- Special
advice should be sought for vaccination requirements for all children under 2
years of age.
You can get you immunizations
in Shanghai at most of the hospitals and all of the International
Medical Centers although it is recommended to save your own time when you
arrive to have these done beforehand. On
this site we provide a full list of Hospitals
and Medical
Centres as well as Dentists
and Massage
Centres.
What
is an Expat Package? Most
Expats coming to Shanghai for the first time have no idea what the average package
for an Expat out here should be or what additional articles should be included
within the overall package. We have attempted
here to list some of the things that you should bring to your employers attention
prior to coming although this is a guideline from our past experience.
As
Shanghai prospers and local business professionals reach higher standards of education
and training, many companies actually reduce the packages from what they were
a few years ago because in some cases it is no longer the ‘hardship’ posting it
used to be.
REMOVAL
ALLOWANCE – Your company should pay to move to Shanghai all of your personal belongings
and effects that you would reasonably be expected to require during the duration
of your stay. The same applies for any
accompanying family members but we do stress that you will be surprised how much
there is to be found here in Shanghai – it may save you bringing everything but
the kitchen sink!
FLIGHT
TICKET – Your company should provide your travel tickets at the relevant class
attributable to your position within the company. They may allow stopovers en-route although
will almost certainly not meet your accommodation expenses if you choose to stop
over.
ACCOMMODATION
ALLOWANCE – Most companies will provide full accommodation allowance depending
on the location you choose to live in that best suits your business and personal
needs. Accommodation levels in Shanghai
differ vastly from top-rated Serviced Apartments at as much as $13,000 USD (yes,
USD) per month, to 4 bedroomed villa’s with gardens at $5,000 USD per month.
On average, families can expect to pay between $4,000 USD - $6,000 USD
per month for Villa’s or apartments and single people can vary from between $1,500
USD - $4,000 USD.
TELEPHONE
& UTILITY BILLS – Most companies will refund all of your utility bills (gas,
water, electricity) and most telephone bills that are used for business purposes.
Home telephone bills are sometimes included (depending on the package)
although if used constantly by families to call home then some employers will
not include this in the package.
TRANSPORT
– All packages will either include provisions for refunds of taxi-fares or a monthly
allowance, which enables you to rent a vehicle/driver.
EDUCATION
FEES – Some companies will contribute towards meeting a proportion of the Education
Fees but in the main part, most Expats who arrive with children have their education
fees met in full.
HEALTH
INSURANCE – Most packages include total Medical and Dental cover and even incorporate
for emergency evacuation for medical treatment in other countries.
ANNUAL
HOME LEAVE – Many packages make allowances for the fact that you need to return
home once or maybe twice a year. This
leave will be granted with flight tickets paid for by the companies themselves.
LEAVING
EXPENSES – Having brought you to Shanghai, the company now needs to get you home
to take up your new position. You will
have accrued all manner of artifacts and relics and these all need to be shipped
back home along with your own personal belongings (which have increased dramatically
in size). All packages contain the return
of possessions and of course, yourself and your families return flight tickets.
WHAT
TO DO JUST BEFORE YOU LEAVE
There
are some critical decisions to be made and thought about prior to you leaving,
and most critical of these being Where will we live? Which school for our children?
What about Health Care? Will we find a cleaner/nanny? How is Shanghai for Grocery
Shopping? We have tried to cover these questions and have split them down into
six sections, housing, schooling, medical, finance and banks, cleaning and shopping.
Shanghai
is awash with every conceivable style, standard and price of accommodation
that can be found in most major cities throughout the world.
The prices for accommodation vary dramatically dependent of course
on standard, location and very importantly, who negotiates on your behalf.
The latter you will definitely need as most landlords do not speak
English and all of the documentation or leases will usually be written in
Chinese.
We
would recommend that you contact some of these Real Estate and Property companies
for full details and their terms and conditions.
Most agents do not pass on commission charges to you, these will be passed
on to the landlord:
Adrienne
Farrelly Shanghai Properties - for more details of this company, please click Here
Tel: + 86 21 6248 3336 or +86 21 6248 3063
Fax: 86 21 6479 1148
Email: shanghaiproperties@email.com
Website: www.shanghaiproperties.com
Diana
Real Estate - for more details of this company, please click Here
Tel: + 86 21 3415 0967 or Tel: +86 21 6479 1399
Fax: 86 21 6479 1148
Email: info@dianaservice.com
Pacific
Relocations/Pacific Properties - for more details of this company, please
click Here
Tel:
+86
21 6351 1503
Fax
+86 21 6351 8213
E-Mail:
shanghai@worthenpacific.com
Phoenix
Property - for more details of this company, please click Here
Tel: +8621 6437 9891 or +8621 6437 4160
Fax: +8621 6471 8926
E-Mail: phoenix@guomai.sh.cn
Website: www.shanghai-realty.com
Shanghai
Metropolis - for more details of this company, please click Here
Tel: +8621 3214-0937 or +8621 6248-0245
Fax: +8621 5404-9215
Email:
metprop@uninet.com.cn
Website: www.metropolis-sh.com/
Sources
Real Estate Services - for more details of this company, please click Here
Tel: +86 21 6268-9850 or +86 21 6268-9541
Fax: +86 21 6268-8004
Email:
sources@public.sta.net.cn
Although
the above are highly recommended, a full list of other Real
Estate Agents or Property
Companies is available on the site.
LOCATION
The
location of where you want to live in Shanghai should incorporate the obvious
questions before you start looking:
Shanghai
is split into two main areas, divided by the Huang Pu river.
Puxi is the heart of Shanghai, downtown and beyond where most of the shopping,
dining, entertaining and schools are located.
Pudong is the opposite side of the water and is rapidly developing into
the new heart of Shanghai and although it will take many more years of development,
many businesses and properties are expanding through Pudong and out to the New
International airport.
Gubei
is a typical area where Expats have lived for many years, primarily Gubei came
of its own as being an Expat area because of its proximity to the Hong Qiao airport
and within 15 minutes drive of downtown. Gubei
is a mini-city within all intents and purposes with many shops, restaurants, sports
clubs and facilities spread over a vast area of top-level apartments and villa’s.
The
Hua Shan Road district is set firmly downtown and also provides for convenience
in all aspects of downtown living. The Shanghai Centre has been for many years
the heart of the American community with total downtown living. Prices used to be very expensive here although
they are reducing now that there is so much choice.
Pudong
offers probably the most Green standard of accommodation and surroundings at prices
that are often far less than across the water in Puxi.
The standard of accommodation found in Pudong equals that in Puxi and as
Pudong progresses, we expect the prices in Pudong to increase in line with demand.
RENTAL
PRICES
Living
in Shanghai does not come cheaply. The following is a rough guide to Apartment
and Villa prices at the moment for the different areas of the city. All prices are in US Dollars for ease of reference:
GUBEI
AREA
2
Bedroom Apartment – approx 100 Sq Metres - $1,200 - $2,200
3
Bedroom Apartment – approx 170 Sq Metres - $1,700 - $3,000
4
Bedroom Villa – approx 300 Sq Metres - $4,000 - $7,000
HUA
SHAN ROAD AREA
2
Bedroom Apartment – approx 100 Sq Metres - $1,000 - $2,200
3
Bedroom Apartment – approx 170 Sq Metres - $2,000 - $3,000
4
Bedroom Apartment – approx 300 Sq Metres - $3,000 - $4,500
PUDONG
AREA
2
Bedroom Apartment – approx 100 Sq Metres - $800 - $1,500
3
Bedroom Apartment – approx 170 Sq Metres - $1,200 - $1,800
4
Bedroom Villa – approx 300 Sq Metres - $2,800 - $5,000
Those
are just examples on average prices we have studied, depending of course who does
the negotiating for you, everything is worth haggling for here and bargains can
often be found.
DEPOSIT
AND LENGTH OF CONTRACTS
It
is always wise to use a Real Estate Company who provide a service whereby you
get the contract terms and conditions in English as well as Chinese.
There are horror stories where Expats have signed leases in Chinese – which
of course they did not understand but trusted their landlords – only to find extortionate
rent increases after a year in that property – all explained in the contract!!!
Usually,
landlords require a deposit of three months rent in advance so you will end up
paying the first months’ rent and 3 further months.
Some make allowances so that the first payment equals three months rent.
The
inventory when you move in should be carefully checked and ensure – as anywhere
in the world – a comprehensive description of any anomalies is made and signed
by all parties.
UTILITY
BILLS Some
building management companies will provide you with Headed paper that shows some
figures and a total amount payable at the bottom for your water, electricity and
telephone charges for the month. DO NOT accept this, ask for the original bills
and always pay the bills direct at the local post office yourself.
A
description and examples of how to interpret your bills can be found Here.
SCHOOLING
Shanghai
offers a wide and extensive range of International Schooling from Kindergarten
up until the later years. Our comprehensive
list of International
Schools and Kindergartens
both show what a wide range is available.
It
is wise to bring your child’s current and future curriculum plans with you when
you come to Shanghai as most of the schools have a different curriculum from each
other. Some lean towards a more American standard/curriculum,
some more towards the UK and some towards Australia/New Zealand – so the choice
is there for everyone.
All
schools offer out of school activities and hobbies, children can often find so
much to do after school that Shanghai really can be as thoroughly enjoyable for
the children as it is the parents. Don’t
forget, at all ages children get taught Chinese and as children have a tendency
to learn quicker than their parents, they can often be your translators in early
months.
MEDICAL
Contrary
to popular belief in the West, China does not suffer from lack of medical facilities
and in Shanghai the facilities to be found are most certainly amongst the best
in China. Many companies provide membership to a local
Worldwide Medical Centre of which there are many to be found in Shanghai. These have top Western and Chinese doctors
and in the main have their own facilities for all but major surgery.
When/if
major surgery is ever required, these Medical Centres have links with the major
local hospitals and will provide full Medical Support wherever needed. In the very rare cases where top medical treatment cannot be obtained
in Shanghai, patients will be evacuated for the short trip down to Hong Kong,
although we must stress that usually all medical facilities and services are available
in Shanghai.
The
main hospitals in Shanghai also have their own Expats departments and the hospitals
at Hua Dong, Rui Jin and Hua Shan all have separate departments exclusively for
the treatment of Expats.
FINANCE
& BANKING
The
currency RMB is not accepted anywhere but in China and so attempts to find any
to bring with you when you arrive will be fruitless.
Upon arrival at either of the two airports, ATM
Machines can be found in the arrivals halls, which accept Visa and Mastercard.
These can be used to withdraw local RMB Currency.
Expats
can open a bank account at most of the Shanghai banks although the transfer of
currencies between the accounts can quite often be limited to certain amounts. For more details on Offshore Banking and using
these facilities to withdraw cash or have online banking we recommend that you
contact International
Financial Services.
China
does have strict laws on currency import and export and if you are going to move
sums of cash in or out of China in excess of $5,000 USD you will be required at
the airport to show documentation and receipts for the currency exchanges and/or
requirement to carry cash of that level.
CLEANING/MAIDS
Most
Expats in Shanghai have a maid or cleaner (known as Ayi in Shanghai).
The Ayi can come in any denomination of age, shape and size and all are
usually very good at the basics of housework.
Nanny/Ayi
Agencies do exist in Shanghai and can occasionally find one that speaks a
little English. Salaries for cleaners
vary dramatically upon their hours and just what they do for their work but in
the main, they come extremely inexpensively and if you need someone to pop out
and get your daily milk, talk to the building management or telephone to get things
fixed, they can be worth their weight in gold.
Most
people who come to Shanghai envisage that their home-grown luxuries or those little
things that you get so accustomed to eating at home and take for granted, cannot
be found in Shanghai. As Shanghai progresses, this is increasingly becoming far
from the truth and almost, almost, everything you eat at home can be found here
in Shanghai – at a price.
Spread
liberally around Shanghai, for basic daily requirements necessities such as milk,
ice creams, sweets, alcohol, cigarettes, can be found Kedi’s or Lawsons that are
open 24 hours a day. Lian Hua and curiously
named Hua Lian supermarkets also abound throughout the city for a larger range
of vegetables, eggs and meats. The French
supermarket Giants Carrefour have 5 stores in Shanghai now and this is very similar
to shopping at any large supermarket or hypermart back home.
We
suggest you take a look at our Supermarkets
and Department
Stores Sections.
For
the Expat delights though, those specific items, there are 3 places that particularly
spring to mind. The Welcome Store in the middle of the Shanghai
Centre is the most famous for providing Expat foods, all imported – but be warned,
these do not come cheaply! The Friendship
Shopping Centre in Hong Qiao also has a Supermarket section that also caters for
many Expat foods at a slightly more realistic price.
Finally, City Shopping in Gubei offers a great many imported foods and
also have a good meat selection.
For
top quality meat,
the mainstay in the deli department is Glenmore’s deli on Wu Zhong Lu. All of the meat is imported from Australia
and they also have a wide variety of Australian canned, packages and frozen foodstuff.
Most of the 4 and 5 star hotels also have their own delicatessens stores
where you can find meats, cheeses and a variety of other produce.
Vegetable
and Fruit markets are everywhere in Shanghai and it is all a matter of your taste
and what you want to eat and don’t want to eat but as we mentioned at the start,
you can get almost everything now in Shanghai but we also did say, it comes at
a price. Chinese eating habits mean that
they like to eat meat close to the bone, or other parts of the fish that western
minds would prefer not to eat – this means that fillet meat (chicken, fish) is
usually very inexpensive and plentiful.
MOVING
AND PACKING CHECKLIST
Please
feel free to print this out for your reference:
Some
of these documents may not be with you, so you'll probably need to make a few
phone calls or take a few trips to obtain them. On the day of departure, don't
forget your passport as well.
- Birth certificates
- Personal and family documents
- Medical and dental records
- Driver's licenses
- Insurance records
- School records
- Bank records
-
Investment records
You
will need to visit...
- Your bank to transfer accounts
- Your doctor and dentist to obtain your
records
- Your vet to obtain health certificates
for pets
- The tax office to arrange for settlement
of taxes
Don't
forget to...
Packing
Tips...
- Make special shipping arrangements for
items like live plants, foodstuff, firearms and hazardous materials like paint,
spray cans, oils etc.
- Don't ship valuables like money, stocks
and bonds, jewelry and stamp and coin collections. Carry them personally.
- Separate your belongings into: items to
be shipped by air / by sea / to be stored / not to be shipped.
- Inform your moving company if you require
storage at your destination and whether you will be present at the destination
when the shipment arrives.
- Forward these to your moving company:
Insurance forms, customs documents, declaration of alcohol and list of new items.
Important Papers and Documents
A
list of all the papers and documents you'll need to bring with you to Shanghai:
On your person:
- Passport
- Inoculation records
- Internationally recognised credit cards
- Home and international driver's licences
In your briefcase / bag:
- Copies of insurance policies
- Inventories of personal luggage, air freight,
and household shipments
- Extra passport photos
- Medical and dental records
- School records
- Power of attorney
-
Will
Legal Affairs and Insurance Matters:
- Power of Attorney: Anecdotal experience suggests that most people do not need this.
But if you have property or other matters for which your signature is required,
the power of attorney is essential. The power of attorney sounds simple: you transfer
some of your legal rights to someone you trust. The legal wording, however, can
be complicated. You want to spell out exactly what powers you are giving away.
Give plenty of time for this and be clear what you want the person standing in
on your behalf to do.
- Will: Update your
will and your partner's.
- Health Insurance: Get a letter from your insurer detailing who
is covered, the type of cover and when it is paid up to.
- Transit Insurance:
Be sure your family and your belongings are insured
during transit.
Health Records:
- Medical Records: Get copies of medical records, X-rays, of your family.
- Be sure each person's blood type is known
in case a transfusion is needed.
- Inquire about gamma globulin shots as
a preventative measure against hepatitis.
- Arrange medical examinations for each
family member well in advance, three months ahead if possible, so that you can
finish any needed series of immunizations before departure.
- Dental Records:
Ask for copies of records, X-rays, and a statement
of any recommended orthodontic treatment.
- Prescriptions: If you or a
member of your family require medication, stock up on it. Bring along a signed
and dated letter from your physician about the prescription written in generic
name that you can show a doctor to get a fresh prescription.
- Optical: Get a spare
pair of spectacles or contact lenses and a copy of the prescription.
- Inoculations: Bring records
of your children's diphtheria, measles, mumps, polio, rubella, tetanus and whooping
cough inoculations.
- See your veterinarian for required shots
and certificates if you are bringing your pet.
