Daily Life
Beijing newcomer checklist: what to do before and after arrival
A practical first-year checklist for foreigners moving to Beijing, from documents and registration to housing, payments, healthcare, and renewals.
BJNEW Quick Guide
A simple first-month guide for Beijing newcomers.
Start with the practical systems that matter immediately: login, phone, banking, housing, transport, shopping, food, culture, etiquette, holidays, customs, and pets.
Visa & Residency
Work visas, residence permits, police registration, renewal timing, and documents newcomers should prepare before landing.
Housing
District choices, apartment searches, lease contracts, deposits, utilities, and commute tradeoffs for Beijing newcomers.
Schools
International schools, bilingual schools, kindergarten options, tuition ranges, admissions timelines, and family relocation planning.
Healthcare
International hospitals, clinics, insurance, emergency care, prescriptions, and how to prepare a health plan before arrival.
Study
Official starting points for international students, university life, scholarships, visas, internships, and settling into Beijing.
Work & Business
Employment basics, company setup, taxes, banking, accounting, and practical admin for foreign professionals and founders.
Work
Work permits, employment setup, social insurance, housing fund, payroll basics, tax entry points, and labor-rights services for foreign workers.
Daily Life
Payments, SIM cards, transport, apps, food, etiquette, public services, and the small systems that make Beijing easier.
Daily Life
Beijing first-month quick start guide
A simple first-month guide for newcomers covering login, phone, banking, housing, transport, shopping, food, etiquette, holidays, customs, and pets.
Visa & Residency
Beijing work visa basics for foreign professionals
A plain-English overview of the work visa path, residence permit timing, employer responsibilities, and documents to prepare before moving to Beijing.
Daily Life
Getting around Beijing: subway, bus, taxi, and trains
How newcomers should use Beijing's subway, buses, ride-hailing, shared bikes, railway stations, and airport links, in a practical order.
Daily Life
Leaving Beijing: a departure checklist for foreigners
What to close, cancel, and keep when you leave Beijing: work permit, housing, tax, social insurance and housing fund, banking, and a final-week checklist.
Daily Life
Driving in Beijing as a foreigner: license and rental
What foreign residents and visitors need before driving in Beijing: the Chinese license rule, provisional permits, license conversion, and car rental timing.
Work
Individual income tax in Beijing for foreigners: the annual settlement
What foreign workers in Beijing need to know about tax residency, the March-to-June annual reconciliation, and where to file — from official sources.
Daily Life
Accommodation registration in Beijing: official online entry
What foreign newcomers should know about Beijing accommodation registration, including the official online service entry and first-week checklist.
Housing
Best Beijing districts for foreigners: how to choose where to live
A newcomer-focused guide to choosing a Beijing district based on commute, schools, international services, rent, lifestyle, and daily convenience.
Healthcare
Emergencies and medical care in Beijing for foreigners
What to do in a medical emergency in Beijing: calling 120, choosing a hospital, booking care, paying, and a first-week emergency checklist.
Daily Life
Bringing pets to Beijing: entry rules and dog registration
Bringing a dog or cat to Beijing: customs entry rules, the 30-day quarantine default and its exemptions, dog registration, and the annual check.
Schools
Beijing international schools: planning guide for families
A practical planning guide for families comparing international and bilingual schools in Beijing before a relocation decision.
Work & Business
Registering a foreign-funded enterprise in Beijing: official start
Official Beijing entry points for foreign investors who need to understand company setup, business registration, banking, taxes, and service portals.
Study
Learning Chinese in Beijing: courses, the HSK, and a first-year plan
Learning Chinese in Beijing: university language programs, the HSK test route, and a practical first-year plan for newcomers, workers, and students.
Healthcare
Healthcare and insurance in Beijing for foreigners
How newcomers should think about international hospitals, local clinics, insurance coverage, emergency care, and prescriptions in Beijing.
Study
Studying in Beijing: official starting points for international students
Official Beijing resources for international students, including study guides, universities, scholarships, visas, internships, and settling into the city.
Daily Life
Cross-border banking and large payments in Beijing for foreigners
How foreigners in Beijing handle larger sums: foreign-currency accounts, exchanging currency, sending money abroad, and the paperwork to prepare first.
Daily Life
Payments, SIM cards, and banking in Beijing
A practical setup guide for newcomers who need phone verification, mobile payments, bank access, transport, and daily spending to work quickly.
Work
Social insurance and housing fund in Beijing for foreign workers
Official Beijing source map for foreign workers who need to understand social insurance service support, medical insurance, and housing fund caps.
Work & Business
Starting a business in Beijing as a foreigner: first questions
A founder-focused guide to the early questions around company setup, accounting, tax, visas, banking, hiring, and realistic timelines.