Moving to Shanghai from Australia: the guide

Short answer: Australians can fly in without a visa for short trips, but living and working in Shanghai means a work permit, a Z visa and a residence permit, sorted in that order.

The short version

Australians with ordinary passports can visit mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges or transit. China has extended that arrangement to 31 December 2026 [1].
Visa-free entry is not permission to work. Your employer applies for a work permit, you get a Z visa from a Chinese embassy or consulate, then you apply for a residence permit within 30 days of arriving [2][3].
You must register your address with police within 24 hours of moving in anywhere that isn't a hotel [4].
Expect your first fortnight to be paperwork, a phone number, a payment app and a lot of apartment viewings.
Shanghai has well-established international communities in Gubei, Jinqiao and Huacao, plus the inner-city favourites of Jing'an and Xuhui [5].

Pick the right way in

The visa you hold decides what you can legally do. Get this wrong and the rest of the move doesn't matter.

Your situation	What you need	Key point
Scouting trip, job interviews, visiting family	Nothing, if 30 days or less	Visa-free covers business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit [1]
Taking a job in Shanghai	Work permit, Z visa, then residence permit	Working without a work permit isn't allowed [3]
Moving with a working partner	Family-based visa and residence permit	Your partner's employer usually guides the paperwork; check requirements with the consulate that serves your state

The work permit points

China grades foreign workers by a points system. In Shanghai, 85 points or more puts you in Category A and 60 to 85 points in Category B [6]. Points come from things like education (10 for a bachelor's degree, 15 for a master's, 20 for a doctorate) and years of work experience, where you score nothing for under two years [6]. Salary, language skills and other factors also count, so ask your employer which category they expect you to land in before you resign in Brisbane.

Dual nationals, read this twice

If you were born a Chinese national and later became an Australian citizen, know that China's Nationality Law says the People's Republic "does not recognize dual nationality" [7]. How you enter and which documents you use matter. Get advice from the Australian consulate or a lawyer before you travel, not after.

The order of play for a work move

Sign the offer, then wait for the notification letter. Your employer applies for the work permit through China's online system and sends you a work permit notification letter [2][3].
Apply for the Z visa in Australia. You need your passport, a photo and the notification letter. Apply online and through the Chinese embassy or consulate that covers your state; requirements can vary by location [2].
Fly in and register within 24 hours. A hotel registers you automatically. If you go straight to a serviced apartment or a friend's place, you or your host register online or at the local police station [4].
Do the health check if asked. Shanghai links its work visa guidance to a separate health check guide, so follow what your employer and the local authorities request [2].
Apply for your residence permit within 30 days. Go to the exit-entry administration for the district where you live [2]. This permit, not the Z visa, is what lets you stay long term.
Keep your details current. Register again every time you move, and update the authorities within 10 days if details on your permit change, such as a new passport [3].

The Shanghai exit-entry hotline is 12367 if you get stuck [2].

Your first two weeks

Get a phone number

China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom all sell SIM cards in their official stores, and you'll need your passport to register one. A local number makes everything else easier, from deliveries to bank verification codes.

Set up payments

Shanghai runs on Alipay and Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay). You can link an Australian Visa or Mastercard to both, with limits of US$5,000 per transaction and US$50,000 per year [8]. Most new arrivals also open a local bank account once their residence permit is sorted, because salary goes there. Our guide to daily life in China walks through the apps.

Find a home

Many people book a serviced apartment for the first month and look properly once they know where the office is. Expect to hand over several months' rent before you get the keys. More on that in renting in Shanghai.

Tell Australia you've moved

Update your address with your bank and super fund, think about your tax residency and check what happens to Medicare. The Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai sits on Level 22, CITIC Square, 1168 Nanjing Road West, and handles passports, notarial services and documents such as citizenship for children born in China [9].

Bring the right paperwork from home

Before you fly, scan your degree certificates, your employment references and your marriage or birth certificates if family is coming with you. Employers often ask for originals or authenticated copies for the work permit, and organising them from Shanghai is slower and dearer than doing it in Australia. Keep digital copies somewhere you can reach from a Chinese internet connection.

Where Australians live

Shanghai is enormous, so most people pick a neighbourhood by commute first and vibe second.

Jing'an and Xuhui (including the Former French Concession): Plane trees, cafes, older lane houses and serviced apartments. Popular with singles and couples who want to walk everywhere.
Gubei (Changning): One of China's first international communities, set up in the 1990s. About 26,000 people live in its 2 square kilometres, roughly 46% from overseas, and Hongqiao Airport is about a 10-minute drive [5].
Jinqiao and Lianyang-Huamu (Pudong): Biyun International Community in Jinqiao has around 2,200 expats from more than 50 countries plus schools and medical facilities; Lianyang-Huamu is one of Pudong's oldest international neighbourhoods [5].
Huacao (Minhang): A suburban option with 13 residential compounds and more than 9,000 foreign residents from nearly 80 countries [5]. Families heading to schools on the west side often land here.
Lujiazui (Pudong): Close to the finance towers if you'd rather not commute at all.

What catches Aussies out

Working on visa-free entry. Even a few weeks of paid work without a work permit isn't allowed [3]. Wait for the paperwork.
Forgetting the 24-hour registration. It applies to Airbnbs, friends' couches and new apartments, not just long-term leases [4].
Letting the internet surprise you. China blocks thousands of foreign websites, and social media is listed as blocked [10]. Download what you need and tell family how to reach you before you land.
Assuming the old rules. Visa-free arrangements and fees have changed several times since 2024. Check the Chinese consulate and Smartraveller before you book.

Once you've landed, come and say g'day in Cooee China, our Facebook group for Australians in China (join here). Someone will know which police station handles your street.

Moving to Shanghai from Australia: visas, first weeks and where to live