Certified community grid worker (社区网格员)
Fang Qinghua worked as a community grid worker in China, a grassroots role responsible for local population registration, resident records and community services — the same offices and procedures foreign residents deal with when registering an address. Holds a community grid worker certificate obtained by examination.
Most "essential apps for China" lists are affiliate pages. These are the government platforms that handle real paperwork — registration, rail tickets, hospital appointments — and what each one is for.
Chinese hospitals run on a fixed sequence — register, wait, consult, pay, collect. Knowing the order before you arrive is most of the battle, and foreigners pay the same rates as residents.
You cannot buy until you have worked or studied in China for more than a year, you may own one home, and it must be for your own use. Here is what the rules actually say.
Which student visa you need turns on one number — 180 days. X1 holders then have 30 days after arrival to convert to a residence permit, and that deadline is the one students miss.
Z, X1, M, S2, Q1 — the letters look arbitrary until you see the pattern. Most categories split at 180 days, and which side you fall on decides what you can do here.
There is no route that lets you drive in mainland China on a foreign licence alone. You need either a provisional permit or a converted Chinese licence — here is which applies to you.
A tourist visa will not get you an account. Here are the visa types banks accept, the tax declaration nobody mentions, and why you cannot use the self-service machines.
Wuhan hosts one of China's largest international student populations. Students living off campus must register themselves — here is how.
Harbin sits closest to the Russian border of any major Chinese city and sees heavy cross-border traffic. The registration rule is national — here is what to bring and where to go.
Qingdao has a large Korean community and two entry-exit halls in Shinan District. Registration rules, documents and where to go.
Tianjin runs exit-entry services in Huayuan Industrial Park and a second window in Binhai New Area. Here is the 24-hour registration rule and where to go.
Suzhou hosts one of China's largest foreign manufacturing communities. The registration rule is national, the office is central, and it opens on Saturdays.
Two checks before you sign, one filing deadline after. Getting the lease right is also what makes your address registration and visa paperwork work later.
You cannot buy a high-speed rail ticket the day you land. 12306 identity verification takes three to five working days. Start it before you fly.
If you are legally employed in China you are already enrolled in the state medical scheme — five insurances, by law, within 30 days. Here is what that covers and what to do in an emergency.
Working in China legally requires two documents, not one. Here is how the A/B/C classification works, which category you fall into, and the deadline that catches new arrivals.
Citizens of 57 countries can enter China for up to 10 days without a visa, through 65 ports in 24 provinces. Here are the conditions, the limits, and the obligation most travellers miss.
Every Chinese SIM is tied to a verified identity. You need your passport, you can hold up to five numbers, and where you buy matters more than most guides admit.
You can now link a Visa or Mastercard to Alipay and WeChat Pay, and the transaction caps were raised five-fold. Here is which cards each app takes, where physical cards must be accepted, and what still trips people up.
Chongqing's 24-hour address registration rule, what to bring, and where the municipal exit-entry service hall is.
Register your Hangzhou address with the police within 24 hours of moving in. Documents, process, and the municipal exit-entry office.
Staying in Chengdu outside a hotel means registering with the police within 24 hours. Here is what to bring and where the exit-entry office is.
Guangzhou runs an online accommodation declaration system for foreign residents, and 12 smart exit-entry halls across the city — one of which stays open until 21:30.
Outside a hotel, you must register your Shenzhen address with the police within 24 hours — and if you arrived on a work visa, a separate 30-day residence permit clock is already running.
Staying in Shanghai outside a hotel means registering your address with the police within 24 hours. Shanghai lets you do it online — here is how, plus every exit-entry office in the city.
Every foreigner staying in Beijing outside a hotel must register their address with the police within 24 hours. Here is exactly what that means, what to bring, and where to go.