PermitsPermits
The paperwork that is not housing but breaks leases: a permit that never lands, a residence address that was never updated, a newborn past sixty days.
China does not have one number for everything. Calling the wrong line costs minutes. Give the road name, lane number and nearest crossing — not the compound’s marketing name.
110
Police — crime, personal danger, a crisis you cannot handle alone
English, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Korean
119
Fire, explosion, hazardous materials, collapse
English
120
Ambulance and medical emergency
English. Describe symptoms and the address in full.
12345
City services hotline — non-emergency questions about public services
Chinese, with limited English
12367
Immigration and exit-entry enquiries
Listed as 24/7 with English; Japanese and French also mentioned
The most expensive misunderstanding is thinking a work visa covers all of it. These run on different clocks, through different authorities.
Human resources bureau, filed by the employer
Employment in China requires the work permit and a work-type residence permit — both, not either.
Exit-entry administration, after arrival
The address on it follows the home you rent. Moving means updating it.
Tax authority — withheld by the employer, reconciled the following year
Tax residency at 183 days affects the following year’s filing, and some car-plate routes.
Municipal talent bureau, filed online by the employer
A proof of municipal entitlements. It does not replace a residence permit.
Police registration runs on its own 24-hour clock, separate from all four: Police registration
Each of these has left a family paying rent on a flat they could not use.
If the permit does not come through, the flat sits empty or the lease is broken. Freelancers and people employed by an overseas company often cannot get one at all — a serviced apartment first is the safer order.
Two foreign nationals need to marry under their own or a third country’s law, then ask about recognition in China. Do not queue at a Shanghai civil affairs office for this.
Official site / gallery ↗The hospital issues a medical birth certificate. After that: the passport goes through your consulate, and a visa or residence permit must be applied for within 60 days of birth. Overstaying blocks the whole family’s departure.
Official site / gallery ↗Police registration is a separate 24-hour clock from the residence permit, and it restarts every time you move or re-enter the country.
Search your passport country plus “Consulate General Shanghai official”. Go to the government domain — .gov, .de, .gouv.fr and so on — not an aggregator.
8 Wanshan Road, Changning 200336
Consular section: 13F, Shanghai International Trade Centre, 2299 Yan’an Xi Lu
021-5257-4766 · 021-5257-4768
师傅，请到这里
日本国驻上海总领事馆
长宁万山路 8 号 200336
Consulate-General of Japan
8 Wanshan Road, Changning 200336
60 Wanshan Road, Changning
Official pages are on the ministry’s overseas site; confirm before you go.
师傅，请到这里
大韩民国驻上海总领事馆
长宁万山路 60 号
Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea
60 Wanshan Road, Changning
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Official site. Addresses move — open the page before you go.
Wanshan Road in Hongqiao is one of the densest consular blocks in the city. It is one more reason the Gubei and Hongqiao corridor suits households with frequent consular business.All corridors
Housing follows the English international school track — there is no separate corridor.
Official site. Times and access move — open the page that day.
Tell us where you are in the permit process. If it is not confirmed yet, we will say so and start you somewhere flexible.
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