Long Holiday (Shanghai)

[Ajjw1987]

I'm thinking of going to Shanghai for around 2 months maximum for holiday after my college course here in the UK. Summer 2008 (June to August).

I'm 19, would I have to apply for any type of visa type documentation?

How easy is it to rent an apartment, near the city (main parts of Shanghai)? How much would it cost, I'm not rich.

How easy is it to get a part-time job? In English?

The purpose of my trip is simply to have a break away from home.

Anything else I should know?

I can only speak English.

[Senzhi]

You need to apply for an L-visa (= tourist visa), which is valid for 90 days upon entry.

However, with an L-visa, you're not allowed to take on any employment.

That's the official version, of course.

[onebir]

How easy is it to rent an apartment

For 2 months, you'd generally be limited to very expensive serviced apartments (unless Shanghai is very different from Beijing, standard rental contracts are for 6m minimum). But you could probably get a flatshare, or maybe a short sublet - have a look at the classifieds here for an idea of prices...

[shanghaikai]

It will be difficult to find jobs knowing only English unless you have a very helpful circle of friends here. Don't expect to find meaningful work that only requires English. Don't expect to find meaningful English tutoring jobs either.

As the above poster mentioned, two month rental contracts will be very tough so try to find someone you can room/share with. Look into hostels or homestay options if you need to. Otherwise, you can always go for something like Motel 168 (168 RMB/night) and negotiate a lower package price for a long-term stay.