Miss B: How could I successfully enter Shanghai in 2021?
Today we invite another client Miss B, a graphic designer working in Shanghai, to tell us more details about how she entered China.
In March 2021, I read the news on the website of China’s Embassy in Russia. There was a piece of information about entry to China: you can get a visa for work/family reunion/urgent personal affairs if you are vaccinated with a Chinese vaccine.
So I decided to visit Belarus to get a Chinese vaccine since we only have domestic vaccines in Russia. I came to the public hospital in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and luckily had a chance to get the Sinopharm vaccine for free. After two weeks, I came back to the same place to get the second shot.
The hospital gave me a local certificate about vaccination, but I needed it to be translated into Chinese and approved by the local Chinese Embassy in Belarus. Therefore, I came there to ask the consulate for this paperwork.
When the following translation was done, I quickly submitted my documents with the approved vaccine certificate at the Chinese Embassy in Vladivostok, Russia. After a couple of weeks, I received my visa to China. Then, I immediately bought a flight ticket from Moscow to Shanghai.
Time Schedule of Preparation
The preparation for boarding was very complicated. To get on the plane, you need a special health green code issued by the Chinese Embassy. But you can get it only after submitting numerous health check documents on their special website.
14 Days
Before the flight departure
Passed a Nucleic Acid Test (PCR).
7 Days
Before the flight departure
Passed a lungs X-Ray check and another PCR test.
* These tests need to be done only at clinics approved by the Chinese Embassy in Russia. There is a special list on the embassy’s website.
48 Hours
Before the flight departure
Passed one more PCR test and a blood test at the appointed clinic (which is also the only one) in Moscow (the information and instruction were given by my airline company Aeroflot).
24 Hours
Before the flight departure
Uploaded all tests results to the Chinese health code website and finally have received my green code!
Departure Day
At the airport
Passed one more PCR test right at the airport and was finally checked in!
When the plane arrived at Pudong airport, all passengers were called to the exit by flight attendants one by one. At the airport, all the workers wore complete chemical protection. It was frustrating. They took one more nasal PCR test, which was very ‘painful’.
After that, all arrived passengers from my flight were divided into teams. Each team left the airport by bus and directly went to the quarantine hotels. My hotel was located in the Songjiang district.
The duration of the quarantine was 3 weeks. The first 14 days were strict. I was not able to leave the hotel room. Every day, hotel workers in the full chemical protection costumes delivered food next to my door. And twice a day they measured my body temperature without entering the room. Totally, they took 5 PCR tests during these 2 weeks.
The third week of quarantine was much easier. I moved to another hotel near Pusan road in the Pudong district. During this last week, I needed to pass two more PCR tests at the nearest hospital.
So finally after completing all 3 weeks of quarantine and passing an endless series of Nucleic Acid Tests, I received my new Green Health Code in the Alipay app. After receiving the green health code, I was able to enjoy Shanghai and start my own journey here.
I was lucky to find a good company that offered me a job. And I passed the job interview where I presented my current creative portfolio with design works. My university degrees are related to graphic design, and I graduated from the top 10 Russian universities. Plus, I had enough high qualified work experience to apply for a similar position in China.
It was at this moment, I met the Expat Help team in Shanghai. They helped me a lot with transferring my visa, getting a work permit and a residence permit in China.
Many fellows took the same plane with me, while unfortunately their work residence applications were all denied. The reasons for their residence permit denial are various. For example:
It took me one month from submitting all my documents to receiving my passport with a residence permit. All the way through the Expat Help team supported me a lot. I would like to thank them for all their hard work and the numerous services that they offer to their clients.
In the end, I would like to tell everyone who is reading my story: take your chance to explore China! There are a lot of possibilities here for talented workers with a good background. And even the pandemic with all the restrictions cannot stop you from living your dream life!
Here comes the end of Miss B’s story. We are thankful for Miss B sharing her own experience which can provide us with abundant and latest information about entry and quarantine. We can also learn from her experience that:
- Keeping a close eye on the information updates of the Chinese Embassy and airlines.
- Strictly following the measures and restrictions of boarding and entering China.
If you want to explore Shanghai like Miss B, or you would like to share your story and experience with more people just like Miss B, welcome to click the buttom ‘Contact Us‘ above. Or scan the QR code below to contact our experts. They are willing to give you more advice. We are looking forward to hearing from you!