City Guides
Your First Month Living and Working in Beijing: A Foreign Resident's Guide
A practical first-month plan for foreign professionals and families settling in Beijing, from accommodation registration and commuting to healthcare and daily services.
Rules and procedures can change. Check the linked official sources before acting on time-sensitive information.
Quick answer
What you need to know
Sequence identity, housing, work, payments, commuting, healthcare, and neighborhood routines so Beijing becomes manageable without relying on one overloaded first week.
- Keep your passport, accommodation registration, work and residence records, and Chinese address accessible.
- Test the real commute before committing to a long lease or daily routine.
- Create payment, phone, hospital, and emergency backups early.
- Use Beijing's official international portal and 12345 service channels for current local guidance.
Beijing is easier when you treat arrival as a 30-day sequence rather than one giant checklist. Secure identity and housing records first, then make work, transport, health, and neighborhood routines reliable.
Days 1–3: identity, address, and communication
Keep your passport and entry record safe, confirm accommodation registration through the currently applicable route, and save your full Chinese address with building, unit, property desk, and nearest gate. Activate a phone number in your own name where possible and tell HR which number and email should receive time-sensitive notices.
Use the new arrival document checklist and ask Beijing’s responsible office about any city-specific requirements.
Week 1: work, payments, and the commute
Confirm with HR the status and dates of your work and residence processes. Set up at least two lawful payment options and retain some emergency cash. Test the door-to-desk commute at working-hour traffic, including the correct subway exit and compound gate. Beijing distances can make a seemingly small map difference matter every day.
Review mobile payments in China and taking public transport before depending on a single app or card.
Weeks 2–3: home and healthcare
Document the apartment condition, learn utility and property-fee payment, test heating or cooling relevant to the season, and save landlord and property contacts. Identify a nearby clinic or hospital, an appropriate emergency department, insurer requirements, and a translation plan. Keep medications and medical records organized; seek medical advice from clinicians, not a relocation guide.
Week 4: build resilient routines
Locate groceries, parcel collection, pharmacy, exercise, parks, waste disposal, and a quiet backup workplace. Add renewal dates and key contacts to a calendar. Families should test the real school commute and confirm pickup authorization, health, and communication rules directly with the school.
Beijing first-month checklist
- Accommodation record and exact Chinese address saved.
- HR work and residence timeline confirmed.
- Phone, payment, and emergency-cash backups working.
- Rush-hour commute tested door to door.
- Lease condition, utilities, and property contacts documented.
- Nearby routine and emergency healthcare identified.
- 12345 and essential contacts stored.
- Family, school, and dependent records reviewed.
Official Beijing reference points
Local procedures, office locations, hours, and eligibility can change. Check the dated official guidance and confirm important steps with HR, your landlord, the relevant Beijing authority, school, insurer, or medical provider.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
What should I do first after moving into a Beijing apartment?
Confirm the current accommodation-registration procedure with the hotel, landlord, property manager, or local police and keep the resulting record. Then verify utilities, access, and the exact Chinese address.
Which Beijing district is best for foreign workers?
There is no universal best district. Compare office commute, school or childcare, hospital access, airport needs, budget, noise, and daily services at the specific compound level.
Where can I get official English-language Beijing information?
The International Web Portal of Beijing publishes service guides for working, living, transport, health, education, and administrative matters. Check dates and confirm critical procedures with the responsible office.
