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Moving to Shenzhen is a sequence, not a single task.
You need a place to stay, a phone number, working payments, internet, transport, delivery apps, apartment setup, and a working mental map of the districts. If you are coming for hardware, layer on where markets, suppliers, factories, and prototyping resources fit.
This page gives you the default path.
The default sequence
1. Decide what Shenzhen is for
Your setup follows from your purpose.
| Purpose | Default priority |
|---|---|
| Hardware founder | supplier access, market access, flexible housing, translator support |
| Operator relocating | district choice, apartment, phone, payments, internet, commute |
| Investor visiting | itinerary, driver, interpreter, briefing notes, meetings |
| Family move | schools, healthcare, apartment quality, compound, commute |
| Short-term stay | serviced apartment, payment setup, transport, local apps |
2. Choose your area based on weekly movement
Map where you will go each week before you look at apartments. A pretty apartment in the wrong district costs you hours on the metro every day.
Ask:
- Where will I work most days?
- How often will I visit Huaqiangbei?
- How often will I visit Bao’an, Longhua, Longgang, or other supplier areas?
- Do I need fast access to Hong Kong?
- Do I need family-friendly amenities?
- How much English-friendly infrastructure do I need?
3. Arrive with a 72-hour setup plan
In your first 72 hours, aim for functional, not finished.
You need:
- a working phone plan or travel eSIM backup;
- a local number plan if staying longer;
- Alipay and WeChat Pay tested with backup payment methods;
- transport access;
- food and delivery apps working;
- a registration plan for your accommodation;
- a shortlist of apartments or serviced apartments;
- a home internet plan if moving into a lease;
- a backup way to contact someone local.
4. Do not solve regulated questions from blogs
Visa, tax, company setup, medical, banking, and legal questions shift over time and depend on your passport, visa, employer, family situation, business structure, and local provider. Use guides to prepare questions, then verify with official sources or qualified providers.
5. Get help where time matters
A capable local assistant saves days on apartment viewings, internet appointments, furniture coordination, deliveries, landlord conversations, and app troubleshooting. For hardware trips, a good itinerary is the gap between learning the ecosystem and spending a week stuck in traffic.
Recommended starting pages
- Where to live in Shenzhen
- First 72 hours in Shenzhen
- How to get a Chinese phone number
- How WeChat Pay and Alipay work
- How to rent an apartment in Shenzhen
- How to set up home internet
- Hardware founder’s guide to Shenzhen
- Cost of living in Shenzhen
Want help building your plan?
Tell us when you are coming, how long you are staying, what you need to get done, and whether you want housing or hardware support.