Moving to China to Work or Study

This article is a quick guide to everything you need to know to prepare before moving to China to live and how to take your first steps once you have arrived. Keep in mind that many of the subjects included here have been covered in much more detail in our free e-Book or in other articles.

In this article, I will discuss the following aspects (you can click on any of them to skip directly to the section that interests you).

Before moving: Relocation agencies, finding a job, visas, vaccines, money and cards, plane tickets, documentation, health insurance, finding lodging for the first days, what to bring, sending your things, finding a school for your children, pets.

First steps in China: Registering with the local police, residency permit, registering with your consulate, opening a bank account, driver’s license, phone cards and internet, finding a place to live.

What to prepare before leaving for China

Relocation agencies

Moving to China to live can be a complicated task, and as you are going to see throughout this article, it takes time and patience. There are many specialized agencies that can help you along in this process to make it less traumatic, both before leaving and once you have arrived at your destination.

If you want to find out more about how relocation agencies work, I recommend you read this article if you have already decided that you want to contract the services of a relocation agency. We can recommend a trustworthy and honest one; just contact us via this form.

Finding a job

Even though there are many job opportunities in China, knowing how to find a job is not that simple. We have covered this subject in detail in our e-book, which you can download for free when you sign up for our newsletter.

It’s important for you to keep in mind that to work in the principal cities in China, legally you need at least two years of work experience (normally after obtaining a university degree) or a PhD. If this isn’t your case, you can choose to test your luck in a smaller city (where the requirements are much less strict) or do an internship first (click here to read our guide).

If, on the other hand, you want to go to China to study, finding a vacancy is relatively easy both in private schools and universities. The only thing you will have to do is choose the school or university among the large educational offering that exists in China. You can click here to read our suggestions.

Visas

Obtaining a student or work visa in China is getting more complicated all the time. The process to obtain the necessary documents can take you between one and two months. Therefore, plan ahead of time.

Click here to read our complete and updated guide on how to obtain a Chinese visa.
Source: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/moving-to-china-to-work-or-study/