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Shanghai relocation guides

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Business in China

WAIC 2026: More Hope Than Worry

A candid take on WAIC 2026: China’s AI exports, young founders, Shanghai’s support, bubble risks and why many service robots still make little sense.

Moving to Shanghai

Moving to Shanghai in 2026: The Complete Guide

Planning a move to Shanghai in 2026? An honest, no-commission guide to the decisions that matter before you come — cost, the right order, schools, visas, and daily life.

Empty bright apartment interior with parquet floor and balcony window — just-moved-in arrival visual (Pexels stock by Max Vakhtbovych).
Moving to Shanghai

Your first 30 days in Shanghai, in order

A practical Shanghai arrival hub for employees, students, families and short stays: what to prepare, what to do first and where each route splits.

Tree-lined plane-tree street in Shanghai's Former French Concession — premium expat neighborhood
Housing & Neighborhoods

Where expat families actually live in Shanghai (2026): Jing'an, the FFC, Pudong, Hongqiao, Xinjiangwancheng — honest trade-offs

An honest 2026 comparison of the five Shanghai neighborhoods that absorb almost every relocating expat family — Jing'an, the Former French Concession, Pudong (Jinqiao/Lujiazui), Hongqiao/Gubei, and the emerging Xinjiangwancheng. Real rents in a softening market, real commute times to specific schools, and the regret column no other guide gives you.

Shanghai government service center for foreigners — visa, residence and registration support
Visas & Permits

Shanghai's 2026 work-permit reset, in plain English

Shanghai's 2026 reset: salary thresholds up ~50%, the renewal filing window now 30–120 days before expiry, and four routes that still work if you're under threshold. Plain-English read for foreign professionals.

Shanghai international school campus — school fit diagnostic for relocating families
Schools & Education

Why school choice should come before apartment in Shanghai

Shanghai's top international schools close applications 6–10 months before the school year starts. Most relocating families pick the apartment first — and pay ¥150,000+ to undo the mistake. Here's the right sequence, plus what just changed at Dulwich.

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