From arrival to belonging
Build a life in China—not just complete a move.
You can have a visa, a home and a working bank account—and still not feel settled.
Practical guidance and local support from your first day in Shanghai to the moment life here begins to feel like your own.
Start where you are
Different stages need different kinds of help.
- 01
Planning your move
Get the order right before schools, housing, permits and timing begin to pull against each other.
- 02
New in Shanghai
Set up the systems that make daily life work—and learn to handle them without depending on an assistant.
- 03
Living here, but not settled
Move beyond logistics into language, relationships, local routines and a stronger sense of belonging.
The real work
Relocation gets you here. Belonging takes longer.
A phone number and a bank account make daily life possible. They do not automatically give you confidence at a hospital, a local social circle, useful Mandarin or a sense that Shanghai is yours.
helloChina helps with both layers: the systems that make life work, and the local understanding that helps life deepen.
- Become independent in daily tasks
- Understand the context behind unfamiliar systems
- Build routines, language and local connections that last
The roadmap
From arrival to a life that feels like your own.
Phase 1 · 01 / Arrive
Get the essentials working
- Chinese phone number
- Banking and mobile payments
- Residence registration
- Essential apps and first-week setup
Phase 2 · 02 / Live
Handle daily life with confidence
- Healthcare and emergencies
- Transport and navigation
- Food, shopping and home services
- Practical Mandarin for real situations
Phase 3 · 03 / Connect
Build relationships beyond convenience
- WeChat and social etiquette
- Interest-based communities
- Language in everyday situations
- Local friendships and professional networks
Phase 4 · 04 / Belong
Decide what a long-term life here looks like
- Family and education
- Career and professional identity
- Long-term routines
- A sense of home across cultures
Practical support
Help when a problem needs more than an article.
- 01First 30 Days
Set up daily life—and learn to run it yourself.
Phone, banking, payments, registration and essential apps, handled with you in your first month. - 02Housing
Find a home that fits the life around it.
Independent apartment search, negotiation, lease review and move-in support—without landlord commissions. - 03Schooling & Learning
Choose for the child, the family and the life ahead.
School shortlists, admissions support and learning help grounded in how your family actually wants to live. - 04Permits & Renewals
Build a stable legal foundation for life here.
Residence permits, dependent permits and work-permit coordination for people living in Shanghai. - 05Full Relocation
Coordinate the move in the right order.
School, home, permits and the first weeks on the ground, managed through one point of contact.
- Client-paid
- No school, landlord or agent commissions.
- Shanghai-based
- Local depth before national promises.
- Independence-first
- We help you need less support over time.
- Honest scope
- Clear about what we can handle—and what we cannot.
Why helloChina
Local knowledge, seen from both sides.
Lisa and Amir have moved between Chinese and international systems as parents, students and operators.
helloChina exists because newcomers rarely need more information alone. They need someone who can explain why a system works the way it does, what matters now, and when they can safely handle it themselves.
- 15 years in Shanghai
- Experience across Chinese and international education
- Candid, client-paid advice
Common questions
Before you decide what help you need.
Do you only help people who are moving to China?
No. Some clients contact us before they arrive. Others have lived in Shanghai for months or years but still depend on colleagues, assistants or translation apps for important parts of daily life. We help at both stages.
Is helloChina a relocation agency?
Relocation is part of what we do, but it is not the whole purpose of helloChina. We help with housing, schooling, permits and arrival logistics when needed. Our longer-term goal is to help clients understand local systems, make confident decisions and build a life they can manage independently.
I'm already in Shanghai and only need a few things set up. Can you help?
Yes. The Local Fixer handles practical first-month setup, and every service can be booked on its own. You do not need a full relocation.
Are you paid by schools, agents or landlords?
No. Clients pay us directly. We take no kickbacks, referral fees or commissions from schools, agents or landlords.
Do you work outside Shanghai?
Our deepest operational experience is in Shanghai. We can provide planning and general China guidance for other cities, but we will be clear when a request requires local expertise that we do not yet have.
What happens after the first 30 days?
The aim is for you to be set up and increasingly self-sufficient. If another problem comes up, you can return for a specific service or contact us to work out the smallest useful next step.
Start with the part of China life that feels hardest right now.
Tell us where you are in the journey. We will recommend the smallest useful next step—even if that is a guide rather than a service.