Do this first
Choose and install your VPN
VPN apps are much harder to download after you land. Compare providers and install before you travel.
Relocation Guide
Moving to Shanghai.
Everything to organise before you leave, and what to do in your first days after you arrive.
Do this before you fly
Before you leave
Three things that are significantly easier to do before you arrive than after — especially your VPN.
First 48 hours
When you arrive
Get connected, set up payments, and start shortlisting where you want to live.
Start here
Shanghai arrival checklist
A step-by-step list of what to do in the right order — from SIM card to bank account to daily routine.
Payments
Set up Alipay
Link your overseas card, verify your account, and pay in shops and on the Shanghai metro.
Housing
Choose where to live
Compare Jing'an, Xuhui, Pudong, Changning, Huangpu, and Minhang before you sign a lease.
First week
Build your daily routine
Transport, groceries, and the everyday logistics that make Shanghai easier once you know the basics.
Transport
Shanghai Metro guide
Fares, airport connections, foreign card payments, rush-hour tips, and the best metro apps.
Transport
Taxis and Didi
When to hail a taxi, when to book a Didi, and how to pay without cash.
Daily life
Foreign grocery stores
International supermarkets, specialty stores, and grocery delivery options for expats.
Next step
New to Shanghai? Start with the essentials
Set up payments, apps, and transport with the Shanghai starter guides, then explore neighbourhoods and daily life at your own pace.