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Shenzhen Civic Centre with the Futian skyline, archival photograph

Home › Moving to Shenzhen › Your first week

FIRST WEEK · 第一周

One week, in the right order.

The arrival checklist arranged around what matters first. Settle in with fewer missed steps and a practical plan for daily life.

Official sources linked8 setup steps · 28 tasksBy Giovanni · in Shenzhen since 2018
Build my first-week plan →

Do the essentials first. Let the city get easier.

Shenzhen Civic Centre · Futian · Sep 2018

Plan your first week

Build a practical checklist around your arrival. No bookings or approvals are made.

Select your arrival date for a dated plan and a 2026 public-holiday check. Your flight time does not start the accommodation-registration clock.

Select a date to check official 2026 holiday dates.

Check the official public-holiday notice ↗

The order that makes setup easier

A preparation sequence, not a rigid dependency chain. Do registration on time; prepare phone, payments and bank documents in parallel.

1

Accommodation registration

Deadline first

2

SIM & SMS backup

Prepare in parallel

3

WeChat & Alipay

Test one payment

4

Bank preparation

If you need an account

5

Transport setup

Ticket / card / QR

6

Housing checks

If not settled

7

Documents & deadlines

Keep originals safe

8

Daily routine

Build your local rhythm

A tick records your own progress. It is not proof of registration, eligibility, bank approval or a valid immigration status.

Your first week, day by day

Time estimates are planning allowances—not queue times or guaranteed processing. Expand each card for every task.

Day 1

Arrival day

Shenzhen Bao’an Airport departure hall, archival photograph

Airport departure hall · Jul 2024

All 7 tasks

Allow 2–4 hours of setup

Why now?

Secure your stay, registration and communication. Late arrivals need a backup—not a missed deadline.

View guide →
Day 2

Day two: payments & documents

Shenzhen Civic Centre and Futian skyline; city context, not a registration office

Civic Centre · Sep 2018

All 6 tasks

Allow 2–4 hours, with breaks

Why now?

Test a payment method and prepare documents. Keep the registration proof; submission was an arrival-day priority.

View guide →
Days 3–5

Days three to five

Shenzhen metro ticket gates, archival photograph

Tanglang metro gates · Jan 2019

All 8 tasks

Allow flexible half-day blocks

Why now?

Arrange the bank only if needed, test transport, and inspect housing. Confirm service hours before a visit.

View guide →
Days 6–7

Days six and seven: settle in

Talent Park paths and the Houhai skyline in December 2024

Talent Park · Dec 2024

All 7 tasks

Flexible · leave room to rest

Why now?

Find everyday essentials and something to enjoy. Move-in registration remains urgent whenever your address changes.

View guide →

Your first-week control centre

Keep personal documents off this page. Names are checked only in memory; no files are uploaded.

Progress

0%

0 / 28 tasks completed

No automatic save. Reset does not delete a saved copy.

Document wallet

Preparation only; exact originals and copies depend on the service. Wallet ticks are not saved.

Name consistency checker

Compare spelling—not official acceptance. No information is stored or sent.

Registration reminder

Private stays: generally register within 24 hours of check-in. Enter the actual accommodation check-in time, not the flight time.

Hotel reception handles registration; ask it to confirm. No countdown has been started.

Open registration guide →

A local reminder, not legal confirmation. Do not wait for the timer; verify the procedure with the local police.

Payment & transport setup

Start with one working payment method and one reliable transport option. You do not need every app on day one.

Since 10 September 2026, Shenzhen Metro reports contactless UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB bank-card access at all gates. Keep the same card for entry and exit; confirm small-value password-free payments are enabled, and check eligibility, fares and current notices.

Official metro card-payment update ↗

What actually derails week one

Losing home-country SMS

Keep access for bank verification.

Paying before registration checks

Ask about address registration before a deposit.

Assuming every counter is open

Confirm account-opening services and holiday hours.

Changing your passport-name format

Check spelling; institutions decide accepted formats.

Only carrying phone photos

Bring originals and requested copies.

Relying on a single payment

Keep a suitable backup.

If you only do three things

Meet the registration deadline, keep communication working and establish a payment fallback.

  1. Register your accommodation and keep confirmation
  2. Keep a working number and SMS access
  3. Test at least one payment method

Your personalised checklist

Tasks are suggested targets, not reserved appointments. Registration deadlines remain independent.

Use the planner above for dates and tailored notes. You can tick the day cards even without a dated plan.

Save is optional and browser-only. Shared links contain selected arrival details; share them only with people you intend. Names and clock entries are never included.

Official sources & useful checks

Sources reviewed 11 October 2026. Requirements, service hours and card availability can change; confirm the current process with the authority or branch.

Photographs and licences

Civic Centre, Shenzhen Lianhuashan Park (2018.9) Daytime.jpg — Sparktour · 2018-09-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Archived photograph, resized and displayed with a crop.

Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport Departure Hall July 2024.jpg — Lyg 2001 · 2024-07 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Archived photograph, resized and displayed with a crop.

UnionPay Turnstile at Tanglang Station.jpg — Stang · 2019-01-10 · CC BY 4.0. Archived photograph, resized and displayed with a crop.

SHENZHEN TALENTS PARK (50).jpg — Dinkun Chen · 2024-12-01 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Archived photograph, resized and displayed with a crop.

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