🇨🇳 China
Moving to Shanghai
Shanghai is an easy city to live in and an easy one to get the paperwork wrong in. Temporary residence registration at your local police station is required within 24 hours of moving, and your visa renewals depend on it. On the housing side, the main risk is the 'second landlord' — someone subletting a flat they do not have the right to sublet.
- Visit
- €49
- Starter
- €649
- Premium
- €1,450
Register with the police within 24 hours of moving in. Everything else follows from that.
Where to live
Neighbourhoods in Shanghai
Former French Concession
Professionals, couplesPlane trees, low-rise lanes and the densest concentration of places to eat. The default expatriate choice, and priced as one.
Jing'an
ProfessionalsCentral, on Lines 2, 7, 12, 13 and 14, and walkable to the West Nanjing Road offices. The towers on the main roads are priced for company packages; the lane houses behind them are better value.
Xuhui
FamiliesResidential, good schools, quieter, and well connected south of the concession through the Xujiahui interchange. The West Bund riverside is the weekend park; the far south of the district feels like a suburb, so check the exact compound.
Hongkou & Yangpu
Value seekers, studentsNorth of Suzhou Creek, noticeably cheaper, still on the metro. Fudan and Tongji universities are here, and so are some of the city's best wet markets and noodle shops.
Lujiazui & Jinqiao
Pudong commuters, familiesLujiazui is the finance district by the river, all towers and serviced flats; Jinqiao, a few stops east on Line 9, is low-rise compounds near several international schools. Wide roads, little street life, short commutes.
Gubei & Hongqiao
FamiliesGated compounds, parks and international supermarkets in the west, long home to Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese families. Close to Hongqiao airport and the rail hub, a long way from Pudong.
What it costs to rent
Indicative rents
Monthly, usually furnished, excluding utilities and management fees. Rents eased slightly in 2025 as supply grew, which gives tenants more room to negotiate than a few years ago.
- One-bed, Former French Concession¥8,000 – ¥14,000
- One-bed, Jing'an / Xuhui¥7,000 – ¥12,000
- One-bed, outer districts¥4,500 – ¥7,000
Indicative only · last checked · your Insider confirms before you commit.
What catches people out
The second landlord
Someone rents a flat, then sublets it without the owner's permission. When the owner finds out, you leave and your deposit does not follow. Ask to see the ownership certificate and match it to the person signing.
Agents showing flats they do not represent
A listing gets used to generate a viewing for a different, worse unit. Agree what you are seeing before you travel across the city for it.
The deposit at move-out
Deductions for wear that was there when you arrived are the most common dispute. Photograph the flat on day one, in detail, with timestamps.
After the keys
The admin that follows a move
On Premium, your Insider does this with you rather than sending you a checklist.
How long a move to Shanghai takes. Two to three weeks.
- Step 1
Police registration within 24 hours
Register online through the Shanghai police's self-service accommodation system, in English, or the Suishenban app, or take your passport, visa and lease to the local station. Hotels do this for you; landlords often do not. Without the record, the residence permit and its renewals stall.
- Step 2
A registered lease
You need a properly registered tenancy for work permits, residence permits and sometimes school places. Ask for it in writing before signing.
- Step 3
Bank account, then everything else
A Chinese bank account unlocks WeChat Pay and Alipay, and without those daily life is genuinely awkward. Bring your passport and your employment documents.
- Step 4
Connectivity
Google, WhatsApp, Gmail and many other foreign services are unreachable on a domestic connection. Employers usually provide a corporate line or connection for work; ask what yours offers before you arrive, and plan on WeChat, Amap and Didi for daily life regardless.
LanguageMandarin for leases and offices. English is common in the central districts. Your Insider works with you in English and negotiates on your behalf in whatever the lease is written in.
Relocation tools
Plan the move to Shanghai
Small tools built on this guide: what a month costs, the steps in order, what to pack and what to do when you land. Indicative figures, in the local currency.
- Cost calculatorA month in the city, three ways, in the local currency.Open
- Visa timelineYour route, step by step, with how long each part takes.Open
- Neighbourhood matchmakerFour questions, one neighbourhood, and what a one-bed costs there.Open
- Packing listA checklist for this city and the season you land in.Open
- First 48 hoursWhat to do first after landing, in the order that works.Open
- Local appsThe phone setup that runs daily life, and what each replaces.Open
- Speak localUseful phrases for taxis, cafés and the flat, read aloud.Open
- Dish finderWhat to order, by time of day, and what it is called.Open
- Weekend getawaysEasy escapes, by travel time and how you get there.Open
Pricing for Shanghai
What a move to Shanghai costs
These are the fees in Shanghai, published before you start, in euros. No commission on your rent, no percentage of the lease, no success fee.
Visit
Your Insider visits for you€49single · €99 pack of 3- In-person visit by a local Insider
- Video walkthrough
- Area report
- Scam check
- Most popular
Starter
Full home search€649flat fee · Shanghai- Personal shortlist
- Viewings with video
- Lease negotiation & review
- Handover & keys
- 50% to start, 50% at the keys
Premium
Home search + full setup€1,450flat fee · Shanghai- Everything in Starter
- Bank, SIM & registration
- Utilities & internet
- Healthcare & school search
- First-week orientation
The full guide
Five deep dives for someone arriving, not visiting
- Housing A quick, agent-led market where the real risks are the person signing the lease and whether the tenancy is registered properly.
- Paperwork Police registration within 24 hours, a two-step permit process, and a phone number that has to exist before anything else does.
- Healthcare Excellent public hospitals that operate in Chinese and run on queues, a tier of hospital international departments, and private clinics priced for insurance.
- Schools A two-tier system where passport nationality decides which schools your child may attend, and fees at the top end rival anywhere in the world.
- Getting around An enormous, cheap and modern metro, ride-hailing that costs less than parking, and two airports that are an hour apart.
On the ground
Alfred, Antoine, Capu, Eva, Nico — the people behind Insidoor.
Every Insider lives in their city and holds a verified ID. We match you on language and on who is coming with you.
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