Organizing his trip to Shanghai

To study in Shanghai, it is important to anticipate your arrival in China. For that, here are some recommendations, ideas, and tips to properly organize your departure.

Administrative part

To begin, the administrative part.

Know that China is very sharp on the paperwork. If you want to study more than 6 months in China, as proposed by ESSCA, you must have a passport valid for another 6 months after the visa application date.

You will need to apply for a student visa. For this you can distinguish two types of student visa:

The “X1” visa for more than 180 days in China
The “X2” visa for a short stay (less than 180 days).

Regarding the X1 visa, know that it is only valid for 30 days after your arrival in China. You will have to apply for a residence permit during these 30 days in order to obtain legal status.

To apply for a visa, you will need to bring with you:

Passport (valid for at least 6 months at the time of application)
Copy of return air tickets
Invitation letter provided by your school

Important:

To all those who wish to study in Shanghai, know that once you arrive in China, if you stay in a hotel, you are automatically registered with the police. But when you move in, you have 24 hours to declare yourself at the police station closest to you. Bring with you your passport and rental agreement.

Health

Before leaving, it is essential to subscribe to international insurance. This You absolutely need care for repatriation and hospitalization covering the length of stay in China.

Here are some insurance companies: April, Mondial Assistance, SMEREP / LMDE World Pass, AIG Travel …

For all foreigners coming to study for more than 6 months in China, a medical examination is mandatory. This visit is essential to hold the residence permit.

Important:

Remember to review your vaccines before leaving. Some vaccines are recommended before leaving as hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis, typhoid … Make a point with your GP and take a meeting in a center.

Personal papers

Before leaving, remember to refuel your personal papers. Print, copy and scan on your computer and mobile papers such as:

Passport
Visa
ID card
Invitation letter from your university
Rental contract for your apartment
Insurance certificate
ID photos

Make change

Make changes before arriving at the airport or at the train stations. It will be easier to have cash on you for the first few days.

Tip:

Remember to open a bank account in China, so you can use Wechat, Alipay Tabao … to pay your rent or everyday purchases. You only need to withdraw money with your foreign CB and use ATM kiosks to credit your Chinese CB.

To open a bank account you will need:

20 Yuan
Passport
Resident permit

Housing

Two choices for accommodation:

Do your housing research before you go
Wait to be there.

If you wait, consider booking a few nights in a hotel before arriving.

Several Facebook groups of students in Shanghai have been created to facilitate exchanges. I advise you to include some as “Shanghai French People” or “Shanghai Housing”. In the daily rooms are released and announcements are made. You will necessarily find your happiness! You will only have to schedule a few visits before your arrival! And if you have a crush, know that signing a lease contract is possible. Ask beforehand to visit via Skype or Facetime.

The installation is done very quickly! In 1 or 2 days you can be moved.

Install a VPN

Stay connected to the world with a VPN. China is the fourth most censored country in the world. Many applications are censored. Here are some unusable applications without VPN:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• WhatsApp
• Netflix
• Google
• Youtube
•…

Here are two VPNs for your trip to China :
• Astrill
• Express VPN

Count around 120 euros for one year usable on several devices (laptop and computer).
You just have to anticipate your trip to avoid any difficulties once there. Enjoy!

Find this article in English here!

Study in Shanghai