ExitChina.org (出海指南) is an independent information website for two groups of readers: Chinese citizens who are thinking about working, studying, settling or retiring abroad, and Chinese people already living overseas who have to deal with practical matters such as visa renewals, opening a bank account, schooling for their children or paperwork back home. We currently cover 31 destination countries on six continents. Our guides are written in Simplified Chinese first, with Traditional Chinese (converted automatically from Simplified) and English versions.

We are not a migration agency. We do not file visa applications, we do not sell immigration programmes and we do not charge application fees. We do one thing: we take information scattered across foreign government websites, notices from Chinese embassies and consulates, and statistics office reports, and turn it into guides that Chinese readers can understand and use, with the sources and a verification date on every page.

Why we built this site

Moving abroad often involves a family’s savings, children’s education and years of career planning, yet the information online is frequently contradictory. Some of it describes rules that changed years ago, some of it is sales copy, and some of it is one person’s experience that may not apply to anyone else. Many people only discover that a requirement has changed when they file their application, land, or apply for residence.

We want to offer a reliable starting point: understand the basic rules, the real costs and the common risks of a destination first, then decide whether you need a lawyer or a licensed adviser. Our angle is “moving from China”. We cover visas and daily life in the destination, but also the steps you have to take at home before you leave, such as your passport, police clearance certificate, notarisation and legalisation, foreign exchange, hukou and social insurance, and the differences from life in China that are worth preparing for.

What we cover

  • Destinations: North America (United States, Canada, Mexico), Europe (United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal), Asia (Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, South Korea), Oceania (Australia, New Zealand), Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zambia, Madagascar) and South and Central America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Panama, Chile, Costa Rica).
  • Country topics: visas, residence, work, starting a business, taxes, banking, insurance, buying property, renting, cost of living, healthcare, education, phone and internet, transport, driving, language, the Chinese community, safety, religion, and local rules on entertainment and gambling.
  • Leaving China: passports, police certificates, apostille and consular legalisation, foreign exchange, dual nationality, hukou and social insurance, tax residency, degree authentication, using WeChat and Alipay abroad, driving licences, taking pets abroad and medical checks. Start with our Leaving China checklist.
  • News: changes to visa and immigration policy, flights, safety alerts and the cost of living, in our news section.

Our editorial team

The site is run by a small editorial team of researchers and editors, most of whom have studied, worked or lived abroad and know the practical problems Chinese readers face when they move. We are not lawyers, tax advisers or licensed immigration consultants, and we do not offer services in those capacities.

Every guide shows its sources and the date it was last checked. How we research, how we use AI tools and how we handle corrections is explained in our Editorial Policy and Sources.

Independence and funding

The site is free to read. It is funded in two ways: advertising, and affiliate partnerships with third-party service providers. When a reader signs up for or buys a service through one of our links, we may earn a commission; this does not change the price the reader pays.

  • No paid placement in our guides. No organisation can pay us to change how we describe a country’s rules, to rank an option higher or to remove unfavourable information.
  • Commercial content is labelled. Advertising and affiliate links are marked as “Ad” or “Partner link”.
  • Types of partners. These may include banks, money transfer services, insurers, telecoms and accommodation providers, and may include licensed gambling operators. Gambling promotions are only aimed at readers who are 18 or older (or the higher legal age where they live) and who are in a place where gambling is legal. They are not aimed at readers in mainland China. See our Disclaimer.
  • Editorial and commercial work are kept apart. Advertisers and partners cannot review or edit our editorial content.

Contact

If you spot a mistake, know that a rule has changed, or have a partnership or press enquiry, write to info@exitchina.org. This is our only public contact address. A WeChat channel is coming and will be announced on the site. See Contact Us for details. Please note that we cannot give legal or immigration advice on individual cases.

Operator: EXIT CHINA LTD, T2110, Kehychivka, Kharkiv Oblast, 64000, Ukraine, info@exitchina.org.