-to-day assignment differ, fix it early. Save WeChat work instructions because labour disputes often turn on written evidence.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Customs issues or treatment gaps.
Where to go: Official travel health centre, public hospital international/VIP department, private clinic, insurer network hospital, or emergency department.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Doctor letter
- ✓ Prescription
- ✓ Medicine packaging
Tip: Public hospitals, VIP departments, and international clinics work very differently. Save the nearest emergency hospital in Chinese, check whether your insurer has direct billing, and keep a bilingual note listing allergies, prescriptions, blood type if known, and emergency contacts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: A few hours for review and handover; 1-3 weeks for a careful search in tier-1 cities. · Cost: Expect deposit, first rent, possible agent fee, utilities, management fees, and handover costs. Tier-1 city deposits can tie up substantial cash.
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You may be unable to register your address and renew permits.
Where to go: Licensed agent, landlord, compound management office, police station, and utilities/payment mini-programs depending the step.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Lease
- ✓ Landlord ID
- ✓ Property certificate copy
Tip: The lease must support police registration. Before paying a deposit, verify landlord authority, property certificate details, agent commission, utility responsibilities, fapiao availability, early-termination penalties, and whether the Chinese lease matches the English summary.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: A few hours for review and handover; 1-3 weeks for a careful search in tier-1 cities. · Cost: Varies by apartment and season
Deadline: Within 7 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Service interruption or deposit disputes.
Where to go: Licensed agent, landlord, compound management office, police station, and utilities/payment mini-programs depending the step.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Signed lease
- ✓ Landlord ID or agent authorisation
- ✓ Property ownership certificate copy
- ✓ Payment screenshots and receipts
Tip: The lease must support police registration. Before paying a deposit, verify landlord authority, property certificate details, agent commission, utility responsibilities, fapiao availability, early-termination penalties, and whether the Chinese lease matches the English summary.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: One family member can lose money or compromise documents.
Where to go: The specific city bureau or provider named on your appointment notice; bring originals, copies, and screenshots even when an online upload was accepted.
Tip: Calendar every expiry date: passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, lease, insurance, school enrolment, and bank card. China processes can be fast when documents are right and painfully slow when one record does not match.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Where to go: The specific city bureau or provider named on your appointment notice; bring originals, copies, and screenshots even when an online upload was accepted.
Tip: Calendar every expiry date: passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, lease, insurance, school enrolment, and bank card. China processes can be fast when documents are right and painfully slow when one record does not match.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: 1-3 hours · Cost: Basic accounts are usually low-cost; the bigger cost is time, failed branch visits, and later remittance paperwork.
Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Salary and domestic payments may be delayed.
Where to go: Bank of China, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, or employer-recommended branch
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Visa/residence permit
- ✓ Chinese phone number
- ✓ Address
- ✓ Employer letter if requested
Tip: Branch choice matters. If one branch refuses to open a foreigner account, ask your employer which branch handles foreign staff. Make your passport name, mobile number, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and bank record match exactly; small spacing/order differences can break verification.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Payments may fail at small merchants, taxis, and utilities.
Where to go: Official app or mini-program, with passport, Chinese SIM, and bank card ready for real-name verification.
Tip: Set up digital access while your passport, phone number, and bank card are all active. China systems use real-name verification heavily, so losing a SIM card or changing passport numbers can lock you out of payments, tax records, hospital bookings, and transport accounts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Several weeks to several months, especially for international schools. · Cost: International school applications, testing, deposits, buses, meals, and capital levies can add tens of thousands of RMB before tuition.
Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Limited school choice and high late-stage relocation stress.
Where to go: School admissions office, district education bureau, vaccination clinic, translation provider, and employer relocation team.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passports
- ✓ Transcripts
- ✓ Vaccination records
- ✓ Residence documents
Tip: Education is document-led and calendar-sensitive. International schools may require passport eligibility, residence permits, vaccination records, transcripts, recommendation forms, application fees, and capital levies long before the family arrives.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Good places fill quickly.
Where to go: Chinese civil affairs/exit-entry offices, hospital birth office, consulate, school, police station, and translation/legalisation provider as relevant.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passports for parents and children
- ✓ Residence permits
- ✓ Birth or marriage certificates where relevant
- ✓ Vaccination records
- ✓ School transcripts
- ✓ Lease/address proof
Tip: Family paperwork should be prepared before departure where possible. Marriage and birth certificates often need apostille/legalisation and Chinese translation. Mixed-nationality children, births in China, and dependant permits can create exit-entry issues if handled late.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You may lose reimbursements or tax-preferred treatment.
Where to go: Salary bank branch, foreign-exchange counter, tax bureau record portal, and employer payroll for stamped source-of-funds documents.
Tip: RMB salary is easy to spend domestically but paperwork-heavy to remit abroad. Keep a clean chain of salary, tax-paid proof, employment contract, and bank records. Avoid mixing business, personal, and third-party transfers if you will later need to prove source of funds.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Medical care can become slower, more expensive, or unsafe if insurance, hospital access, language support, or medicine continuity is not ready.
Where to go: Official travel health centre, public hospital international/VIP department, private clinic, insurer network hospital, or emergency department.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Insurance card or policy number
- ✓ Chinese address
- ✓ Medication list
- ✓ Allergy and emergency-contact details
Tip: Public hospitals, VIP departments, and international clinics work very differently. Save the nearest emergency hospital in Chinese, check whether your insurer has direct billing, and keep a bilingual note listing allergies, prescriptions, blood type if known, and emergency contacts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Where to go: The specific city bureau or provider named on your appointment notice; bring originals, copies, and screenshots even when an online upload was accepted.
Tip: Calendar every expiry date: passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, lease, insurance, school enrolment, and bank card. China processes can be fast when documents are right and painfully slow when one record does not match.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Where to go: Compound management, utility mini-programs, delivery apps, local service counters, and verified official city accounts.
Tip: Daily life runs through Chinese apps and compound rules. Save your address in Chinese, learn the building delivery point, understand waste sorting, and keep a local contact who can help with property management notices.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Several weeks to several months, especially for international schools. · Cost: International school applications, testing, deposits, buses, meals, and capital levies can add tens of thousands of RMB before tuition.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Late school action can leave children without suitable places or force expensive compromises.
Where to go: School admissions office, district education bureau, vaccination clinic, translation provider, and employer relocation team.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passports for parents and children
- ✓ Residence permits
- ✓ Birth or marriage certificates where relevant
- ✓ Vaccination records
- ✓ School transcripts
- ✓ Lease/address proof
Tip: Education is document-led and calendar-sensitive. International schools may require passport eligibility, residence permits, vaccination records, transcripts, recommendation forms, application fees, and capital levies long before the family arrives.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Weeks to months; company formation and tax setup should not be treated as a weekend task. · Cost: Formation and compliance costs range widely; budget for legal, accounting, translation, registered address, bank, fapiao, and annual reporting.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Tax, immigration, and contract enforcement problems.
Where to go: Market regulation bureau, tax bureau, bank, customs/SAFE where relevant, accountant, and China corporate lawyer.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Residence permit
- ✓ Business licence if already formed
- ✓ Articles of association
- ✓ Company chops register
- ✓ Tax and fapiao credentials
Tip: Foreign-invested company compliance depends on business scope, tax registration, fapiao controls, bank controls, chops, annual reporting, and real operations matching the licence. Treat company seals as legal instruments, not office stationery.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Weeks to months; company formation and tax setup should not be treated as a weekend task. · Cost: Formation and compliance costs range widely; budget for legal, accounting, translation, registered address, bank, fapiao, and annual reporting.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Fraud, unauthorised contracts, and tax exposure.
Where to go: Market regulation bureau, tax bureau, bank, customs/SAFE where relevant, accountant, and China corporate lawyer.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Residence permit
- ✓ Business licence if already formed
- ✓ Articles of association
- ✓ Company chops register
- ✓ Tax and fapiao credentials
Tip: Foreign-invested company compliance depends on business scope, tax registration, fapiao controls, bank controls, chops, annual reporting, and real operations matching the licence. Treat company seals as legal instruments, not office stationery.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Weeks to months; company formation and tax setup should not be treated as a weekend task. · Cost: Formation and compliance costs range widely; budget for legal, accounting, translation, registered address, bank, fapiao, and annual reporting.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Contract and permit mismatches can affect salary, termination rights, non-compete exposure, and legal work status.
Where to go: Employer HR, local work-permit vendor, labour contract lawyer, labour arbitration commission, or district human-resources bureau.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Employment contract
- ✓ Offer letter
- ✓ Work permit documents
- ✓ Payslips
- ✓ Employer handbook
- ✓ WeChat/email evidence for any disputed instruction
Tip: Work authorisation, job title, employer entity, city, and actual duties should align. If the contract, work permit, and day-to-day assignment differ, fix it early. Save WeChat work instructions because labour disputes often turn on written evidence.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Family-document delays can affect dependant permits, school enrolment, birth paperwork, healthcare, and travel.
Where to go: Chinese civil affairs/exit-entry offices, hospital birth office, consulate, school, police station, and translation/legalisation provider as relevant.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passports for parents and children
- ✓ Residence permits
- ✓ Birth or marriage certificates where relevant
- ✓ Vaccination records
- ✓ School transcripts
- ✓ Lease/address proof
Tip: Family paperwork should be prepared before departure where possible. Marriage and birth certificates often need apostille/legalisation and Chinese translation. Mixed-nationality children, births in China, and dependant permits can create exit-entry issues if handled late.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Weak records can trap money in China or make source-of-funds checks difficult later.
Where to go: Salary bank branch, foreign-exchange counter, tax bureau record portal, and employer payroll for stamped source-of-funds documents.
Tip: RMB salary is easy to spend domestically but paperwork-heavy to remit abroad. Keep a clean chain of salary, tax-paid proof, employment contract, and bank records. Avoid mixing business, personal, and third-party transfers if you will later need to prove source of funds.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: School enrolment may be delayed.
Where to go: Official travel health centre, public hospital international/VIP department, private clinic, insurer network hospital, or emergency department.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Vaccination records
- ✓ Birth certificates
- ✓ Passport/residence documents
Tip: Public hospitals, VIP departments, and international clinics work very differently. Save the nearest emergency hospital in Chinese, check whether your insurer has direct billing, and keep a bilingual note listing allergies, prescriptions, blood type if known, and emergency contacts.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Time: Several days to several weeks depending appointment availability, employer documents, and local bureau review. · Cost: Government fees are often modest, but translations, medical checks, photos, authentication, and agent support can make the real cost RMB 500-10,000+ depending case.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Late renewals can cause overstay or work interruption.
Where to go: Employer/vendor plus the local Exit-Entry Administration or foreigner work-permit service window for the city where you will actually work.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Current visa or residence permit
- ✓ Temporary residence registration
- ✓ Employer or sponsor documents
- ✓ Passport photos if requested
Tip: China immigration practice is city-specific. Keep passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, police registration, and employer licence documents together as scans and paper copies. Do not rely on generic internet advice: confirm the exact sequence with the local Exit-Entry Administration office or the employer vendor before appointments.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Several days to several weeks depending appointment availability, employer documents, and local bureau review. · Cost: Government fees are often modest, but translations, medical checks, photos, authentication, and agent support can make the real cost RMB 500-10,000+ depending case.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Immigration mistakes in China can escalate from a small paperwork delay to overstay fines, work interruption, visa refusal, detention, or employer sponsorship problems.
Where to go: Employer/vendor plus the local Exit-Entry Administration or foreigner work-permit service window for the city where you will actually work.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Current visa or residence permit
- ✓ Temporary residence registration
- ✓ Employer or sponsor documents
- ✓ Passport photos if requested
Tip: China immigration practice is city-specific. Keep passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, police registration, and employer licence documents together as scans and paper copies. Do not rely on generic internet advice: confirm the exact sequence with the local Exit-Entry Administration office or the employer vendor before appointments.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Coverage gaps can leave you paying international-clinic or hospital bills out of pocket.
Where to go: Employer benefits team, insurer app, broker, direct-billing desk, and hospital billing office.
Tip: For China, the practical question is not only whether you are insured but where you can be treated cashless. Confirm outpatient, inpatient, maternity, dental, psychiatric, evacuation, Hong Kong/Singapore coverage, and whether dependants are included before you need care.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Daily life stays dependent on colleagues and translation apps.
Where to go: Private Mandarin school, university language centre, corporate training provider, tutor, or online app.
Tip: Focus first on practical Mandarin: address, phone number, food restrictions, fever symptoms, bank card, invoice, delivery, school pickup, and police registration. HSK study is useful, but survival vocabulary saves time immediately.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You may be unable to legally perform the role.
Where to go: China-qualified lawyer, notary office where required, translation provider, labour arbitration commission, or court service centre.
Tip: When a document has legal effect, use Chinese text reviewed by a qualified professional. Screenshots, fapiao, bank records, stamped documents, and WeChat chat histories are often more useful than verbal assurances.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Legal issues become harder to fix once documents are signed, money is transferred, or limitation periods start running.
Where to go: China-qualified lawyer, notary office where required, translation provider, labour arbitration commission, or court service centre.
Tip: When a document has legal effect, use Chinese text reviewed by a qualified professional. Screenshots, fapiao, bank records, stamped documents, and WeChat chat histories are often more useful than verbal assurances.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: 30-90 minutes for basic setup; several hours with payroll or advisor for cross-border cases. · Cost: App setup is free; professional expat tax help commonly costs RMB 3,000-20,000+ depending cross-border complexity.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You may miss deductions, annual reconciliation requirements, or tax records needed for remittance.
Where to go: Employer payroll, Individual Income Tax app, local tax bureau counter, or China-focused expat tax adviser.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Work permit/residence permit
- ✓ Employment contract
- ✓ Monthly payslips
- ✓ IIT app records
- ✓ Social insurance and housing fund records
Tip: China individual income tax is cumulative and payroll-driven. Keep monthly payslips, IIT app screenshots, tax-paid certificates, and allowance evidence because banks may require them for outbound remittances and because annual reconciliation can produce refunds or extra tax due.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: 30-90 minutes for basic setup; several hours with payroll or advisor for cross-border cases. · Cost: App setup is free; professional expat tax help commonly costs RMB 3,000-20,000+ depending cross-border complexity.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You may overpay tax or lose compliant allowance treatment.
Where to go: Employer payroll, Individual Income Tax app, local tax bureau counter, or China-focused expat tax adviser.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Work permit/residence permit
- ✓ Employment contract
- ✓ Monthly payslips
- ✓ IIT app records
- ✓ Social insurance and housing fund records
Tip: China individual income tax is cumulative and payroll-driven. Keep monthly payslips, IIT app screenshots, tax-paid certificates, and allowance evidence because banks may require them for outbound remittances and because annual reconciliation can produce refunds or extra tax due.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: 30-90 minutes for basic setup; several hours with payroll or advisor for cross-border cases. · Cost: App setup is free; professional expat tax help commonly costs RMB 3,000-20,000+ depending cross-border complexity.
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Incorrect payroll or missed annual reconciliation can create penalties, lost refunds, remittance problems, and treaty issues.
Where to go: Employer payroll, Individual Income Tax app, local tax bureau counter, or China-focused expat tax adviser.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Work permit/residence permit
- ✓ Employment contract
- ✓ Monthly payslips
- ✓ IIT app records
- ✓ Social insurance and housing fund records
Tip: China individual income tax is cumulative and payroll-driven. Keep monthly payslips, IIT app screenshots, tax-paid certificates, and allowance evidence because banks may require them for outbound remittances and because annual reconciliation can produce refunds or extra tax due.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: You may be unable to book trains smoothly during peak periods.
Where to go: 12306, metro app, vehicle administration office, traffic police, ride-hailing apps, and local plate authority.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Chinese phone number
- ✓ Original driving licence where relevant
- ✓ Certified translation if requested
- ✓ Police registration/address proof
Tip: China transport is real-name and app-based. Passport verification, Chinese names/addresses, holiday booking windows, and local vehicle restrictions matter. For driving, a foreign licence or IDP alone is not enough for residents.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Incorrect social insurance or housing fund treatment can reduce net pay, benefits, refunds, and treaty protection.
Where to go: Employer payroll, local social insurance bureau, housing fund centre, and home-country social security authority for treaty certificates.
Tip: Ask payroll for the exact city, base, rate, and treaty position. Social insurance and housing fund deductions affect net pay and departure refunds, and the rules can change with annual local contribution-base notices.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 60 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Moving money out of China later can become slow or blocked.
Where to go: Salary bank branch, foreign-exchange counter, tax bureau record portal, and employer payroll for stamped source-of-funds documents.
Tip: RMB salary is easy to spend domestically but paperwork-heavy to remit abroad. Keep a clean chain of salary, tax-paid proof, employment contract, and bank records. Avoid mixing business, personal, and third-party transfers if you will later need to prove source of funds.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 60 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Driving illegally can lead to fines, detention, insurance denial, and visa consequences.
Where to go: 12306, metro app, vehicle administration office, traffic police, ride-hailing apps, and local plate authority.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Chinese phone number
- ✓ Original driving licence where relevant
- ✓ Certified translation if requested
- ✓ Police registration/address proof
Tip: China transport is real-name and app-based. Passport verification, Chinese names/addresses, holiday booking windows, and local vehicle restrictions matter. For driving, a foreign licence or IDP alone is not enough for residents.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 90 days of arrival or trigger event
Where to go: The specific city bureau or provider named on your appointment notice; bring originals, copies, and screenshots even when an online upload was accepted.
Tip: Calendar every expiry date: passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, lease, insurance, school enrolment, and bank card. China processes can be fast when documents are right and painfully slow when one record does not match.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 90 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Weak records can trap money in China or make source-of-funds checks difficult later.
Where to go: Salary bank branch, foreign-exchange counter, tax bureau record portal, and employer payroll for stamped source-of-funds documents.
Tip: RMB salary is easy to spend domestically but paperwork-heavy to remit abroad. Keep a clean chain of salary, tax-paid proof, employment contract, and bank records. Avoid mixing business, personal, and third-party transfers if you will later need to prove source of funds.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 90 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Weak records can trap money in China or make source-of-funds checks difficult later.
Where to go: Salary bank branch, foreign-exchange counter, tax bureau record portal, and employer payroll for stamped source-of-funds documents.
Tip: RMB salary is easy to spend domestically but paperwork-heavy to remit abroad. Keep a clean chain of salary, tax-paid proof, employment contract, and bank records. Avoid mixing business, personal, and third-party transfers if you will later need to prove source of funds.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: Several days to several weeks depending appointment availability, employer documents, and local bureau review. · Cost: Government fees are often modest, but translations, medical checks, photos, authentication, and agent support can make the real cost RMB 500-10,000+ depending case.
Deadline: Within 90 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Immigration mistakes in China can escalate from a small paperwork delay to overstay fines, work interruption, visa refusal, detention, or employer sponsorship problems.
Where to go: Employer/vendor plus the local Exit-Entry Administration or foreigner work-permit service window for the city where you will actually work.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Current visa or residence permit
- ✓ Temporary residence registration
- ✓ Employer or sponsor documents
- ✓ Passport photos if requested
Tip: China immigration practice is city-specific. Keep passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, police registration, and employer licence documents together as scans and paper copies. Do not rely on generic internet advice: confirm the exact sequence with the local Exit-Entry Administration office or the employer vendor before appointments.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Deadline: Within 90 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Transport identity or licensing mistakes can block travel, invalidate insurance, or trigger traffic penalties.
Where to go: 12306, metro app, vehicle administration office, traffic police, ride-hailing apps, and local plate authority.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Chinese phone number
- ✓ Original driving licence where relevant
- ✓ Certified translation if requested
- ✓ Police registration/address proof
Tip: China transport is real-name and app-based. Passport verification, Chinese names/addresses, holiday booking windows, and local vehicle restrictions matter. For driving, a foreign licence or IDP alone is not enough for residents.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Time: A few hours for review and handover; 1-3 weeks for a careful search in tier-1 cities. · Cost: Expect deposit, first rent, possible agent fee, utilities, management fees, and handover costs. Tier-1 city deposits can tie up substantial cash.
Deadline: Within 180 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: A bad lease can cause police-registration failure, deposit loss, utility disputes, and forced moves during permit renewal.
Where to go: Licensed agent, landlord, compound management office, police station, and utilities/payment mini-programs depending the step.
Documents needed:
- ✓ Passport
- ✓ Signed lease
- ✓ Landlord ID or agent authorisation
- ✓ Property ownership certificate copy
- ✓ Payment screenshots and receipts
Tip: The lease must support police registration. Before paying a deposit, verify landlord authority, property certificate details, agent commission, utility responsibilities, fapiao availability, early-termination penalties, and whether the Chinese lease matches the English summary.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)
Full task details are available in the Premium plan
Become a Supporter Deadline: Within 180 days of arrival or trigger event
Risk if missed: Legal issues become harder to fix once documents are signed, money is transferred, or limitation periods start running.
Where to go: China-qualified lawyer, notary office where required, translation provider, labour arbitration commission, or court service centre.
Tip: When a document has legal effect, use Chinese text reviewed by a qualified professional. Screenshots, fapiao, bank records, stamped documents, and WeChat chat histories are often more useful than verbal assurances.
Local institution: China local authority / service provider (City-specific bureau or provider)