Upon Your Arrival

Land in China

After you land on the airport, you should first go through the following procedures before heading for your school:

When you get out of the airport, you can take a taxi or a shuttle bus to your school. Taxis are metered in China and they cost 40US cents per kilometer on average in China’s big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It is not customary to tip drivers in China. As for airport shuttle bus, you should make sure if it is available and which line(s) you should take. Actually Transportation Guide on SICAS provides you comprehensive information about how to get to your university easily. Besides, in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, you can also take high-speed trains.

SICAS Reminder: It is suggested you book an airport pick-up service with SICAS beforehand so that we can pick you upon your arrival at the airport. For students who want to book an airport pick-up, please email to service@sicas.cn
 
Airport Transit

However, you may sometimes encounter transit of airplane from a city to another city, the process following the above picture is:

SICAS Reminder:

1. If the taxi is not metered, you’d better not take it. For it maybe a black-cab (not licensed), the driver of which may overcharges you.
2. You can download a map on Google of the school you are heading for and show it to the taxi driver.
3. If you arrive at night, you are suggested to book a hotel before departure. The university will not provide the register service at night, before which the superintendant of the school will not let you in. 
4. If you have booked the SICAS pickup service, you had better look for us after going though the security check, SICAS service team will wait an hour before your plane land with a board reading your name and your school name  and about two hours after the arrival of your plane. So if your flight or luggage are delayed, please inform the service staff ahead of time so that we will wait for you.

Enrolment and Registration

After you arrive in the school campus, you should:
 
1st. Register in Chinese University

To register in the school, you should present some necessary documents. These documents needed vary from university to university; here is some documents which are indispensible to all universities:

a. Admission Letter /Notice
b. Passport

For more detailed about registration in Chinese university, please click here.

2nd. Register the Temporary Residence in the local authorities.

If you choose to live on campus, your school will help you to register with the local authority. However, you should register by yourself accompanied by your landlord if you live off campus.

Please note that there are two separate residence-related documents whose official names are Registration Form of Temporary Residence (临时住宿登记表) and Residence Permit (居留许可). You can click to know more about temporary residence regitration procedure.

It is not enough finishing these procedures, you should keep in mind you should apply for a residence permit 30 days within the arrival in China, otherwise your stay will be considered illegal and you will be fined (500 RMB/day) and even expelled by local authority. 

Get a Residence Permit

It is not your visa but your residence permit that gives you the right to live in China. Upon arrival in China, you have 30 days to obtain your residence permit.

Your initial visa grants you the right to enter China for a specific purpose, but expires after a few months. If you wish to stay longer in China, you will need to apply for a residence permit which works like a multiple-entry visa, allowing you to leave the country and return without an additional visa as long as the permit remains valid (even if your original visa has expired).

For more information about how to get a Residence Permit in China, please click here.

Accommodation on/off Campus

Provided that you have booked the accommodation on campus, when the service staffs of SICAS pick you up at the airport, they will directly lead you to dormitory, and if you are not satisfied with the room, you can ask for a change.

Though the majority of Chinese universities may offer you the right to choose where to live-off campus, we strongly suggest that you live on campus in the first year of your coming into China.

Money matters

When related to money issues, always bring cash and bank card with you when your were in China. You may also want to know how to pay the fees after you reach your university.

SICAS Reminder: If you constantly suffer from insomnia, fatigue and diarrhea shortly after arriving in China, don’t be panic, maybe you are unaccustomed to the climate of China.

You may encounter culture shock when you live in China. It is inevitable but don’t worry. You will soon get used to living in China. Most foreigners quickly come to embrace the quirkiness of life in China and fall in love with the very things that are most frustrating in the first place. Please remember to turn to SICAS for help for we are always here for you. And we appreciate the chance to listen to and share your experiences in China.

Any questions concerning the registration please email us through service@sicas.cn