Living in a Chinese-speaking country, whether mainland China, Taiwan, or Singapore, requires Mandarin for daily administrative and social life that goes far beyond what the international compound or English-speaking office provides. Lucy OS1 gives you daily AI speaking practice in Mandarin for the administrative, housing, and daily life situations that define expat life in Chinese-speaking countries.
In mainland China, foreign nationals receive a Residence Permit (juliuzheng, 居留许可) for stays beyond 180 days, applied for at the local Exit-Entry Administration Bureau (gong'an ju chuzhi banli). The permit requires an employment contract or other visa sponsorship document. A Work Permit (waiguo ren gongzuo xuke zheng, 外国人工作许可证) is issued by the Ministry of Human Resources for employed foreigners. In Taiwan, foreigners receive an ARC (Alien Resident Certificate, juzhu zheng, 居住证) from the National Immigration Agency (NIA). The ARC is required for opening a bank account, NHI health insurance registration, and most services. In Singapore, Employment Pass (EP) holders receive their ICA pass and SingPass digital ID, which provides access to all Singapore government digital services. Registration at the police station within 24 hours of arrival was historically required in some Chinese cities; check current regulations at arrival.
In mainland China, housing for expats is typically found through 58.com (wuba), Anjuke (anjuke.com), or through company-arranged expat compounds. Rental contracts (zufang hetong, 租房合同) must be registered with the local housing authority (fangguanju). Monthly rent (fang zu, 房租) is paid in advance, with a deposit (ya jin, 押金) of typically one to three months. In Taiwan, housing is found on 591.com.tw (Taiwan's main rental platform). The rental contract (zufang qiyue) is bilingual in some cases. Utilities are registered separately. In Singapore, HDB flats, condominiums, and landed property are the main options. Expat housing in Singapore is typically through real estate agents with standard Tenancy Agreements in English.
Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI, quanmin jiankang baoxian, 全民健康保险) is one of the world's most efficient healthcare systems. ARC holders are enrolled in NHI after residing in Taiwan for six months or when employed. The NHI card (jiankang bao xian ka) is presented at all medical interactions for the standard co-payment system. In mainland China, foreigners may access public hospitals (gongli yiyuan) or international hospitals (guoji yiyuan) with private insurance coverage. International hospitals in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou provide care in English and accept international insurance. In Singapore, restructured public hospitals and private clinics operate with high quality care, the latter accessible through standard corporate insurance plans.
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