Launching a foreign-owned company in Dubai presents a unique blend of opportunities and challenges. The city’s tax-free policies and strategic location make it an attractive hub for global trade. Coupled with world-class infrastructure and a business-friendly environment, Dubai offers a compelling proposition for entrepreneurs looking to establish a presence in the Middle East. However, it is essential to weigh these benefits against the high setup and operational costs, regulatory hurdles, and restrictions for non-free zone businesses.

To successfully navigate the process of opening a company in Dubai, one must carefully consider the type of business entity. This is whether you are opting to set up a Mainland, Free Zone, or Offshore. Securing the necessary licenses, registering with the appropriate authorities, and meeting local sponsorship requirements are critical steps. Additionally, understanding the total cost of registering and maintaining a company, including renewal fees, office rent, and employee-related expenses, is crucial for long-term planning. Finally, opening a business bank account involves preparing the required documentation and choosing a suitable banking partner.

Moreover, entrepreneurs should stay informed about the evolving regulatory landscape and compliance requirements to ensure their business operations remain smooth and uninterrupted. Engaging with local consultants or legal advisors can provide valuable insights and assistance in navigating the complexities of the Dubai business environment. By addressing these key aspects and leveraging the available resources, entrepreneurs can effectively establish and grow their businesses in Dubai, tapping into the city’s dynamic market and strategic advantages.

Upsides of Company Incorporation in Dubai

1. Tax-Free Policies and Incentives

Dubai offers a highly attractive tax environment for businesses, characterized by numerous tax-free policies and incentives. Dubai imposes a 9% corporate tax rate on businesses with profits exceeding AED 375,000 as of 2023. However, certain Free Zones continue to provide tax exemptions for a limited period, allowing businesses to benefit from reduced operational costs and enhanced profitability. Additionally, there are no personal income taxes, making it an appealing destination for expatriates and entrepreneurs. Free zones in Dubai further bolster this advantage by offering 100% foreign ownership, full repatriation of profits, and exemptions from import and export duties. These incentives are designed to attract foreign investment and support the growth of private sector enterprises.

2. Strategic Location for Global Trade

Dubai’s strategic geographical location positions it as a pivotal hub for international trade. Situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Dubai provides unparalleled access to key global markets. The emirate’s world-class ports and airports facilitate efficient logistics and transportation, making it an ideal gateway for trade and commerce. Dubai’s connectivity is further enhanced by its extensive network of trade agreements and partnerships, which streamline cross-border transactions and reduce trade barriers. This strategic advantage not only attracts multinational corporations but also supports the growth of local businesses by providing them with access to a vast international customer base.

3. World-Class Infrastructure and Ease of Doing Business

Dubai boasts world-class infrastructure that supports its status as a leading business destination. The emirate has invested heavily in developing state-of-the-art facilities, including modern office spaces, advanced telecommunications networks, and efficient transportation systems. These infrastructural developments are complemented by a business-friendly regulatory environment that simplifies the process of setting up and operating a business. Dubai’s government has implemented various initiatives to streamline administrative procedures, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and provide comprehensive support services to businesses. This ease of doing business is reflected in Dubai’s high rankings in global business indices, making it an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and investors.

4. Thriving Business Community

Dubai’s business community is vibrant and diverse, comprising a mix of multinational corporations, SMEs, and startups. The emirate’s pro-business policies, coupled with its strategic initiatives like the D33 Agenda, aim to double the size of Dubai’s economy and consolidate its position as a global business hub. This agenda focuses on fostering innovation, enhancing digital infrastructure, and promoting sustainable economic growth. The supportive business environment in Dubai encourages collaboration and networking, providing ample opportunities for businesses to thrive and expand.

5. Supportive Free Zones for Growth

Dubai’s free zones are specifically designed to support private sector growth by offering a range of benefits and incentives. These zones provide a business-friendly environment with streamlined administrative processes, making it easier for companies to establish and operate. Free zones also offer sector-specific advantages, catering to industries such as technology, logistics, and finance. The infrastructure within these zones is tailored to meet the needs of businesses, ensuring they have access to the necessary resources and facilities.

6. Comprehensive Trade and Logistics

Dubai’s trade and logistics sector is well-developed, providing comprehensive support for businesses involved in international trade. The emirate’s logistics infrastructure includes state-of-the-art ports, airports, and free zones that facilitate the efficient movement of goods. Dubai’s strategic location and advanced logistics capabilities make it a preferred destination for global trade. The emirate also offers various resources and guides to help businesses navigate the complexities of international trade, ensuring they can capitalize on the opportunities available.

Key Advantages of Opening a Company in Dubai

• Dubai’s tax-free policies include zero percent corporate tax, no personal income taxes, and benefits in free zones such as full foreign ownership and profit repatriation.
• Dubai’s strategic location offers access to Europe, Asia, and Africa, supported by world-class ports and airports and enhanced by trade agreements and partnerships.
• Dubai’s world-class infrastructure includes modern facilities and efficient transportation, supported by a business-friendly regulatory environment that simplifies business operations.
• Dubai’s business community is diverse and dynamic, supported by pro-business policies and strategic initiatives like the D33 Agenda, which focus on innovation and sustainable growth.
• Dubai’s free zones offer streamlined administrative processes, sector-specific advantages, and tailored infrastructure to support private sector growth.
• Dubai’s trade and logistics sector is supported by advanced infrastructure, strategic location, and comprehensive resources to facilitate international trade.

Downsides of Company Incorporation in Dubai

1. Significant Setup and Operational Expenses

Setting up and operating a business in Dubai can be quite expensive, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The initial costs include licensing fees, office space rental, and other administrative expenses, such as legal documentation and visa applications. Additionally, ongoing operational costs such as employee salaries, utilities, transportation, and regular maintenance can add up quickly, often requiring significant financial planning. These expenses can be a major barrier for SMEs and startups looking to establish a presence in Dubai’s competitive market. The high costs often deter potential investors and entrepreneurs from entering the market without adequate capital.

Moreover, the high cost of living in Dubai, including housing and services, can further increase overall business expenses, particularly for expatriate employees and their families.

Key Takeaways:

• Initial setup costs are high, covering licensing, legal, and rental fees.
• Ongoing operational expenses, including salaries and utilities, can be substantial.
• SMEs may find it challenging to afford these costs without substantial funding.
• The high cost of living in Dubai adds significantly to business overhead.

2. Complex Regulatory and Compliance Landscape

Navigating the regulatory and compliance landscape in Dubai can be complex and time-consuming, often requiring businesses to allocate significant resources. Companies must adhere to a range of laws and regulations, which can vary significantly depending on the type of business and its specific location within Dubai. Compliance often demands substantial administrative effort, including the preparation of detailed reports and applications. Businesses may also need to engage with multiple government agencies, such as the Department of Economic Development and the Dubai Municipality, which can prolong processes.

Additionally, frequent regulatory changes, including updates to tax structures or labor laws, can create uncertainty and require businesses to constantly monitor and adapt to remain compliant.

Key Takeaways:

• The regulatory landscape is complex and varies by business type and location.
• Compliance requires significant administrative effort, often involving detailed paperwork.
• Dealing with multiple government agencies can slow down operations.
• Frequent regulatory changes create uncertainty and demand ongoing adjustments.

3. Limitations for Non-Free Zone Enterprises

Non-free zone businesses in Dubai face certain restrictions that can significantly impact their operations and long-term planning. Additionally, non-free zone businesses may face operational limitations, such as restrictions on certain types of activities or the inability to trade freely with companies in free zones. Furthermore, such enterprises are often excluded from certain tax incentives or exemptions available within free zones, making it harder to remain competitive.

Key Takeaways:

• Foreign ownership restrictions apply to non-free zone businesses, requiring local sponsorship.
• These restrictions can limit operational flexibility and decision-making.
• Non-free zone businesses may face activity limitations and miss out on key tax incentives.

Procedure for Company Incorporation in Dubai

1. Selecting the Right Business Jurisdiction

When setting up a business in Dubai, one of the first decisions to make is choosing between Mainland, Free Zone, or Offshore jurisdictions. Each option has its own advantages and regulatory requirements. Mainland companies can operate anywhere in the UAE and engage in a wide range of business activities, without requiring a local sponsor anymore. Free Zone companies benefit from tax exemptions and full ownership but are restricted to operating within the Free Zone or internationally. Offshore companies are ideal for businesses that do not intend to conduct business within the UAE but seek to benefit from the UAE’s favorable tax regime. For more detailed information, you can refer to the relevant business setup and licensing websites.

Key Takeaways:

• Free Zone companies enjoy tax benefits and full ownership but have operational restrictions.
• Offshore companies benefit from favorable tax regimes but cannot conduct business within the UAE.

2. Obtaining Necessary Licenses

Securing the appropriate licenses is crucial for legal business operations in Dubai. Depending on the nature of your business, you may need a trade license, professional license, or other specific permits. The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) issues these licenses for Mainland businesses, while Free Zone authorities handle licensing within their respective zones. The process involves submitting required documents, paying fees, and meeting specific criteria. Detailed steps and requirements can be found on the official licensing websites.

Key Takeaways:

• Trade and professional licenses are essential for business operations.
• The DED handles Mainland licenses, while Free Zone authorities manage their respective zones.
• Licensing involves documentation, fees, and compliance with specific criteria.

3. Registering Your Business

Registering your business with the appropriate authority is a mandatory step. For Mainland businesses, this involves registration with the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED). Free Zone businesses must register with the relevant Free Zone authority. The registration process includes selecting a business name, preparing legal documents, and fulfilling regulatory requirements. Comprehensive guidelines are available on the official registration websites.

Key Takeaways:

• Business registration is mandatory with the DED for Mainland companies and with Free Zone authorities for Free Zone businesses.
• The process includes choosing a business name and preparing legal documents.
• Detailed guidelines are available on official websites.

4. Securing Office Space and Meeting Sponsorship Requirements

Securing appropriate office space is a critical step in the business setup process. Mainland businesses must meet local sponsorship requirements, which involve partnering with a UAE national who holds at least 51% of the company shares. Free Zone businesses, however, can enjoy full ownership and are provided with office space options within the Free Zone. The official business setup and licensing websites offer insights into office space requirements and sponsorship details.

Key Takeaways:

• Mainland businesses need a local sponsor holding 51% of shares.
• Free Zone businesses can have full ownership and access to office space within the zone.
• Office space requirements and sponsorship details are crucial for compliance.

Cost Breakdown for Company Incorporation and Maintenance in Dubai

Initial Setup Costs: Licenses and Business Types

Setting up a company in Dubai involves several initial costs, primarily determined by the type of business and the chosen license. The company registration fee is a one-time payment that varies depending on the legal structure and the free zone selected. Typically, this fee ranges from AED 9,000 to AED 10,000. Additionally, obtaining a business license is crucial, with costs varying based on the business activity.

For instance, license fees can range from AED 10,000 to AED 50,000 annually. Office space rental is another significant expense, with options like serviced desks and flexi-desks costing around AED 15,000 to AED 20,000 per year. It is also important to consider the cost of initial approvals and permits, which can add to the overall setup expenses.

Key Takeaways:

• Company registration fee: AED 9,000 to AED 10,000.
• Annual business license fee: AED 10,000 to AED 50,000.
• Office space rental: AED 15,000 to AED 20,000 per year.
• Initial approvals and permits: Additional costs.

Ongoing Maintenance Costs: Renewal Fees and Office Rent

Maintaining a company in Dubai involves recurring costs such as trade license renewals, office rent, and employee-related expenses. The annual renewal of a trade license is mandatory and can vary based on the business type and location.

For example, the renewal cost for a business with one visa allocation is approximately AED 17,100. Office rent is another ongoing expense, with prices ranging from AED 20,000 to AED 150,000 per year, depending on the location and size of the office. Additionally, setting up the office, including furniture and utilities, can add another AED 10,000 to AED 50,000. Businesses should also budget for utilities, internet, and other operational costs that are essential for smooth functioning.

Key Takeaways:

• Annual trade license renewal: Approximately AED 17,100.
• Office rent: AED 20,000 to AED 150,000 per year.
• Office setup costs: AED 10,000 to AED 50,000.
• Operational costs: Utilities and internet.

Employee Visas and Insurance Costs

Employee-related expenses are a significant part of the ongoing costs for maintaining a company in Dubai. Visa and work permit renewals are required every two years and involve costs for medical exams, health insurance, and Emirates ID issuance. These costs vary based on the type of visa and the number of employees. Health insurance is mandatory for all employees, adding to the overall expenses.

Additionally, competitive salaries and benefits, such as accommodation and transportation, are essential to attract and retain skilled talent. Companies should also consider the costs of training and development programs to ensure their workforce remains competitive and motivated.

Key Takeaways:

• Visa and work permit renewals: Required every two years.
• Health insurance: Mandatory for all employees.
• Competitive salaries and benefits: Essential for attracting talent.
• Training and development: Important for workforce competitiveness.

Procedure for Business Bank Account Opening in Dubai

Essential Documentation

To open a business bank account in Dubai, it is crucial to prepare the necessary documentation. This includes obtaining a valid trade license, providing details of shareholders, and submitting passport copies of all involved parties. These documents are fundamental as they verify the legitimacy and identity of the business and its owners, ensuring compliance with local regulations. Proper preparation of these documents can streamline the account opening process and prevent potential delays.

Additionally, having these documents ready can help in building a trustworthy relationship with the bank, as it demonstrates the business’s commitment to transparency and legal compliance.

Key Takeaways:

• Essential documents include a trade license, shareholder details, and passport copies.
• Proper documentation ensures compliance and smooth processing.
• Prepared documents build trust with the bank.

Selecting the Right Bank

Choosing the right bank is a critical step in opening a business bank account in Dubai. Businesses can opt for either local or international banks, each offering different benefits and services. Local banks may provide more tailored services and better understanding of the local market, while international banks might offer more extensive global services. Evaluating the specific needs of your business and comparing the offerings of various banks can help in making an informed decision.

Additionally, considering factors such as customer service, online banking facilities, and the bank’s reputation can further guide your choice.

Key Takeaways:

• Businesses can choose between local and international banks.
• Consider the specific needs of your business when selecting a bank.
• Evaluate customer service, online banking, and reputation.

Application Submission and Deposit Requirements

Once the necessary documents are prepared and a bank is chosen, the next step is to submit the application. This process typically involves filling out forms and meeting with bank representatives. Additionally, businesses must meet the minimum deposit requirements set by the bank, which can vary depending on the bank and the type of account being opened. Ensuring that all requirements are met can facilitate a smoother and quicker account opening process.

Moreover, understanding the bank’s policies on account maintenance fees and transaction limits can help in managing the account effectively post-opening.

Key Takeaways:

• Submit the application with all required documents.
• Meet the minimum deposit requirements set by the bank.
• Understand account maintenance fees and transaction limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you seeking a reliable agency to assist with setting up your company in Dubai?

If you need professional support for company registration and management, reach out to us using the form below. Our experienced team is ready to guide you through every step of the process.

Photo Credits: Photo by B Fierz on Pixabay

How to Open a Company in Dubai as a Foreigner in 2025 has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

Immersive language learning programs are the best way to bring your skills to the next level and Chinese is no exception. Also studying in China can be a unique experience thanks to its rich culture, and fascinating history.

Summer courses offer a unique opportunity for students to study Chinese in an intensive and immersive setting while exploring the country’s vibrant cities and cultural landmarks.

In this post, we will explore some of the best cities in China to study Chinese during the summer, highlighting the top language programs and cultural experiences each city has to offer. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, studying Chinese in China during the summer is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Type of Chinese Language Summer Courses

There are several types of Chinese language summer courses available:

1. Intensive Chinese language courses: This type of program is focused on improving general language skills in all aspects (writing, reading, speaking, and listening). They typically consist of 20 hours of classes per week and may include cultural activities, sightseeing, and accommodation.
2. Chinese immersion courses: These programs offer a complete immersion experience in the Chinese language and culture. Students can live with Chinese families or in dormitories with other Chinese-speaking students, and participate in cultural activities and field trips.
3. Private intensive programs: Some institutions offer one-on-one tutoring for students who want to improve their Chinese language skills in a personalized manner.
4. Business Chinese courses: These programs are designed for advanced students who want to learn Chinese for business purposes, such as conducting business transactions, negotiating contracts, and communicating with Chinese clients.

You can learn more about all the possibilities to study Chinese in China by reading our comprehensive guide.

Best Cities to Study Chinese during Summer

Beijing

A summer Chinese language course in Beijing can be a great experience as it is the capital of China with a rich history and an interesting cultural scene. Beijing is also the basis for Mandarin Chinese.

However, full immersion can be difficult due to a large expat community, the city’s continental climate can be challenging, and the size of the city can be overwhelming. Living near the school can help minimize travel time.

Top schools in Beijing

Shanghai

Shanghai is a good option for first-time travelers due to its international nature and vibrant atmosphere.

However, it may not be the best option for those seeking full immersion in Mandarin as English is widely spoken and locals don’t speak Mandarin among themselves. Additionally, the cost of living in Shanghai is relatively high.

Top schools in Shanghai

Qingdao

Studying a summer Chinese course in Qingdao is an excellent choice because of its lower living expenses compared to bigger cities like Beijing and Shanghai, and its relaxed lifestyle with pleasant summer weather, beaches, and mountains. The city is also famous for its seafood and beer and has a rich history with beautiful architecture.

However, for a foreigner, living in the city may not be as easy as in other cities with bigger expat communities, and you may not find as many cultural and leisure activities as in first-tier cities.

Top schools in Qingdao

Kunming

If you dislike hot summers but enjoy outdoor activities, Kunming is an ideal destination to study Mandarin. The city has a low cost of living and a relatively large foreign community compared to other similarly-sized Chinese cities.

However, being located far from the country’s economic hubs makes it less accessible, and during tourist season, the city can become crowded with visitors, affecting public services.

Top schools in Kunming

Guilin and Yangshuo

Studying Mandarin in Guilin or Yangshuo is a great option due to the widespread use of Mandarin and the lower cost of living. The climate is also mild compared to other parts of the country.

However, the cities are very touristy during summer, leading to overcrowding and service disruptions.

Top schools in Guilin and Yangshuo

Best summer programs to study Chinese

Note: Although we only accept schools that have a good reputation, this list of private schools is a sponsored listing:

That’s Mandarin

That’s Mandarin is a premier Chinese language school in China and abroad. They’ve been delivering excellence in Chinese teaching since 2005, and served over 100,000 students on their Chinese learning journey.

Their Summer Chinese Immersion Program is made for those who want to make the most out of the summer. It’s a great way to spend summer and learn Chinese in a more conducive environment than in a university while living in one of China’s biggest cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, or Suzhou. It’s a perfect opportunity to enjoy China and take your Chinese skills to the next level.

The program is suitable for Chinese learners of all levels.

Keats Chinese School

With its headquarters in Kunming, Keats Chinese School offers Chinese immersion language programs at 9 locations across Yunnan province. You can appreciate the stunningly beautiful scenery while studying Chinese intensively. Founded in 2004, Keats offers full services including single-room accommodation, 3 meals a day, and student insurance.

As one of the top Chinese language schools in China, Keats offers intensive one-on-one Chinese courses with Chinese cultural electives and small-group Chinese classes that have no more than 6 students in one class. The intensive one-on-one Chinese course has been the most popular program since the school started in 2004. We develop personalized learning materials exclusively for you to meet your learning goals and requirements. Intensive and immersive one-on-one Chinese instruction provides you with more opportunities to practice your spoken Chinese and get a real-time correction. Spending your summer in Kunming can’t be a better choice because it is not hot in the summer.

Omeida Chinese Academy

Omeida Chinese Academy, located in the stunning town of Yangshuo, offers immersive Chinese programs for students of all levels, including the popular Standard Course. This course provides half-day classroom learning and half-day free time for relaxing or self-study.

If you’re on a tight budget, the Volunteer Program is an excellent option. Exchange just one hour of English conversation per day for free accommodation and tuition discounts to join the Chinese course.

For teens and kids aged 7 to 18, the Summer Camp program is the perfect way to immerse yourself in Chinese language and culture. With daily Chinese classes and a variety of cultural and outdoor activities, it’s an unforgettable learning experience.

The Chinese Language Institute

CLI’s summer Immersion Program empowers students to learn Chinese and connect with China through 20 weekly hours of one-on-one intensive Chinese coursework with three unique Chinese teachers. Live at the beautiful 5-story CLI Center or with a local Guilin family and improve your Chinese every day while immersed within a language environment designed for rapid language acquisition.

Students can start any Monday of the summer and study for any number of weeks. You will be assigned three unique Chinese instructors — one for reading and writing, one for listening and speaking, and one comprehensive teacher. You can visit CLI’s website to hear directly from students who have lived the experience.

LTL Mandarin School

LTL Language School offers a multitude of Chinese courses from across the continent. Study Mandarin in small groups that average just three students, or individually for even faster progress in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei or even Singapore.

They also offer an immersive program for those who really want to propel themselves toward fluency in the fastest way possible. The program takes place in little-known Chengde, where you’ll barely see another foreigner and certainly won’t hear any English spoken. This is the most immersive Mandarin program you’ll partake in.

Other specialized programs include learning on the road with our Safari program, and for those of you in Beijing, you can even learn Chinese on the Great Wall.

All ages, nationalities, and backgrounds are welcome at LTL Mandarin School.

XMandarin

XMandarin Summer Mandarin courses are usually intensive small classes that help you learn more in a limited amount of time, although it is also possible to choose 1 on 1 courses, or create a mixed curriculum for maximum experience.

After the classes, you will have enough time to visit Qingdao, discover tasty food, experience the Qingdao Beer Festival, go to the beach to enjoy the sun and sea, join XMandarin’s cultural events, and enjoy swimming, sailing, surfing, and diving.

SN Mandarin

SN Mandarin Summer Intenisve Programs are designed to help you achieve fluency in Mandarin, with small class sizes and personalized attention from experienced instructors. They also provide support for your visa application and great accommodation options.

Whether you’re looking to improve your proficiency for personal or professional reasons, the summer intensive Chinese programs cater to all levels of learners, from beginners to advanced speakers. With engaging and interactive lessons, cultural experiences, and opportunities to practice your skills with fellow students. They offer programs from 2 to 10 weeks for both kids and adults.

GoEast Mandarin

GoEast Mandarin is a Chinese language school based in Shanghai. GoEast teaches at all language levels both at its campuses of Shanghai Yangpu & Xuhui, and online. Every GoEast teacher has a university degree in Chinese linguistics-related major, is a native speaker of Chinese, and is fluent in English. Since 2012, GoEast Mandarin has taught thousands of students with a renewal rate of 90%. GoEast offers free open classes if you want to try it out.

Tips for preparing for a summer course in China

1. Buy your flight tickets some month in advance if you don’t want to spend a fortune
2. Check if you need any vaccination
3. Check the visa requirements for your stay at least a couple month before
4. If you want to ask for a scholarship to study Chinese in the future, check if you can travel with a tourist visa (one comment requirement for getting a fellowship is that you never hold a student visa (X1 or X2)
5. You might want to acquire a SIM card before departing
6. If you want to be able to communicate with your family you may need to get a VPN because most of the western apps and websites are blocked in China

If you want more tips you can read our comprehensive guide about traveling to China

Get a free quote for your summer course in China

Photo Credits: Cover Photo by 育银 戚 from Pixabay
Beijing Photo by zhang kaiyv on Unsplash
Shanghai Photo by Bide Cui on Unsplash
Qingdao Photo by KJ Brix on Unsplash
Guilin Photo by Vigor Poodo on Unsplash

Best Chinese Language Summer Courses in China has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

Is it possible to access Snapchat in China? Like many other messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Line, Snapchat is blocked in China. However, if you have a VPN, you will be able to access Snapchat in China without any problems. In this article, we will give you a simple and step-by-step explanation on how to unblock Snapchat in China.

What do you need to connect to Snapchat in China?

Using Snapchat or any apps blocked in China is relatively simple. You will only need two things: Internet access (obviously) and a system to get around the Internet use controls that exist in China.

1. An Internet connection

It’s obvious that to use Snapchat in China, you will have to have some way to connect to the global network. However, is it easy to access the Internet in China?

Accessing the Internet in China is very easy, whether via one of the many free Wi-Fi networks, a data plan, or even by using roaming:

Wifi: In China, and especially in large cities, finding a free Wi-Fi network is really easy, as the majority of restaurants, bars, cafés, hotels and airports offer free Wi-Fi to their customers.

As you may understand, finding a Wi-Fi network in rural areas can be complicated.

Chinese SIM card: Getting a prepaid SIM card from one of China’s main telephone companies (China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom) is very easy, and all you will need to do is find one of these companies’ stores and present your passport.

Normally, just 200 Yuan will be enough for the SIM card, a basic monthly data plan and a bit of credit for calls.

I don’t recommend any company in particular, as their prices and services tend to be quite comparable. Simply choose the first you find.

Roaming: This isn’t the most recommendable option, as the rates can be astronomical or quite simply, as is the case with many companies, it doesn’t work. In my opinion, roaming is only for emergencies.

2. An app to get around Chinese Internet restrictions

There are multiple ways of getting around the Great Firewall of China, the system responsible for controlling Internet use in China. However, to date, the most effective and easy-to-use system is called a Virtual Private Network or VPN.

What’s a VPN and what are they used for?

A VPN is a system that despite being created for a different use (establishing a secure remote connection to a private network) is very effective at getting around Internet censorship, preventing geographic restrictions on content online and increasing security.

VPNs are very effective, as they encrypt your activity and hide your IP address. In other words, nobody except for your VPN provider can see where you are connecting from or what you’re doing online. Basically, you connect to a server located in another country via a secure connection, and therefore it looks like your connection is coming from the server and not from where you’re really connecting from.

What VPN do we recommend for accessing Snapchat in China?

Before moving on, I want to make it clear that the Great Firewall of China is updated regularly, which means that many VPNs don’t work in China or have very poor performance.

After years testing different VPN services in China, we can say that ExpressVPN tends to be a safe bet. It’s a VPN that’s easy to use, fast, trustworthy and has good after-sale service.

In any event, every month, we update our article on the best VPNs for China.

Before going to China

Before going to China, it’s a good idea to prepare if you want to access the Internet without restrictions:

1. Download the VPN

In China, Google Play is blocked and applications markets for iOS and Android don’t offer the possibility of downloading any VPN apps.

Therefore, if you want to avoid problems, download the VPN app before going to China.

2. Purchase the VPN

As is the case for apps, many VPNs’ main websites are blocked (many offer alternative websites that are periodically blocked), which means that to avoid any problems, it’s a good idea to purchase the plan most suitable for you right before going to China.

3. Contact the VPN’s technical department

Contact the technical department of the VPN that you have purchased and ask what the best configuration for connecting the VPN from China is. In addition, ask them how you can contact them in the event that you are unable to connect your VPN.

This is an important point, as sometimes connecting a VPN can be somewhat complicated, and having good technical assistance that can help you quickly is essential.

Alternatives to Snapchat in China

The majority of messaging apps are blocked in China, such as WhatsApp, Line, Telegram and Snapchat, among many others. However, there exists a Chinese app that works perfectly and is extremely popular, which is called WeChat.

If you want to learn more about WeChat, I recommend that you read this extensive guide.

Frequently asked questions

Photo Credits: Photo by Tero Vesalainen on Pixabay

How to Unblock and Use Snapchat in China in 2025 has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

The pros of opening a company in Hong Kong

• Hong Kong is, along with Singapore, the most liberal economy in the world. Therefore, opening a limited company is simple, fast, and cheap (the government requires a fee of 1,730 HKD for Company Registration and a fee of 250 HKD for the Business Registration Certificate). You don’t even need to live there, as you can hire a company secretary and get a registered office address for a small annual fee (there are several reputable agencies that offer this service).
• The required registered capital in Hong Kong is much smaller than in the majority of countries (usually only 10,000 HKD).
• You can run your business from any country in the world: If you don’t live in Hong Kong, an agency can provide a secretary and a registered office address in Hong Kong for about 5-6,000 HKD per year.
• Hong Kong is a major banking center and once you have incorporated your company there, you’ll be entitled to open a multi-currency business bank account (with e-Banking) at a globally recognized bank such as DBS or Hang Seng Bank. This is a key feature if you plan to do business worldwide. Note that if you prefer, you can also open a bank account for your company outside Hong Kong, such as in Singapore or Switzerland. In any event, a good agency will give you clear guidelines and connect you with a suitable bank.
• Hong Kong is the best gateway to Mainland China, and the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) provides Hong Kong with additional and exclusive mainland market access benefits. So, if you’re planning to do business with a Chinese partner, having a company in Hong Kong may be your best bet, especially when it comes to receiving money from your Chinese business partner.

• Hong Kong has a very simple taxation system: Starting as of April 1, 2018, your company will pay 8.25% on assessable profits up to 2,000,000 HKD, and 16.5% on any portion of assessable profits over 2,000,000 HKD (before, it was 16.5% for all company profit, but the government decided to cut taxes). Click here to learn more about this topic.

  If the company director(s) doesn’t live in Hong Kong (and other conditions apply), you can apply for “off-shore company” status. In this case, your company will only have to pay taxes on the profits generated in Hong Kong (and no taxes on profits generated elsewhere).

  Be careful, because this doesn’t mean that you, as a shareholder (total or partial) of the business, won’t have to pay taxes in the country where you live. In fact, to access your company’s profits, you’ll have to be paid a salary or annual dividends. It is on that amount that you’ll have to pay personal income tax in the country in which you reside. I repeat: spending your company’s money for personal use without declaring it is a crime in most countries.

  In addition, note that many countries have laws to determine if a foreign company is really run from the country in which one or more of the directors reside (Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) rules). In this case, the country in which the directors live could require payment of the difference between the tax on company profits in the country in which they reside and Hong Kong. For this reason, it is important to discuss this with an accountant in your country of residence before starting a company in Hong Kong.

• Hong Kong government often grants tax reductions to companies. One of the most common situations is that they will offset HKD 20,000 from your tax bill. However, this might change as it’s decided on a yearly basis.

The cons of opening a company in Hong Kong

• Opening a company in Hong Kong requires quite a bit of paperwork and if you have never done this before, it can be difficult to sort everything out by yourself. Moreover, you’ll have to go there. You can solve this problem by hiring a licensed agency that does all the work on your behalf for around 2,000 HKD (3,000 if you want the agency to help you open a business bank account).
• If you’re planning to live in Mainland China, your Hong Kong company can’t provide a Chinese Visa for you. In this case, you need to open a company in Mainland China, which is more difficult and requires a registered capital of about 250,000 HKD to start with (you can re-invest the capital into your business after you open the company though, so it’s not a deposit).

How to open a company in Hong Kong without living or even going there

In the past, you were allowed to open a Sole Trader Company in Hong Kong without a Hong Kong resident permit. Nowadays, unless you’re planning to stay in Hong Kong, you can only open a Limited Company. As I said, you can go to Hong Kong and open the company by yourself. However, the government requires your company to have an office and a company secretary based in Hong Kong.

The good news is that you don’t need to rent an office or hire a full-time company secretary. There are several agencies that will be happy to provide this service to you for around 5-6,000 HKD per year. They can afford to keep the cost low because the same person can act as a company secretary for a lot of companies. The same goes for the office: the office of a given agency can be used as the registered office address for many different companies.

Furthermore, you can open your company without even traveling to Hong Kong (e-registration and paper registration are both allowed). You’ll discuss the details by email or phone with the agency of your choice, send all the necessary documents (see below for details) by email, pay by PayPal, credit card or bank transfer, receive the final documents at your home and send them back the original signed copies by DHL or another international courier service.

All the documents you need to register a company in Hong Kong and the procedure for opening it

1. Choose a name for your brand-new company: Your licensed agency will then check whether the name is available in Hong Kong or is already taken.
2. Send a copy of your passport, a copy of an official document as proof of residence (for instance, a driver’s license), and a questionnaire with standard questions such as your address, your passport number, and the name of the director and shareholders (if you plan to open the company alone, you can be both director and single shareholder) to Hong Kong.

3. Set up your company by e-registration: For a simple company structure, unless you have special requirements will be enough, your licensed agency will set up your company via e-registration. This way takes less than two hours to get the brand new company’s certificate of incorporation and business registration certificate upon certifying the parties’ passports online, for instance via video conference.

   Alternatively, in the case your proposed company has few layers, you will receive a set of pre-signed documents (the NNC1 Form – Incorporation Form – and the Articles of Association) for the director and shareholder to sign, and you’re required to return the original documents to your licensed agency by international courier.

That’s all! The whole process to register the company should take around five business days.

The total cost of registering and maintaining a company in Hong Kong

Assuming that you decide to hire a licensed agency and that you need a company secretary and an office address, during the first year you’ll need to pay for:

• The incorporation documents and company kit (seal, stamp, and so on): about 2,070 HKD.
• Company registration (government fee): 1,730 HKD.
• The Business Registration Certificate (government fee): 2,150 HKD.
• Provision for the company secretary: 3,500 HKD.
• Provision for the registered office address: 2,000 HKD.
• E-registration handling fee: 300 HKD per officer – this only applies when you need to register the company via e-registration
• Assistance in opening your business bank account (you can actually open the bank account on your own, but it does take time and effort): 1,000 HKD.

Note that these are the fees that I paid to my agency. Also, even if the total is 12,450 HKD, the agency is now offering a discount of 3,000 HKD, so you’ll end up paying 9,450 HKD.

My experience is that most agencies will charge you a larger fee. You can also get a cheaper quotation, but be aware that the only agency that quoted me a better price, later on, tried to scam me (claiming that the quotation was for a sole proprietorship and not for a limited company). I’ll discuss how to assess the honesty and efficiency of an agency in the last section of this article.

Starting from the second year, you’ll need to pay for:

• The Business Registration Certificate (government fee): 2,150 HKD.
• Annual Return (government fee): 105 HKD.
• Provision for the company secretary: 3,500 HKD.
• Provision for the registered office address: 2,000 HKD.

This means that starting from the second year, you’ll pay 7,755 HKD per year to maintain the company.

Note that renewing the business certificate is a straightforward process, as you don’t even need to sign any documents: your agency will collect your fee, handle all the paperwork and send the new business certificate to you.

Furthermore, within 18 months of incorporation (and then every following year), you’ll have to fill out an income tax return. A decent agency will also offer you accounting and auditing services. This doesn’t come for free, and prices may vary as they are based on the number of invoices you produce.

Just to give you an idea, in the first year I had around 55 transactions and I paid 2,800 HKD for the accounting and 6,000 HKD for the auditing.

The process was straightforward: I only had to email my purchases and sales invoices, my Paypal and bank statements (you can download them from your online banking service), and an Excel spreadsheet with the list of transactions to the agency accountant responsible, and they took care of everything else.

This was especially important to me, as I’m not a tax expert, and before opening the company, my biggest fear was screwing up during the tax declaration.

In fact, the process went smoothly and I haven’t had a single problem since I opened the company in 2013.

Finally, on March 1, 2019, the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 came into effect. The Amendment Ordinance requires Hong Kong companies (subject to very limited exceptions) to keep a Significant Controllers Register (the “SCR”) for inspection by law enforcement officers upon demand.

The company is required to appoint a local representative and keep an up-to-date register in Hong Kong.

Note that my agency informed me as soon as the ordinance came into effect, sent me the documents I had to fill out (together with detailed instructions on how to fill them out) and let me use their company secretary as my “local representative.”

I paid 2,100 HKD for this service. However, the price could be different. Thus, I suggest you ask the agency for the details.

Summary of the total cost of opening and maintaining a company in Hong Kong

• Open a company: 9,450 HKD
• Business Renewal: 7,755 HKD per year: For renewing the business license as well as paying for the registered address and the company secretary.
• Accounting and Auditing (starting from the second year): From 8,800 HKD. This expense will vary depending on the number of transactions (the more transactions you have, the more you will pay). The auditing fee is also a function of some secondary factors, such as company turnover and others.

  Here is an estimation of the accounting and auditing fee: around 8,800 HKD per year (if you have no more than 60 transactions); around 12,000 HKD per year (if you have between 60 and 120 transactions); around 17,700 HKD per year (if you have between 120 and 240 transactions). As stated, the final quotation will depend on the complexity of the company’s operations.

How to open a multi-currency business bank account in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the members of the Financial Action Task Force. Therefore, all Hong Kong banks must follow certain regulations in line with international risk management standards. Therefore, before accepting you as a customer, every bank has the obligation to collect certain documents in order to comply with anti-money laundering laws.

From a practical point of view, if you are a new businessperson (that is, you have never had a business before), you’ll need to provide the following documents (in English) as proof of business in order to open a business bank account in Hong Kong:

1. Personal bank reference letter.
2. Previous/existing employment contract.
3. Previous/existing company business card.
4. Working attestation issued by previous company.
5. Professional certificate in the related industry.
6. Personal resume.

On the other hand, if you already run a business, you’ll need to provide the following documents (in English) as proof of business:

1. Certificate of Incorporation.
2. Business Registration Certificate.
3. Business card.
4. Most recently filed annual tax return.
5. Trading history, that’s to say, copies of agreements (both buyers and sellers), purchase orders, sales confirmations, and so on.

Furthermore, you’ll need to write a business plan (your agency should help you prepare it if you don’t have previous experience). In my experience, the business plan doesn’t need to be too detailed, but you do need to provide a direction for your business (what services you intend to offer, in which countries you intend to operate, and so on).

In order to open a bank account, you’ll have to go to the bank’s branch in Hong Kong. There is no other way around this. However, for a small fee (1,000 HKD, which is already included in the incorporation package fee), your agency will provide you with an advising service, and pre-screening service and will set up an appointment on your behalf with the bank you wish to use.

If the bank allows it, an employee of the agency will also accompany you to the bank and follow up with the account opening status. The face-to-face interview shouldn’t take more than one hour.

Just remember to bring your passport and 10,000 HKD in cash (this will be the registered capital of the company and must be deposited into your company bank account on the same day you open the account).

Note that if you’re located in a Chinese designated coast city, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, or others, you can open a bank account at designated banks without traveling to Hong Kong. However, we still recommended that you visit Hong Kong so that you have more bank options to choose from and get faster approval.

Another option is to open an alternative bank account in Hong Kong using one of the fintech startups that are now offering this service.

Here are some pros and cons of these services:

Pros

• These startups usually an easy and fast onboarding process
• Most likely you will be able to send and receive money in different currencies, not only HKD
• They usually offer integrations with Paypal, Stripe, Amazon Pay, and other merchants, which is a key feature, especially if you plan to sell online
• In this case, you can usually open the account without visiting Hong Kong

Cons

These are not “banks”, and thus you might not expect all the services offered by a bank, such as for example:

• Getting a credit card
• Getting a loan

It’s also possible to open an offshore bank account (for instance in Singapore or Switzerland) without visiting Hong Kong. I recommend that you discuss these details with your agency, as choosing the right bank is extremely important.

How to get a government grant for your small business in Hong Kong

Besides low taxes and an extremely efficient system, the Hong Kong government also offers several grants and funding schemes to small and medium enterprises (SME).

Here are some examples:

• The SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) provides financial help to advertise your company outside Hong Kong;
• The SME Loan Guarantee Scheme (SGS) helps your company to secure a loan;
• The Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) aims at strengthening technological and innovative enterprises;
• The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) offers resources to NGOs and other organizations that work on reducing social exclusion, poverty, and similar issues;
• The Patent Application Grant helps local companies and individuals to protect their own intellectual property via patents registration.

Note that the Hong Kong government defines an SME as a local company that employs less than 50 people in Hong Kong (for a non-manufacturing business) and a local company that employs less than 100 people in Hong Kong (for a manufacturing business).

Note also that every funding scheme has its own criteria for eligibility, and that these criteria might differ greatly, according on the funding scheme.

You can click here to learn more about this topic.

How to choose an honest agency and avoid scammers

If you do a quick Google search, you will find hundreds of agencies that claim they can help you open and manage a company in Hong Kong. While some of them are honest, others are just scammers. My experience is that there are a lot of agencies that operate in a grey zone.

They may not steal your money. However, they may work as an intermediary for a real agency, therefore taking a percentage of your fee and slowing down the whole process. Or worse, they’ll claim services that they aren’t able to offer and once you pay their fee, make you a more expensive counteroffer. These agencies usually look cheaper than honest ones (and for a good reason!).

Want an example? You’ll ask if it’s still possible to open a Sole Trader Company in Hong Kong (it’s cheaper than a Limited Company) even if you don’t plan to live there (it was possible until 2010). You’ll receive an email that states that there are no problems with this and that of course, it’s possible! Then, once you have wired the money, you’ll receive another kind of email that claims something on this line:

“Sorry Mr. Smith, the law changed last month and now you can only open a Limited Company in Hong Kong if you don’t live here. I’m very very sorry. Just send us an additional 5,000 HKD and we’ll be happy to handle it for you! You’ll get your limited company within 12 business days!”

This is quite a common scenario. Would you work with an agency that acts in this way? Good, I wouldn’t work with them either.

If you already know someone that owns a company in Hong Kong, you should ask them what agency they used and if they would recommend it. Or, you can contact us and I’ll suggest an honest agency to you (the one I used to open my own company).

Here, as promised, is some advice for spotting an honest agency:

Step 1: Check the agency’s website

Let’s suppose you did some research on Google.com and you found three to five agencies that offer company incorporation services.

Does their website look professional? Is their English any good? Can you easily understand what the agency is offering you? How old is the website? Would you trust an agency that opened its website two months ago? Good, me neither.

You can also check the age of an internet domain for free on who.is.

Does their website provide a physical address in Hong Kong, a phone number, and an email address? Is there any way to check if the website belongs to a real company?

If they ask you to pay by credit card, are you redirected to a page protected by an SSL certificate (you’ll see a URL that starts with https:// instead of http://) or not?

Note that none of the information I’ve listed will ensure the honesty of the agency. I see them more as necessary but not sufficient conditions for doing business with me.

Step 2: Getting more info on the agency

Let’s suppose that the name of the agency that you’re researching is “HK Companies Incorp Limited” (a random name that I just made up).

Check on Google.com for queries such as “HK Companies Incorp Limited scam,” “HK Companies Incorp Limited problems” and so on. The goal here is to discover if someone else is complaining about the agency in a forum, blog, or website. Of course, if you don’t find any suspect information, you can’t be sure that the agency is honest. But if you do find something, you may reconsider your choice.

Step 3: Contacting the company

Let’s say that HK Companies Incorp Limited is a real company, it has a professional website and you didn’t find any complaints about them. Now it’s time to contact the agency.

If you call them during business hours, does somebody answer the phone? Does he/she speak decent English? It doesn’t have to be perfect, as English isn’t the main language in Hong Kong after all. However, all the documents concerning your future company will be in English, so you do need to deal with somebody that has sufficient language proficiency.

If their English is bad you’re probably dealing with a mainland Chinese person that acts as an intermediary for a real agency, or worse, someone who is just trying to scam you.

Can you pay by PayPal or wire transfer, or do they insist on collecting your money through Western Union? If they only accept Western Union, run away! Why? Because you can’t track the transaction and they can easily run away with your money. This is true for any monetary transaction, not just when opening a company.

If you send an inquiry by email, does somebody answer within 24-48 hours with good English and without pushing you to buy their service as soon as possible? An established agency has a healthy number of customers and doesn’t need to be pushy. But a scammer? They just want you to send them some money and then run away before you realize they don’t know much about incorporating companies.

When you ask for a quotation, do you receive a clear answer to all of your questions and a list of the cost of each service (company incorporation service fee, business bank account opening service fee, Hong Kong government annual fees, and so on)?

I think it’s important not only to spot a potential scammer but also to assess how efficient the agency will be in the future. Remember that if you decide to buy their service, they’ll handle a key part of your business. Therefore, their communication skills are an important piece of the puzzle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you looking for a licensed agency that can help you set up your Hong Kong company?

If you want the name of an honest agency that can help you register and manage your company, just send us a message with the following form:

Cover Photo Credits: Photo by leungchopan on Depositphotos©

How to Open a Company in Hong Kong as a Foreigner in 2025 has been written by Sapore di Cina on Sapore di Cina

China has its own internet landscape, featuring many apps and services unknown in other countries. In fact, most services commonly used elsewhere are inaccessible there, making really dificult the communication with the outside world. Currently, using a VPN is the easiest and most effective method to circumvent these restrictions.

As expatriates who have lived in China since as early as 2010, we have had to face the challenges brought by every update of the Great Firewall many times. In this monthly-updated article, we want to share our experience in using VPNs in China to get unrestricted internet access.

Best Working VPNs for China (our choice)

ExpressVPN: Fast and a reliable VPN for China. The recommended choice for non-tech-savvy people.

PureVPN: Affordable, complete, and easy to use. Recently one of the most reliable choices for China.

Surfshark: Cheap, very complete and it has a good performance in China. A good alternative to the big providers.

Ivacy: Good performance in China at a very low price. The recommended choice to have as a backup.

Important: You should always keep your VPN updated to make sure it works at its best.

What is a VPN and Why Do I Need One in China?

As you probably already know, the internet doesn’t work like we would like it to in China, and a large number of websites and apps are blocked by the “Great Firewall.” Among these websites and apps that you can’t access are Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and all Google Services.

There are many other blocked websites, and depending on what you do, it may be virtually impossible for you to work in China without a VPN (Virtual Private Network). In addition, most of the services that aren’t blocked but are allocated outside China, are extremely slow.

To solve this problem, you can install a VPN, which masks your I.P. address so that your laptop appears to be connected from the U.S. or Japan even if you are in China

A VPN will allow you to bypass the firewall and access any website you want. However, you need to choose wisely, even though there are dozens of VPN services available, only a few work well in China. We have tested several of them for more than 10 years and today we’re going to review the ones we like the most.

Essential Tips for Using a VPN in China

1. Update the VPN app or software: It’s essential for you to always have the latest version of the VPN program or app. The Great Firewall of China is constantly being modified to limit VPN use in the country. The majority of the software updates offered by the main VPN providers have the purpose of ensuring that their VPN continues to be accessible in China.
2. Install the VPN before traveling to China: If you wait until you’re in China to install (and purchase) the VPN, it can be quite difficult due to the following reasons:
   • Google Play is blocked in China.
   • The Apple AppStore (and other app markets) don’t let you download VPN apps
   • Many VPN provider websites are blocked in China.
To avoid any problem it is better to install and contract the VPN before going to China

Note: Some VPNs offer alternative websites that are accessible in China. We try to make it so that the links that you find in this article are also accessible from China, but this isn’t always possible.

3. Use obfuscated servers: The Chinese Great Firewall has the capability to detect VPN connections and block them. However, some VPN providers, such as the ones mentioned here, offer obfuscated servers that mimic regular internet traffic. This technique helps bypass VPN blocking and allows users to access restricted content in China.
4. Check VPN provider’s recommendations for China: The best VPNs normally offer constantly updated information about how to connect effectively your VPN in China. Here you’ll find some tips on how to connect the most popular VPNs in China.
5. The closest servers are usually the fastest: A VPN’s speed often depends on the distance between your connection and the server. Servers in countries surrounding China, such as Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong, tend to be the fastest. However, sometimes servers in the United States are faster because they have fewer users connected to them.
6. We recommend having a backup VPN: No VPN is infallible, and even less so in China. If you’re going to be in China for a long time and having unrestricted Internet access is essential for you, you should consider having at least one backup VPN.

   Pressure on VPNs has greatly intensified over the past years, and all VPNs have undergone breakdowns in service at some time. Even though a good VPN tends to recover in a few hours or days, having a second VPN can be very useful if needed.

7. Test out your VPN before going to China: It’s important to become familiar with your VPN before going to China. Check its connectivity, speed, and whether it’s capable of giving you access to geographically restricted websites or services (such as a local streaming service). If the VPN doesn’t offer good performance in your country, it probably won’t work in China.
8. There’s no best VPN for China: No VPN is better than the others all the time and everywhere in China. The majority of VPNs have different performances depending on the place in China, the type of connection, the device you are using, among other circumstances. Many VPNs offer a money-back guarantee, so you can try out multiple options before committing.

How to Choose a VPN for China

• Does it work in China? The large majority of VPNs don’t work well in China. The VPNs that we recommend in this article normally work well in China and have a have a proven record of adapting when the restrictions are intensified.
• Is it fast? Although there are VPNs that work in China, their speed leaves a lot lacking. After trying many VPNs, we can say that ExpressVPN, PureVPN, Surfshark and, Ivacy are among the fastest that we have used. In any event, a VPN isn’t a magical solution, so don’t expect to have the same speeds as when you’re in your country.
• Is it stable? Another common problem is that the connection is unstable (it gets constantly disconnected). The VPNs that we have chosen rarely lose their connection once they are connected.

• Does it offer good technical support? It’s essential for a VPN to have 24-hour technical support that can solve your problems in a few minutes if you have any questions or problems with your connection. Besides, the technical support should be capable of quickly solving the problems that may come up during each update to the Great Firewall.
• Is the software updated regularly? This is very important because, in China, new measures affecting VPN performance are implemented constantly. The best VPNs regularly update their software in order to adapt to the new restrictions imposed in countries like China.
• Does it offer obfuscated servers?: This is an essential feature to consider when choosing a VPN. Without obfuscated servers, your VPN most probably won’t be able to connect. However, while obfuscated servers are essential, they alone may not be sufficient to ensure reliable and effective VPN performance.
• Does it offer encryption protocols that work in China? Good VPNs offer multiple encryption protocols to ensure security and good performance. Currently, it’s important for the VPN that you choose to have at least two of the following protocols: Open VPN, Lightway, Wireguard, IKEv2/IPsec and L2TP/IPsec.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• What’s the Best?

Features					What’s the Best?
Main Advantage	Fastest and Easiest to Use	Cheap and Complete	Extra Options	Cheapest (among the best)	It depends on your needs!
Money Back Guarantee	30 days	30 days	30 days	30 days
Monthly Plan	12.95 USD	10.95 USD	12.95 USD	9.95 USD
Yearly Plan	6.67 USD/month (exclusive offer: 3 months free)	3.33 USD/month	3.99 USD/month (first year)	3.99 USD/month
Support	24/7/365	24/7/365	24/7/365	24/7/365
Server Count	3,000+	6,500+	3200+	5,000+
Countries with Servers	105	88	65	56
Payment Methods	Credit Card, Paypal, Bitcoin, Alipay, Union Pay and others	Credit Card, Paypal	Credit Card, Paypal, Amazon Pay, Bitcoin, Sofort	Credit Card, Paypal, Bitpay, Alipay, Perfect Money
Desktop Apps	Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook	Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook	Windows, Mac, Linux	Windows, Mac
Browser Extension	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari	Chrome, Firefox, Edge	Chrome, Firefox	Chrome, Firefox
Mobile Apps	Android, iOS, Windows Phone	Android, iOS, Windows Phone	Android, iOS, Windows Phone	Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Simultaneous Connections	Yes (until 8)	Yes (until 10)	Unlimited	Yes (until 5)
Encryption Protocols	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2	OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2, WireGuard	IKEv2, OpenVPN, Shadowsocks, WireGuard®	OpenVPN, IKEV, L2TP
Dynamic IPs	No	No	SDN Technology	No
Languages Supported	16	18	13	5
	Try ExpressVPN➤	Try PureVPN➤	Try Surfshark➤	Try Ivacy➤

VPN Features Description

• Money Back Guarantee: This is an important feature when choosing a VPN, most of all in China. Even though the four VPN generally work well in China, every place is different. One VPN can work better than another in Shanghai but worse in Changsha, so it is important to have the opportunity to test the VPN before making a year commitment.
• Support: When it comes down to using a VPN in China, it’s extremely important to have access to a support team that can help you when your configuration, for any reason, doesn’t work anymore.
• Server Count: This is a very important feature, as the more servers there are, the less likely it is that your connection will be slow or get cut out due to too many users using the same server.
• Countries With Servers: This is a basic function, especially if you want to access content restricted to a specific country. Besides, it is also necessary to obtain a good browsing speed, as the closer you are to the server, the better the potential speed will be. Therefore, having a large number of servers in countries around China increases the possibility of finding one with good services.
• Browser extension: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari, the two most widely used browsers, allow the possibility of adding small programs (or extensions), which provide new useful tools when browsing the web. Some VPNs offer extensions for these browsers that are used to be able to control a VPN and see the state of the connection easily from your browser while surfing the web. Although it is not an essential option, it makes the use of VPNs much easier and avoids closing and opening the browser every time you change servers or want to connect/disconnect the VPN.
• Simultaneous Connections: Today, being able to have simultaneous connections is a basic feature of a VPN, as having a reliable and free connection to the internet is not just necessary for your laptop but also for your cell phone, tablet or other devices. Having simultaneous connections saves you from the problem of having to connect the VPN depending on which device you want to use to access the internet. With this, for example, you can check Google Maps on your cell phone while you check your Gmail on your computer.
• Encryption Protocols: Encryption protocols are important to improve security. Having various possibilities will ensure that you have more weapons to avoid the Great Firewall, as some encryption protocols don’t work at times. The protocols that tend to work the best are OpenVPN (desktop) and IKEV2 (mobile devices), although the newer protocols WireGuard and Lightway offer better speed and stability.

What VPN Should I Use in China?

We know this is a lot of info to digest and if you aren’t a tech expert, you might be a bit lost. To help you make the right choice, we suggest that you choose the best VPN depending on your priorities (speed, price, user-friendliness, and security).

• If you’re looking for a fast VPN, then ExpressVPN offers the Lightway protocol, a good number of servers close to China and in our tests, tends to always be one of the fastest.
• If you’re looking for a user-friendly VPN then, once more, ExpressVPN is the easiest of the four VPN to use.
• If you need a secure connection for transmitting sensitive data, then you should go for VyprVPN, which offers more protocols including Chameleon, their own servers and Nat Firewall, for an extra layer of security.
• If you all you care about is the price, then Ivacy is the cheapest option among the best VPNs.
• If you need a VPN that can connect to servers from many different countries, ExpressVPN is the one that offers the most possibilities.

Still not sure what VPN should you choose?

Top VPNs in China (survey)

Your opinion is important for us, click here and tell us what’s your favorite VPN for China!

Most popular VPNs in China

Below you’ll find a short review of some of the most popular VPN in China. These reviews are based on our experience using these VPN in China, so they are based on subjective criteria.

Fastest VPN in China

Determining which VPN is the fastest is quite a complicated question, as it depends on a lot of factors (encryption protocol, Chinese city from which you are connecting, the website you want to visit, and the VPN server you connect to, among many other factors).

To try to answer this question, we tested the connection speed of the VPNs that we recommend in China. We tested the ping, download speed, and upload speed while connected to different VPN servers while accessing websites located in the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong. While the results obtained are complicated to interpret due to the high number of parameters involved, we have been able to come to some conclusions:

• The VPNs tested offer good connection speeds: In general, tests show a ping of less than 250 ms and upload and download speeds which in the majority of cases are better than speeds without a VPN.
• ExpressVPN seems to be the fastest VPN: In the different tests that we carried out, in the majority of cases, ExpressVPN is the VPN that offers the best results for the three indicators (ping, download speed, and upload speed).
• The values of the tests vary greatly: In China, the connection speed is subject to substantial fluctuations depending on the day and time, which directly impacts the VPN’s performance. Additionally, the speed can also vary depending on the specific server you are connected to and the geographical location of the website or data source you are trying to access.

While ExpressVPN seems to be the fastest, this may depend on the place in China from which you are connecting. If you want to verify the performance of your VPN, in this article you can test your connection speed and also explain how to interpret the results obtained.

With these results, you will be able to know if your VPN works well (the values will be similar to or even better than without the VPN). You will as well find out the quality of your connection in China (the values you obtain without a VPN).

Main VPN Encryption Protocols

Encryption protocols are an essential feature when it comes to choosing a VPN, as they determine its level of security and its ability to overcome internet blocking in China and other countries. Below you can find the main encryption protocols:

• PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol): PPTP, with 128 bits, is the weakest encryption protocol, and because of this, it is faster than other protocols. In addition to its speed, it has the advantage of being supported by the majority of devices.
• L2TP/IPSec (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol/Internet Protocol Security): L2TP/IPsec is a 256-bit encryption protocol that is very robust but quite slow. Its main advantage is that this protocol can be used on the majority of mobile devices.
• OpenVPN: OpenVPN can be either 160 or 256 bits, and is a protocol that offers a very high level of security combined with a more than respectable speed. The main problem it has is that it is often not supported by default in many mobile devices, in particular, iOS systems.
• IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2): IKEv2 is often used in conjunction with IPsec for secure communication. It is lighter and more stable than OpenVPN while retaining a certain level of customization. However, it’s only available over UDP. IKEv2 has significant advantages, particularly in terms of speed. Its ability to quickly reestablish connections if they are interrupted makes it especially suitable for mobile devices that frequently switch between networks.
• Chameleon: Chameleon is a protocol very similar to OpenVPN 256 bits, offering a good speed with very robust encryption. It has the feature that it is specially designed so that the connection cannot be identified as a VPN, therefore avoiding it being blocked.
• StealthVPN: Encryption protocol based on OpenVPN with an additional layer of traffic obfuscation. StealthVPN works with both TCP and UDP, and like Chameleon, it is designed specifically to prevent connections through automatic firewalls from being detected.
• OpenConnect: Open source protocol that works with both TCP and UDP. It was designed to replace Cisco’s AnyConnect SSL VPN. The protocol uses a TLS authentication system and DTLS to encrypt traffic. It usually has performance similar to OpenVPN.
• SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol): This is one of the fastest protocols, and can even be faster than PPTP. Also, it offers encryption that is almost as robust as LTP2/IPSec. However, this protocol is difficult to implement on the majority of systems and is normally only compatible with Windows.
• WireGuard This is a new open-source protocol with a lot of potential and that should be taken into account. Some VPN providers like NordVPN, VyprVPN, Surfshark, StrongVPN, PureVPN, or TorGuard already offer it. It is a very fast, stable, and secure protocol since it works directly at the kernel level of the operating system. The protocol still needs some development
• Lightway: This is a new open-source protocol and exclusive to ExpressVPN which is similar to WireGuard. It’s faster and more stable than OpenVPN while maintaining very robust encryption.

With regards to China, most VPN protocols are currently blocked in China and it’s necessary additional measures, like obfuscated servers to bypass the Great Firewall. The protocols that tend to be the most secure and stable are OpenVPN, WireGuard, and Lightway. In the case of mobile devices, IKEV2 tends to work quite well.

Performance of VPNs in China

Before starting this section, we would like to inform you that these conclusions are not based on objective data; rather, they are based on our personal experience using VPNs in China.

1. VPNs work better outside of large cities: We haven’t found any technical data to confirm our observations, but it seems like the Great Firewall is particularly effective in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. As a result, it’s harder for VPNs to connect reliably in these places. Some VPNs don’t work in these cities at all, while others work better in smaller cities.
2. Poor internet connections limit VPN performance: When your VPN won’t connect, it’s easy to assume that the problem is with the VPN itself. But poor internet connections can actually be the main reason, especially in places like hotels or cafes where Wi-Fi may be spotty. Even mobile data connections in big cities can be so congested that VPNs can’t function properly.
In addition to a good VPN, make sure that you have a decent Internet connection
3. Different VPNs don’t always behave the same: It’s common that depending on the place you’re connecting from, some VPN work better than others. For example, ExpressVPN might work better from your workplace internet connection, whereas NordVPN might work better from home.

What to do if your VPN doesn’t work?

China is constantly updating the Great Firewall to make VPN connections harder, and even the best VPNs can fail or have difficulties connecting.

Some providers offer regularly updated pages with the current status of the VPN in China and offer suggestions on the best way to connect them in China. Below is a list of links to the most popular VPN information pages:

How to connect ExpressVPN in China

How to connect NordVPN in China

How to connect Ivacy in China

How to connect Surfshark in China

How to connect VyprVPN in China

How to connect VPNArea in China

Below you’ll find some general recommendations in case your VPN stops working:

• Update its software: It’s important to always be running the latest version of the software, as many of the updates are done to prevent the VPN from being blocked by the Great Firewall.
• Give the VPN permissions: Sometimes VPNs can be detected as malware by your operating system or your anti-virus. Try deactivating your Firewall/anti-virus and see if this solves the problem. If you want to use the VPN, you will have to give it permission so that your firewall doesn’t block it. It’s important to make sure you’re using a trustworthy VPN (like the ones we recommend in this article), as many VPNs can be dangerous for your laptop or smartphone.
• Check if you are using obfuscated servers: Some VPNs, such as ExpressVPN, automatically enable obfuscated servers by default in China. However, many VPNs have this option disabled by default due to the potential impact on connection speeds.
• Change server: Even though many VPNs have the option to connect to the server with the best performance automatically, sometimes it’s useful to test which server works the best with your connection. As a general rule, choose servers located in countries nearby for better VPN performance
• Change encryption protocol: In our experience, currently, the only protocol that works well in China is OpenVPN (or versions of it, such as Chameleon). However, if you experience difficulties, you can always try other protocols, which sometimes work as well. In order, I would try the following protocols: WireGuard / Lightway, OpenVPN UDP, OpenVPN TCP, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and SSTP. Don’t bother trying PPTP, as it has never worked in China.
• Contact the technical service: If none of the above has worked for you, you can contact your VPN’s technical department to find out what is happening (it might be temporarily out of service in China) and get a recommended configuration for getting around the Great Firewall. This is why we place a lot of importance on the quality of the VPN’s technical service. Good VPNs respond efficiently and are capable of quickly reacting when the Great Firewall blocks their service.
• Port forward to port 433: This is a more technical solution and isn’t usually necessary. We don’t recommend it for the majority of users.

What is IP leaking and how can it affect me?

When you use a VPN, in theory, your IP address is masked and external observers and the websites you visit can’t determine your real IP address.

To put it simply, IP leaking is when your real IP address is discovered by the webpage you are visiting (normally through the execution of a script) despite you using a VPN. This causes you to lose your anonymity and your geolocation may be detected.

In addition to the anonymity problems that this may pose, IP leaking can make a VPN useless for accessing geographically restricted websites.

While there are many ways of avoiding IP leaking, some of them are quite complicated for people who aren’t experts on the subject. Even so, there are simple measures that can substantially reduce the likelihood of this happening.

Obviously, the better your VPN, the lower the likelihood of IP leaking.

The other precaution has to do with choosing your browser. Studies carried out on multiple browsers show that without a doubt, Microsoft Edge is the worst of them all and in this sense, Safari is the most secure. Opera and Google Chrome are similar and despite being better than Edge, are quite insecure. Mozilla Firefox is quite secure without reaching the same level as Safari.

Is it legal to use a VPN in China?

We aren’t lawyers and we are certainly not qualified to provide any legal advice. So what follows is result of our extensive research on the topic.

There are many rumors and contradictory information on the subject, but as far as we know, using a VPN isn’t illegal in China. Even if it’s true that VPN gets often blocked, on the other hand, VPN is a necessary tool to improve security at companies, and because of this, it would make little sense to declare all VPN to be illegal.

However, at the beginning of 2017, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology declared that the VPN services in China need to obtain a government approval.

While this legislation appears to only refer to VPN providers operating from within China, it’s not clear how this legislation is also being applied to VPN providers operating outside of China like the ones we recommend.

Since 2017, the apps for the main VPNs have not been available in the Apple App Store in China. However, this doesn’t stop you from using them (you can download them outside of China or configure the VPN manually).

In any event, you should keep in mind that when using a VPN, it doesn’t necessarily have to be illegal: it depends on the situation, and whether what you do with the VPN can be illegal or not. For example, if someone uses a VPN (to avoid being identified) to scam people, it’s obvious that this activity is illegal and will, therefore, be prosecuted.

For more information on the subject, we published a comprehensive guide on Chinese 2017 cybersecurity law and its consequences.

What Websites are Blocked in China?

The list of websites blocked in China is long and changes every day. Generally speaking, the most popular social networks (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc), messaging applications (WhatsApp, Messenger, Snapchat, Line, etc.), blogging platforms (WordPress.com, Blogspot, etc), Google services (Google.com, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Hangouts Google Docs, etc) and media websites that may be or have been critical towards China (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and LeMonde, just to provide some examples) are blocked.

Then, there are websites or software that aren’t blocked but are so slow that they become practically useless. The most common example is probably Skype, which works on and off (for calls, messages usually work fine).

Generally speaking, most of the websites that aren’t hosted on a Chinese server will be slow, when you try to connect from within China.

The best way to overcome this problem is, of course, to choose a VPN that is working well in China!

Best Free VPNs for China

We recommend that you NEVER use a free VPN. They are normally a serious risk to your security and privacy or simply don’t work. Maintaining a VPN that works in China implies a significant financial expense, and therefore you should ask where the VPN is getting this money from.

My recommendation is that you should carefully examine any VPN of this type before installing it, as in many cases, it will install other things, such as programs that display ads while you are browsing, programs that store your browsing data to sell it to third parties or programs that use your computer as a server (your laptop and your Internet connection will work much more slowly). Plus, in the worst case, they are simply viruses or malware.

Given that they only a few USD a month, there is no doubt that the best option is to buy a decent VPN.

If I haven’t convinced you, this article gives some recommendations on free VPNs for China.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Photo Credits: 1. Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
2. Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
3. Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay

The Top VPNs for China That Still Work in 2025: A Comprehensive Comparison has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

Chengdu capital of Sichuan province is in our opinion one of the best places to learn Chinese in China. Chengdu is known for its rich cultural heritage, delicious cuisine, and friendly people, Chengdu is also a modern and rapidly growing city with a thriving technology industry.

Pros of studying Chinese in Chengdu

It’s very cheap compared to the biggest Chinese cities

As a student, you might be on a restrained budget and then Chengdu is a perfect option. Everything from rents to grocery prices have increased massively in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen the past years, yet Chengdu is still comparably cheap.

In fact, websites like Expatistan claims that prices are around 40% lower compared to China overall. Numbeo, on the other hand, has more detailed data saying that rents are 65% – 75% (!) lower compared to Shanghai.

Tuition fees are also lower. Sure, Chengdu doesn’t have as many top schools compared to the biggest cities, but that’s not really a problem if you study Chinese.

The curriculum is important, of course, but it’s significantly more important to manage your own time and speak and read as much Chinese as you can during your free time.

Many foreign companies have offices or factories in Chengdu

As the East coast has become more saturated, the Chinese government does its utmost to steer new investments toward the Central, Southwestern, and Western parts of China. Chengdu is the major metropolis in Southwestern China and benefits much from this.

Chengdu’s economy continues to flourish, in 2018, 347 Fortune 500 companies set up offices in Chengdu. That same year, Chengdu was ranked the third-highest performing city in terms of economic growth in the Brookings Institute “2018 Global Metro Monitor”.

If you plan to work in China, Chengdu can be one of your better options.

International city, but with a strong local Chinese culture

Despite not being as international and developed as Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, Chengdu has a population of 18 million people that attracts increasingly more expats and students from overseas.

Yet Chengdu has preserved a strong Chinese culture that can’t really be found in places like Shenzhen and in Shanghai.

It’s a perfect choice if you want to travel while in China

Chengdu is located in Sichuan in Southwest China, one of the most exotic areas with many ethnic minorities and abundant culture. Here, there are many other surrounding provinces with astonishing sceneries like Qinghai, Yunnan, Tibet, Guangxi, and Gansu.

Being less prosperous than the Eastern parts, Southwest and West China has managed to preserve local cultures and you can see steppes, desserts, mountains, jungles, and waterfalls.

By comparison, the East and Southeast coasts are more industrialized and have less to offer from a traveling point of view.

One of the best cuisines in China

Chinese restaurants overseas and in bigger Chinese cities often serve Sichuan food. It’s not strange, as it has one of the best cuisines in the country. Common dishes from Sichuan include Gongbao Jiding (Kung Pao chicken), Mapo doufu (Mapo tofu), Sichuan hot pot, and chili oil wontons.

The food tends to be quite oily, and spicy and the Sichuanese often use garlic, chili pepper, and Sichuan pepper when cooking.

Dishes from Shanghai and the Southern parts of China are sweet and plainer, and many Chinese favor food that is more culinary.

One of the happiest cities in China

According to recent surveys, Chengdu is one of the happiest cities in China. With thriving economics, a more relaxed atmosphere, and a pleasant climate, it’s not strange.

Other reasons worth mentioning are that medical services and education continue to improve in second and third-tier cities.

Cons of studying Chinese in Chengdu

It’s fairly polluted city

One of the major drawbacks of living in Chengdu is air pollution due to its heavy industries. The air quality is better than Beijing’s but worse than Shanghai’s in terms of PM2. pollution.

However, Chengdu is also at the forefront to become a global city of sustainable development and has launched a number of green initiatives for the coming years and the future.

It’s not as bustling as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing

Even if Chengdu is one of the biggest cities in China, it’s more relaxed compared to the Tier 1 cities. As such, the bar and club scene is not as big, even if this is not necessarily bad.

In fact, many claim that it’s easier to make friends in Chengdu and that locals are happier in general, thanks to the more relaxed atmosphere.

Best Private schools in Chengdu to study Chinese

Note: Although we only accept schools that have a good reputation, this list of private schools is a sponsored listing:

Hutong School

Hutong School is a Chinese language school that was founded in 2005 by a group of foreign China enthusiasts. Today the school has branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu and a further 7 worldwide. Through offering a wide range of programs and a unique in-house teaching methodology, Hutong School aims to help students of all ages improve their Mandarin skills and understanding of China. Courses can be customized to suit individual needs and include Intensive Chinese, HSK Preparation, Business Chinese, Youth Summer Camps, and Internships.

LTL Mandarin School

LTL Mandarin School is a Chinese school for foreigners, with schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chengde, Taipei, Beihai and now Xi’an. LTL was created to ensure students a completely immersive experience into the Chinese language and culture. With a wide range of study programs, the school offers each student the opportunity to achieve their goals through lessons in small groups, individual, business Chinese lessons, internships, school trips, high school programs, preparation courses for HSK and more. LTL is also one of the centers authorized by HSK and monthly offers the possibility to take the exams from the 1st to the 6th level.

XMandarin School

XMandarin School is a Chinese language school founded in 2006. As an accredited institution, the school has helped thousands of students to enhance their Chinese with their professional teachers and through their catered programs that adapts to every profile: short Chinese courses or long-term programs for all levels, from 1V1 private courses, small group class, to HSK preparation, intensive and business courses etc. In addition, the school organizes monthly events, entertainment activities and field trip to discover China’s cultural heritage and have fun during your stay. The school is in the city center of Chengdu, surrounded by everything you need: Mall, gym, convenient stores, western, oriental, and Asian restaurants etc.

The best universities for studying Chinese in Chengdu

Universities in Sichuan don’t rank as well as the bigger cities, but you still have a number of good options if you plan to study Chinese. Below I’ve listed some of the best options you have if you want to study Chinese at a public university.

Sichuan University (四川大学)

Sichuan University dates back to 1896, but was officially established in 1998, after merging with the Chengdu University of Science and Technology in 1994. It’s a Chinese top university and the most notable one in Southwest China, having around 70,000 students.

It’s probably one of your best options if you plan to study at a public institution.

Foreign students can enroll in the Chinese language program that starts on September 1st (application deadline July 15th) and the tuition fee is 16,500 RMB per year. If you plan to stay for a shorter period of time, you can also apply for one semester which costs 8,250 RMB. You’ll also need to pay an application fee of 115 US dollars.

The School of Overseas Education manages the program where foreigners are taught the Chinese language and culture. Classes are held from 8:30 – 12:00 from Monday to Friday and include reading, writing, listening, and speaking classes.

Worth mentioning is that you also have the opportunity to join extracurricular courses and activities in the afternoons like Chinese Black-ink Painting, Taiji, Chinese Calligraphy, and more.

Southwest Jiaotong University (西南交通大学)

Southwest Jiaotong University is a top-ranking university in China that was established in 1896. The university mainly focuses on engineering studies, but also has programs in management, economics, liberal arts, law, and Chinese language studies.

Around 60,000 students study at SWJU where 1,000 are international students enrolling in different programs. The School of International Education manages language studies and was established in 2009.

You can enroll for the spring semester, which starts on February 25th (application deadline December 10th), or the fall semester, which starts on September 1st (application deadline June 10th).

The tuition fee is 8,000 RMB for one semester and 16,000 RMB for two, so the fees are fairly similar to Sichuan University. You also need to pay a registration fee of 600 RMB and an insurance fee of 400 RMB.

Get a free quote to study Chinese in Chengdu

Do you want to study Mandarin in Chengdu? Request a free quotation using the form below.

We will send your request to up to five reputable schools that offer courses in Chengdu.

Photo Credits: Chengdu: Huaxi Medical University 2008 by Gary Todd

Study Chinese in Chengdu – Best Private Schools and Universities has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

Many platforms for live streaming television, films, or series have geographic restrictions and don’t offer all of their content in every country, especially in China. This is the case with Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Sky Go, and BBC iPlayer, among many more.

Using a VPN is usually the best solution to be able to enjoy these platforms without restrictions.

However, many of these platforms have started to detect and block users using proxies and VPNs.

How to access geographically restricted content

One of the common problems experienced by people outside of their country is accessing geographically restricted content and specifically audiovisual content.

Popular platforms such as Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or Sky Go aren’t available in every country (for example, China), and even if they are available, their content tends to vary greatly from one country to another.

In addition, national television platforms tend to only be accessible for users within the country, or their content is very limited for users connected from other countries. BBC iPlayer is a clear example of this.

So, how can I watch my favorite TV shows from another country?

Up until now, the best solution that I’ve found is by using a VPN.

A VPN (or virtual private network) is a system designed to improve the security of your internet connection (by hiding your IP address and encrypting your information) and to access private networks (such as your work network) without being directly connected to them. Click here to find out more details on how a VPN works.

How to use a VPN to access streaming websites

Good VPN providers have multiple servers located in different countries. When you use a VPN to surf the web, the pages you visit don’t see your real IP address (because it’s encrypted) but rather the server to which you are connected to.

That means that if you are in China (as is my case) and you connect your VPN to a server in the United States, web pages will “think” that you are connected from the United States and not China. So the VPN will allow you to use Netflix or Hulu (by connecting to a server in the United States), watch the BBC (by connecting to a server in the United Kingdom), or any other geographically constrained content.

If you, like me, have spent many years in China and you want to use Youku or watch Chinese TV, you can also use a VPN to watch your favorite Chinese programs from your country.

What are the best VPNs that still work?

With the increasing use of systems to hide real IP addresses (such as VPNs and proxies), many streaming platforms have started to try to limit the use of these systems by their users. Because of this, currently, the majority of VPNs don’t let you access platforms such as Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or BBC iPlayer.

Below, we give a list and a brief review of the VPNs that let you access these platforms:

P.S. Only VPN Area has servers in mainland China. If you want to view content from mainland China that is geographically restricted, I recommend that you read this article.

What VPNs no longer work to unblock streaming platforms

Many popular VPNs have stopped working to access the majority of the most widely used streaming platforms. Below is a list of some of them:

1. PureVPN
2. CyberGhost
3. HideMyAss
4. Tunnelbear
5. Hola VPN
6. IPvanish
7. Private Internet Access (PIA)
8. Zenmate
9. Avast Secureline VPN

Are there any free options?

Some websites claim that they have been able to do it with proxies or free VPNs. However, in my experience, I don’t recommend this, as many of them aren’t capable of properly hiding your IP address, and if they do manage to work at some time, they are unstable and offer speeds that aren’t compatible with streaming.

A good VPN costs a few bucks per month and for this amount, personally, I would rather have something that always works than waste my time testing various free options which sometimes work and sometimes don’t. In addition, many of these services are not registered companies. Who is going to guarantee you that this proxy or VPN is not a virus or malware?

Also, keep in mind that many free VPNs are free because they install software on your computer which displays advertising – in the form of popups or in other ways – while you are surfing the net.

How to configure your VPN to access streaming platforms

Below, we give some recommendations to be able to use your VPN to watch movies and series on platforms such as Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or Sky Go.

General recommendations

By default, I recommend the following:

1. Close your browser before connecting your VPN
2. Browse in incognito mode

If you’re having problems:

1. Sign out of your Google account
2. Delete cookies, the browser cache and temporary Internet files
3. Try a new server or connect and disconnect the VPN to get a new IP address
4. Disconnect the GPS or any software that could be revealing your location

Is my VPN useful in my country?

Perhaps…

In addition to improving the security of your internet connection (most of all on public networks) and allowing you to access services not available in your country, using a VPN has been shown to be very useful to improve streaming speeds on websites such as Netflix, where the conventional channels may be saturated by the number of users.

Is it illegal to use a VPN to access geographically limited content?

Although using a VPN to access Netflix, Hulu or other streaming platforms is a habitual practice , the legality of this behavior is not clearly defined and is a subject that is still widely discussed on the internet. Do so at your own risk!

Click here to check the VPNs that we recommend!

Frequently asked questions

How can I watch Netflix in China with a VPN?
Since Netflix has become very good at detecting a VPN, there are only a few VPNs that still allow you to watch Netflix from China. One of the best is ExpressVPN.
Can Netflix detect a VPN?
Yes, Netflix can often detect your VPN. When this happens, what they do is block your VPN IP address so that you can’t use that server (or that VPN) to watch Netflix anymore.
However, at the moment, Netflix can’t detect all VPNs, and there are still some VPNs that let you watch Netflix, such as ExpressVPN.
Can I watch Amazon Prime videos from China?
In order to watch Amazon Prime videos,
you need to install software that masks your IP address. Often, the best solution is to use a VPN.
Can I watch Hulu from China?
In order to watch Hulu from outside the United States, such as from China, you will need to install a VPN on your laptop or smartphone
Can I watch Sky Go from China?
If you want to watch Sky Go from China, the best solution is probably to install a fast and reliable VPN.
Can I watch HBO Go from China?
The easiest way to watch HBO Go from China is to get VPN software for your laptop and/or a VPN app for your iPhone or Android device.

Photo Credits: Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

How to Watch Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu in China (with a VPN) has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

]]> https://www.saporedicina.com/english/watch-netflix-hulu-bbc-iplayer-overseas/feed/ 12 https://www.saporedicina.com/english/best-vpn-iphone-android/ https://www.saporedicina.com/english/best-vpn-iphone-android/#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2021 01:00:19 +0000 https://www.saporedicina.com/english/?p=4767 What is a VPN and why might I need one? What should I keep in mind when purchasing a VPN for Android or iOS? The best VPNs for mobile devices Frequently asked questions Conclusion What VPN do we recommend for iOS and Android devices? ExpressVPN: Very fast and easy to use. The recommended option for […]

The Best VPN Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

]]>
1. What is a VPN and why might I need one?
2. What should I keep in mind when purchasing a VPN for Android or iOS?
3. The best VPNs for mobile devices
4. Frequently asked questions
5. Conclusion

What VPN do we recommend for iOS and Android devices?

ExpressVPN: Very fast and easy to use. The recommended option for people who aren’t technology experts.

NordVPN: Reliable, complete and easy to use. One of the most popular options currently.

Surfshark: Cheap, unlimited connections, very complete and excellent performance. A good alternative to large VPN providers.

Ivacy: Good performance at a very low cost. The recommended option if you want a cheap but high-quality VPN.

This article is based on our years of experience using VPNs in China, where the Great Firewall severely restricts normal Internet use.

What is a VPN and why would I need one?

A Virtual Private Network – or VPN – allows you to send and receive data over the internet as if you were directly connected to a private network. However, we don’t need to go into the technical details. Below, you will find the main uses of a VPN:

• Getting around internet censorship in China, Iran, Vietnam or other countries that restrict access to a part of the internet.
• Sending sensitive information (like banking information) over an encrypted connection. This is very important if you connect to public networks.
• Access to services that are only available in some countries, such as accessing the local catalog of streaming platforms such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer or Amazon Prime Video.
• Creating your own VPN allows your employees to access your company’s private network, even if they are not physically connected to it.

Things to keep in mind for a VPN for Android, iPhone, or other iOS devices

• Reliability and stability: These are probably the most important features and are where the majority of the VPNs on the market don’t make the cut (most of all the free ones). For a VPN to be useful, the connection needs to be fast, without breaks in connection, and secure.
• Applications: Have you ever tried to configure a VPN account on your smartphone? I did it and it was not a pleasant experience! It doesn’t matter if your phone is running Android or iOS, it is always too complicated. You are going to have to input large codes and change them every time that you want to adjust the connection of the VPN. A good VPN offers applications for both platforms. All you have to do is download the application, sign in, and… that’s it! The application also has to allow you to configure the VPN connection regardless of where you are (for example, in the event that you want to change the server).
• Simultaneous connections: This aspect is very useful, as it means that you don’t need to disconnect the VPN from your laptop every time that you want to use it on your smartphone. Normally, 3 simultaneous connections tend to be enough.
• Encryption protocols: Many VPN providers only offer one protocol for Android or iOS devices, which is normally the L2TP protocol. Having the option of choosing between multiple encryption protocols (L2TP/IPsec, PPTP, OpenVPN) is important to be able to adapt your VPN to your needs (security or speed). This might sound too technical to you, but you don’t need to understand the details and the differences between the different protocols. The only thing that you have to know is that normally, the best protocols are OpenVPN, WireGurad, and Lightway (or similar protocols), which are the only ones that work in China. L2TP tends to be very slow, and PPTP is insecure.

The best VPNs for mobile devices

Below is the list of VPNs that we recommend for Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad) devices. To evaluate this list, we have used the following criteria:

• They are reliable and stable
• They work in China
• They allow streaming with Netflix and other platforms
• They have easy-to-use apps
• They are secure

1. ExpressVPN



• Reliability and stability: Very reliable and stable
• Applications: Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry
• Simultaneous connections: Up to 5
• Android encryption protocol: Lightway, OpenVPN (Android 5 or greater)
• IOS encryption protocol: Lightway, OpenVPN UDP/TCP, IKEv2 and IPsec (iOS 12 or greater)

Exclusive discount: 3 months for free with the annual suscription
The fastest on the list, easy to use, a large number of servers in multiple countries and excellent after-sale service.
Price

Read full review&
Go to ExpressVPN’s website

2. NordVPN



• Reliability and stability: Reliable and stable
• Applications: Android, iOS, Windows Phone
• Simultaneous connections: Up to 6
• Android encryption protocols: OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2 (Android 6.0 or greater)
• iOS encryption protocols: OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2 (iOS 11 or greater)

Exclusive discount: 58% discount on the annual suscription
Easy to use, server count, simultaneous connections and security
Price

Read full review
Go to NordVPN’s website

3. Surfshark



• Reliability and stability: Reliable and stable
• Applications: Android, iOS, Windows Phone
• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
• Android encryption protocols: IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard (Android 5.0 and above)
• IOS encryption protocols: IKEv2, WireGuard (iOS 10.3.3 and above)

Exclusive discount: get 83% off on the annual suscription
Price, easy to use, simultaneous connections and extra options
Streaming in some countries

Read our complete review
Go to Surfshark’s website

4. VyprVPN



• Reliability and stability: Very reliable and stable
• Applications: Android, iOS, Windows Phone and Blackphone
• Simultaneous connections: Up to 5
• Android encryption protocols: OpenVPN™, Chameleon™ (Android 4.0 or greater)
• iOS encryption protocols: IPsec/IKEv2, OpenVPN™, Chameleon™, WireGuard® (iOS 13 or greater)

Exclusive discount: 45% discount on the annual plan
The most secure VPN on the list, well-designed apps, cheap annual plan and its own servers
Connectivity in China

Read full review
Go to VyprVPN’s website

5. Ivacy



• Reliability and stability: Very reliable and stable
• Applications: Android, iOS and Windows Phone
• Simultaneous connections: Up to 5
• Android encryption protocols: OpenVPN (Android 5.0 or greater)
• iOS encryption protocols: IPsec, IKEv2 (iOs 11 or greater)

Coupon code: saporedicina ($25 off on the 5-year plan)
Cheap, easy to use, dedicated IPs, extra options
Server count and locations

Read full review
Go to Ivacy’s website

6. PureVPN



• Reliability and stability: Stable
• Applications: Android, iOS and Windows Phone
• Simultaneous connections: Up to 10
• Android encryption protocols: OpenVPN, IKev2/IPSec, SSTP (Android 5.0 or greater)
• iOS encryption protocols: IPSec, IKEv2, OpenVPN (iOS 12.3 or greater)

Exclusive discount: 82% discount on the bi-annual plan
Very complete, very low price, can be personalized, easy to use, and a large number of servers in different countries
Sometimes not very reliable, and poor after-sale service

Read full review
Go to PureVPN’s website

7. Strong VPN



• Reliability and stability: Reliable and stable
• Applications: Android, iOS and Windows Phone
• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited in the same network
• Android encryption protocols: WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN (Android 5.0 or greater)
• iOS encryption protocols: WireGuard, IKEv2, IPsec (iOS 11 or greater)

Very robust and reliable over time, servers with dynamic IP addresses and good technical service
Number of servers and services that are inferior to those of other VPNs

Read full review
Go to StrongVPN’s website

Frequently asked questions

What’s the best VPNs for Android?
There isn’t one VPN that’s better than the others in all respects. If your priority is speed and reliability, then maybe ExpressVPN is for you, but if you are mainly looking for security (even if you lose out on speed), for example, your option might be VyprVPN. In any event, all of the services we review here are ideal for Android devices and offer good guarantees in terms of reliability and security.
What’s the best VPN for iPhone?
As is the case with Android, there isn’t one VPN that’s better than the others in all respects. The VPNs reviewed here work perfectly on devices running iOS. However, be careful if you want to use it in China, as not all iOS apps support the OpenVPN protocol (the only protocol that works in China).
What’s the fastest VPN for my cell phone?
Despite the fact that we haven’t tested out the hundreds of VPN providers on the market today, the VPN that we have tried that generally offers the fastest speed (even on poor connections) has been ExpressVPN.
What’s the most secure VPN for my cell phone?
There are a number of VPN services, but out of the ones we’ve tested and analyzed to date, VyprVPN appears to be the one that offers the best security guarantees, protecting you from potential attacks on public networks or the monitoring of your Internet use.
Is it illegal to use a VPN in China?
Recently, China has strengthened legislation on Internet use and data protection (you can read this article on the subject), making it difficult to say whether VPN use is illegal without being a legal expert. Nonetheless, at least for the time being, a foreigner can use a VPN in the country without many problems, as long as they are not doing any illegal activities with it.
Can you be tracked if you use a VPN?
VPNs encrypt your communications and make it harder for other people to spy on you or discover your IP address and location. However, your VPN provider can access the information that you send over the VPN and the websites that you visit. Many providers promise not to record this information, but it’s a good idea to use a trustworthy VPN.
Can a VPN be hacked?
While a VPN can be hacked in theory, it’s very difficult to do and requires a large amount of time, which means that unless your are valuable target for hackers, it’s very unlikely that this will happen to you. If you use a secure VPN provider, there’s nothing to worry about in 99% of cases.
How do you download a VPN in China?
It’s a good idea to download the VPN before entering the country, but if you weren’t able to, you still have options. The majority of VPNs have “mirror” websites that aren’t blocked in China, where you can download the app installer (except on iOS devices). If you have an iOS device, you can configure the VPN manually (the VPN website will tell you how) and then later download the app from the App Store.
Is VPN safe on public wifi?
Because it encrypts your connections, a VPN can prevent pirates from stealing your private data or controlling your traffic. However, VPNs are not very useful against viruses or malware attacks. This is why you should always use a good antivirus on your devices.

Conclusion

While there are a large offering of VPNs on the market, very few of them are quality VPNs. In fact, if you really want to browse with your cell phone and tablet securely, without any restrictions, and at the same speed as you would without a VPN (or faster), I recommend that you choose one of the VPNs on the list, or that you keep in mind the points discussed in the first section of this article.

I would also like to remind you that if despite my recommendations, you decide to choose a VPN provider not listed here, especially if it is free or very cheap, that you read the terms of service so that you aren’t surprised later on.

Photo Credits: Photo by Arthur Bowers on Pixabay

The Best VPN Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

]]> https://www.saporedicina.com/english/best-vpn-iphone-android/feed/ 17 https://www.saporedicina.com/english/unblocking-youku-tudou-vpn-servers-china/ https://www.saporedicina.com/english/unblocking-youku-tudou-vpn-servers-china/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2021 00:00:34 +0000 https://www.saporedicina.com/english/?p=9904 On this website, we have talked about the best way to get around the Great Firewall of China on many occasions as well as how to access the internet without restrictions in China. However, what happens when we want to access the network that exists within the Great Firewall? This article is intended for people […]

Unblocking Bilibili, Youku, ManguoTV, Kugou and Other Chinese Websites – VPN Servers in China has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

]]>

On this website, we have talked about the best way to get around the Great Firewall of China on many occasions as well as how to access the internet without restrictions in China.

However, what happens when we want to access the network that exists within the Great Firewall? This article is intended for people who for whatever reason want to access websites located in China without any type of restrictions.

Summary of the article

• Problem: Browsing Chinese websites outside of the country is extremely slow and some content is restricted (for example videos and streaming on Bilibili, Youku, ManguoTV, iQiy, or PPTV)
• Reason: The Great Firewall and geographic restrictions (copyright laws)
• The best way to resolve this: A VPN with servers in China
• What VPN do we recommend: Transocks and Hide My Ass are to date the best VPNs that we have found for accessing the Chinanet.
• Who do we recommend using a VPN with servers in China?: People of Chinese origin who live outside of the country, Mandarin students, and people who due to their job or for other reasons need access to resources hosted in China.
Click here to skip the introduction and to go directly to the VPNs with Chinese servers that we recommend.

Accessing Chinese websites from outside of China

A frequent complaint from Chinese who have just moved abroad is the speed of the internet. When you ask foreigners in China, apart from the blocked websites, the complaint is the same. But why does this happen?

One of my preferred explanations for this subject is given by the famous Chinese blogger Michael Anti (Zhao Jing) in a TED Talk:

“The Internet has two internets: one is the internet and the other is the Chinanet.”

Basically, what Michael is referring to is that the Great Firewall of China has isolated the Chinese internet in such a way that any connection from one side to the other becomes complicated and as a result, extremely slow. On a practical level, this means that when Chinese people living abroad try to read his email on 163.com (Chinese Gmail), they would grow desperate when it took them ten minutes to access every email, just like what happened to foreigners trying to access their email from within China (if it’s not blocked like Gmail).

For whatever reason, if you normally visit Chinese websites, you will already know that the enormous exercise of patience. Also, you should consider geographic restrictions. Just like when you try to watch your favorite Netflix or television series online outside of your country, there is a lot of content restricted outside of China. The most prominent examples of this content are videos on Bili Bili, Youku, ManguoTV, PPTV, iQiy, QQ video CCTV or music streaming on Baidu Yinyue, Kugou, QQ Music.

How to browse the Chinese web and unblock websites such as Bilibili, Youku, ManguoTV o iQiyi

To avoid geographic restrictions or save yourself from eternal loading time and errors when visiting websites hosted on Chinese servers, there are several solutions. The most popular ones are proxies, Tor or VPNs. However, we always recommend using VPNs, especially if you’re not an internet expert (click on the previous link to find out why).

Wait! Before you start looking for a VPN, you should know that it is not as easy as it looks. Not just any VPN will work! If finding a good VPN to get past the Great Firewall when you are in China is difficult, finding a VPN that lets you enter the Great Firewall is even harder.

The main problem is that the majority of the best VPN providers, such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark or VyprVPN, don’t have servers in mainland China. While a solution may be to connect to the servers they have in Hong Kong, which substantially improves speed. However, Hong Kong servers are outside of the “Chinanet” and don’t allow you to get around geographic restrictions.

But all is not lost…

The best VPN with a server in China

Over the past years, I have been looking for and testing numerous VPNs with servers in China, and for the moment, I have only been able to find three VPN providers with servers in China that work adequately: Transocks and Hide My Ass.

• 
• 
• BEST VPN

FEATURES			BEST VPN
Main Advantage	VPN with Chinese license	Countries with servers	It depends on your needs!
Guaranteed money back	No	30 days
Monthly plan	25 CNY (3.9 USD)	10.99 USD
Yearly plan	22 CNY (3.4 USD / month )	4.39 USD / month
Server count	50+	1100+
Countries with servers	1 (China)	190
Desktop applications	Windows, Mac	Windows, Mac, Linux
Mobile applications	Android, iOS, Windows Phone	Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Simultaneous connections	3	5
Helpline	24/7/365	24/7/365
Encryption protocols	OpenVPN	OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec
	Try Transocks➤	Try Hide My Ass➤

   

Using proxies to unblock Chinese websites

During the last years, China has restricted greatly the use of VPNs, and most of the VPN providers removed their servers in Mainland China.

A good alternative is the use of residential proxies.

Good proxy providers offer many locations in Mainland China and the speed and connectivity they offer tend to be much better than VPN providers.

Suggestions for use

• Before using the VPN, close your browser and when the VPN is completely connected, open it again: this is important if you want to use Bilibili, Youku, ManguoTV, iQIYI and other streaming websites
• If you use VPN Area in my experience is that for Chinese servers to work you must select UDP Protocol and Port 8292. To do this you must go to “Show Dashboard” –> “Servers/Speed”.
• If you are using Hide My Ass, some IP addresses are blocked, so if you are on Youku or whatever website you are using and you still get the message that you have to be in China, close the browser and click on Change IP.
• Avoid the time period between 9:00 pm and 12:00 am in China, as servers tend to go very slow due to the high volume of users active in China.
• If you use VPN Area and Hide My Ass, it’s “peak hours” and you only need to browse Chinese websites, you can try to use servers located in Hong Kong, as you will likely be able to browse faster.

Who would be interested in a VPN with a server in China?

1. People of Chinese origin
2. Mandarin students: Browsing the web in China is an invaluable source of study materials, especially audiovisual materials, series, films, and audio tracks that are hard to find in other places.
3. People who want to watch films and series: In China, famous video aggregators contain an incredible library of films and series that are both Chinese and international, which can be watched for free. Just look for what interests you on baidu.com (better with its Chinese name) and it will show you the websites that offer it (YouKu, iQIYI, ManguoTV, and QQ video).
4. People who for work or other reasons need information from Chinese sources: I would include myself among these people, as to write many of the articles on this website when I am not in China, I need to consult information sources which are normally located on Chinese servers. Without a VPN, my search would become torture at times, as web pages take centuries to load.

Unblocking Bilibili, Youku, ManguoTV, Kugou and Other Chinese Websites – VPN Servers in China has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

]]> https://www.saporedicina.com/english/unblocking-youku-tudou-vpn-servers-china/feed/ 16 https://www.saporedicina.com/english/dental-clinics-shanghai/ https://www.saporedicina.com/english/dental-clinics-shanghai/#comments Thu, 28 May 2020 01:00:50 +0000 https://www.saporedicina.com/english/?p=25123 Aidencare Dental Shanghai Arrail Dental Shanghai (瑞尔) Pure Smile Shanghai Dental Clinic DDS Dental Care United Family Health Do you live in Shanghai and need a dentist right now? Below you find a list of international dental clinics in the city. Or, do you plan to relocate to the city in the near future? If […]

Top 5 International Dental Clinics in Shanghai has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

]]>
1. Aidencare Dental Shanghai
2. Arrail Dental Shanghai (瑞尔)
3. Pure Smile Shanghai Dental Clinic
4. DDS Dental Care
5. United Family Health

Do you live in Shanghai and need a dentist right now? Below you find a list of international dental clinics in the city.

Or, do you plan to relocate to the city in the near future? If that’s the case, you should consider looking for an international dental clinic in advance and that can help you and your family in case you need help later.

Worth mentioning is that the services at international dental clinics are in the upper range, therefore, it’s important that you confirm with your employer what options you have and what you’re covered for.

In this article, we list some of the most popular dental clinics that expats and foreigners use in Shanghai. They often have offices in multiple locations in China and have Chinese-speaking dentists.

1. Aidencare Dental Shanghai








Clinic Information

Aidencare offers a unique dental experience that combines modern dental innovations with a strong focus on comfort and exceptional service quality. They are dedicated to improving oral health through the use of cutting-edge technology.

What sets Aidencare apart is their role as an esteemed international teaching facility. They collaborate with renowned universities worldwide to advance dental education. Locally, they offer internships and partner with prestigious international schools to support growth in the dental field.

At Aidencare, comprehensive dental care is led by Dr. Sum, with a focus on orthodontic, implant, and cosmetic treatments yielding significant results. Attention to the dental needs of children with autism and cancer patients requiring palliative care reflects his broad expertise. Dr. Sum also partners with charities to advance oral health in the community.

With a background in London and Hong Kong origin, Dr. Sum communicates fluently in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, ensuring a seamless experience for all patients.

Dr. Teoh Chang, an implant specialist and founder of the Hong Kong Dental Implant Support Club, enhances the clinic’s services. Through a government incentive, Aidencare offers dental implants at a special rate, contributing to its recognition in Shanghai.

Services

• Implants
• Orthodontics
• Cosmetic Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Special Needs
• Palliative Dentistry

Aidencare Location and Contact Information

Phone Number (English):
(+86) 191 1738 6506

Phone Number (Chinese):
(+86) 021 6167 1809

Contact Email:
info@Aidencare.com

Address:
Gubei SOHO Floor 30, Room 3005, 188 Hongbaoshi Road, Changning, Shanghai

Wechat:
DrOscarSum

2. Arrail Dental Shanghai (瑞尔)

Arrail Dental was founded in Beijing in 1999 and they have a policy saying “Customers are family members”. Since the start, Arrail Dental Shanghai has grown to become one of the top dental clinics in Shanghai that has helped many foreigners over the years.

Nowadays, they have more than 80 clinics in various parts of Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao, and more. The company has two brands, namely “Rytime” and “Arrail”. Started by Rober Zou, the company offers professional, advanced, and international-level dental services to more than 5 million customers.

Some of the company’s corporate clients include well-known brands such as China Merchants Bank, UOB, Pingan, Microsoft, and Siemens.

Cities

• Beijing
• Tianjin
• Shanghai
• Hangzhou
• Shenzhen
• Guangzhou
• Xiamen
• Chengdu
• Chongqing
• Xi’an
• Ningbo
• Qingdao
• Changsha
• Ji’nan
• Wuxi

Office address: As the company has many clinics in Shanghai, I recommend you to check their website.

3. Pure Smile Shanghai Dental Clinic

Pure Smile Shanghai Dental Clinic has been voted as a top dental clinic by the Timeout Shanghai readers and is one of the most popular clinics in the city. The company has four offices in Shanghai and has received plenty of reviews from foreign clients. Not only do they have top-trained Chinese dentists, but also foreign dentists.

Looking at the services, Pure Smile currently offers the following services to foreigners and locals:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Dental Hygiene
• Preventive Exams & Cleaning
• Restorative Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Cosmetic Dentistry

The company also works with many insurance companies, including SOS First, AXA, Bupa, CIGNA, Pingan, and Henner. For up to date information about their services and prices, I recommend you to check their website directly.

Cities

• Shanghai

Office locations: Jinqiao Pudong, Jing’an Puxi, Hongqiao Puxi, Minhang Puxi

4. DDS Dental Care

DDS Dental Care is a reputable dental clinic that has offices in many locations in Shanghai. Founded as early as 1999, they have an international team and western trained dentists.

Dr. William Xu currently serves as the company’s Managing Director, he is certified in DDS, MSD, College of Stomatology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Examples of services offered by the company are:

General dentistry: Examination and consultation, digital X-rays / 3D imaging, and fillings.

Preventive dentistry: Oral prophylaxis and cleaning (Professional Biofilm Management), Fissure sealants and fluoride application.

Aesthetic and restorative dentistry: Porcelain veneers, full-mouth smile design, E-max crown and bridge restorations, 3Shape digital design technology – CADCAM, Cold light whitening, and home bleaching.

For more information, check their website directly as these are just a few examples of services.

Cities

• Shanghai

Office locations: DDS Dental care has clinics in Puxi, Pudong, Hongqiao, Huacao, Qingpu.

For information about the exact addresses, please visit their website.

5. United Family Health

United Family Healthcare, referred to as UFH, is both an international hospital and clinic chain, offering high-quality and private healthcare to foreigners. The company was founded around two decades ago and has opened clinics in plenty of cities, including Shanghai and Beijing.

Having more than 600 doctors from 25 countries and regions, UFH, has undoubtedly one of the biggest network of clinics in the country. In addition to the 600 full-time doctors, UFH also has more than 1000 part-time experts and 1000 nurses.

Interestingly, UFH also has its own online stores on platforms like JD and Tmall, called UFH Online Mall. This shows what a great brand UFH has become and the financial capabilities they have to enter these eCommerce platforms.

Cities

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Guangzhou
• Tianjin
• Qingdao
• Bo’ao

Office locations: UFH has clinics in various locations in Shanghai, therefore, please check their website for details about the locations.

Photo Credits: Photo by Oswaldo Ruiz on Pixabay

Top 5 International Dental Clinics in Shanghai has been written by Sergi Portolés on Sapore di Cina

]]> https://www.saporedicina.com/english/dental-clinics-shanghai/feed/ 4