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Relocation guide

🇨🇳 Moving to China: Language & Your First Week

Moving to China means learning Chinese — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are your residence permit and registration of temporary residence at the local police station (PSB) within 24 hours of arrival, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.

Mainland China uses simplified characters and Mandarin (Putonghua) for all official life, though local dialects thrive at home. The PSB registration, banking and apps like WeChat are Mandarin-first — pinyin and core characters plus the four tones are essential.

Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's Chinese curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →

Do you need to speak Chinese to move to China?

Yes — you’ll need practical Chinese for the essentials. Moving to China means handling your residence permit and registration of temporary residence at the local police station in Chinese, plus the doctor, the bank and your landlord. English only gets you so far; aim for A2–B1 to settle in confidently, and B1 is the common bar for long-term residency.

Moving to China: key facts

Which app should you use to learn Chinese for moving to China?

Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to China, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the Chinese that decides your first months: your residence permit and registration of temporary residence at the local police station, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.

• Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
• Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
• Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 Chinese pointed at settling in China, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
• 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.

What to do in your first week in China?

1. Register your address / residency — your residence permit and registration of temporary residence at the local police station (PSB) within 24 hours of arrival.
2. Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
3. Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
4. Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
5. Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.

Visa & permits: Movers need the appropriate visa (Z for work, converted to a residence permit; also S for family, X for study) arranged before entry. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.

Chinese phrasebooks you'll need

What do expats say about language in China?

• Mandarin is tonal — 'ma' can mean mother, hemp, horse or scold by pitch alone.
• Chinese characters are built from radicals — components that hint at meaning.
• There's no alphabet — literacy needs around 3,000 characters for a newspaper.
• The same characters are read very differently in Cantonese and Mandarin.
• Red means luck and joy; it's everywhere at New Year and weddings.