Register to the Police station

You have to get registered at the police station of your district within 72 hours after the beginning of the lease period. This process is very simple: just bring your passport and go there with your leasing contract and ask for a “Zan zhu zhen” to get your Local Shanghai Registration Form Of Temporary Residence. This registration is free of charge.

If you don't know where is the correct local police station you have to go, give us a call, we can help you to find it out for free.

   • If you are living at the hotel, or an international student building at the university, the reception will manage this process on your behalf (they just need a copy of your pass port).
   • If you are living in your own apartment, you have to be registered to the police station of your district. If you do not take time to deal with this, later you will not be allowed to renew your visa; and the Chinese authorities can ask you up to 5000 RMB as penalties.

You can find here a list of the main police stations by districts. It is best you call then before going to confirm the place to register.

District	Tel	Address
Changning Hongkou Huangpu Jing'an Luwan Pudong Putuo Xuhui Yangpu Zhabei	62906290 63242200 63280123 62588800 64735330 50614567 52809966 64868911 65431000 63172110	No.201 Weining Rd. No.260 Minhang Rd. No.174 Jinling East Rd. No.415 Jiaozhou Rd. No.22 Jianguo Middle Rd. No.655 Dingxiang Rd. No.1895 Daduhe Rd. No.901 Tianyaoqiao Rd. No.2049 Pingliang Rd. No.600 Tianmu Middle Rd.

Register to your consulate or embassy

Registration will assist your embassy/consulate in locating you in the event of an emergency or in replacing a lost or stolen passport. It is not compulsory but recommend and it is free of charge. List of the main consulates and embassies in Shanghai.

It is recommended to have a local bank account to keep small amounts of RMB in it.
The four large banks are Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of Communications and Agricultural Bank of China.
Banks are open weekends as well as week days and close early evening. Some smaller branches will close during lunch hours from 11.30am to 1.30pm.

Money Exchange
You can exchange currency at the airport upon arrival – at the currency exchange counter (after passing through customs). There is no limit to how much you can change here – so if you need large amounts of currency it is a
good idea to change money when you arrive.
The exchange rate in China is government controlled and therefore generally the same at hotels, banks and airport. Don't forget your passport when changing money. There is no problem exchanging Travellers Cheques in China – but you will also need to have your passport with you.

ATM Machines / Credit Cards

ATM Machines are common in Shanghai and many banks are linked to the Visa, Mastercard and Cirrus networks. There is a limit of 2,500RMB per withdrawal but you can withdraw a number of times over from the same machine.

While more and more places in China are starting to accept major credit cards, China does remain a largely cash society. It is important to ensure that you have some cash with you at all times.

Open a bank account

There is no cost to open your account and the card is free of charge. Open a bank account is the most convenient way to receive money from abroad and to be paid by your company. You will then be able to receive and emit bank transfers. The cost for these transfers varies according to the receiver’s bank account.
It is very easy to do: 15 minutes are required to obtain your credit card. Your passport and 10 yuans are needed to complete the process. Your will choose your personal password (6 numbers). Your credit card will be activated and you will be able to use it immediately.

TIPS:
           • Keep all your receipts when you change money into RMB. Chinese regulations are very strict concerning the change from RMB into a foreign currency. If this point is not important when you just arrive in Shanghai, it will become more significant when you will leave China. The Chinese regulations allow you to change as much RMB into a foreign currency as you previously change foreign currency into RMB. Your change receipts will then define the amount you can change when you leave the country.
           • Transferring money from abroad takes from 4 days to 2 weeks. Your foreign bank will ask for the name of the bank account holder, your account number, the SWIFT code and address of your bank in Shanghai.
Unless you choose HSBC which is the only foreign bank available to individuals, there are lots of Chinese banks to choose from. They all offer the same basic services: we recommend Bank of China and Industrial Bank of China which are among the most famous.

As everywhere in the world, you need to have your own cell phone number in Shanghai.
Each cell phone (GSM) is working in China. You can buy a prepaid card everywhere along the street or in specialized shops.
As a foreigner, you can not access to subscription. Foreigners only can use prepaid cards.
The number of different cards existing on the market is simply crazy: some are restricted to Shanghai, others work everywhere but the cost is prohibitive if you phone a number from another network… The best is to go with a Chinese friend to help you for this point.
The price of communication is very low. You will use between 100 and 300 yuans per month according to your use. In China, receiver and caller will pay for a phone call.