Settling-in Assistance: Hands-On Help for Your First Week

What this actually is

This is not a sightseeing trip. It is a local, English-speaking companion beside you while you complete the real tasks of moving to Shenzhen — getting a phone number and mobile data, making payments work, learning to get around, installing the apps daily life runs on, viewing apartments, and knowing where and how to buy food and household things.

You do the tasks; we translate, show you how things actually work here, and make sure nothing gets lost between a Chinese-only screen and an English-speaking newcomer. The goal is simple: by the end of a day or two, you can handle the city on your own.

The first-week blockers newcomers actually hit

• Getting a SIM and data set up when registration and offers are in Chinese.
• Payments failing at the checkout because foreign cards don't work everywhere.
• Taxi and metro apps opening entirely in Chinese, with no one to ask.
• Apartment agents who don't speak English and leases you can't read.
• Supermarkets and wet markets where you can't identify products or order.
• Everyday errands — food delivery, clinics, banking, school questions — piling up at once.

What we do together

1. Get connected

We help choose and register a local SIM or set up an eSIM, confirm mobile data, and cover the practicalities of network access so your phone works from day one.

2. Set up payments

We bind what works to Alipay and WeChat Pay, set up a tour-style wallet where useful, show you exactly where foreign cards and cash are accepted, and walk through topping up. You leave knowing how to pay at a shop, a stall and a restaurant.

3. Get around

We ride the metro and buses together, install and use Didi, cover shared bikes and high-speed trains, and explain the simple Hong Kong border crossing — including which route suits where you'll live.

4. Install the essential apps

Maps, translation, food delivery, shopping, taxis and more: we install them on your phone, log in, and test them in real situations rather than just handing you a list.

5. Housing viewings

We join apartment viewings, translate with agents and landlords, explain neighbourhoods, commutes and lease terms in plain English, and help arrange internet and utilities. You choose and sign; we make sure you understand what you're agreeing to.

6. Everyday life

A practical walk through supermarkets and wet markets, ordering food and drink, finding a clinic or pharmacy, visiting a bank, and — for families — school visits and enrollment questions. Bring your own list and we'll work through it.

How it works

1. Tell us your situation — arrival date, where you're staying, family size and your main worries.
2. We build a checklist and suggest a half day, full day or multi-day plan.
3. We meet and complete the tasks together, in English, at a pace that works for you.
4. You leave with working setups and notes you can refer back to.

Pricing

Option	Length	From
Half day	~4 hours	US$130
Full day	~8 hours	US$220–280
Multi-day program	2–3 days	Quoted per day

You get a fixed quote before we start, based on your checklist. Small third-party costs such as your own transport fares, the SIM itself or entry fees are paid directly by you at cost and are kept minimal.

Who it's for

• Newly arrived expats and families relocating to Shenzhen.
• Remote workers and digital nomads settling in for a few months.
• Business assignees who want the practical basics handled quickly.
• People moving over from Hong Kong or another country who need a local on the ground.

What's included — and what isn't

Included: an English-speaking companion, a tailored checklist, planning before we meet, translation throughout, and hands-on setup of connectivity, payments, apps and everyday tasks.

Not included: your purchases, rent, deposits and bills; we don't pay these on your behalf or sign contracts for you, and we're not a letting agency or legal adviser. We'll always tell you if a task needs a licensed specialist.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a sightseeing tour?
No — it's practical settling-in assistance built around your real to-do list, not attractions.

Can you handle the lease for me?
We accompany, translate and explain; you decide and sign. We don't act as a letting agent or legal representative.

How many days do people need?
Often one full day for connectivity, payments, transport and apps, plus an optional second day for housing and errands.

I'm Russian — how do I pay?
Mir isn't accepted in China; bring a UnionPay card from a Russian bank such as RSHB or ATB plus cash, and we'll test what binds to Alipay and WeChat Pay together.

Can you meet us at the airport or Hong Kong?
Yes — airport and cross-border arrival help is quoted separately.