Relocating to Shanghai what should be included in my package

All depends on the position and seniority. Are you an English teacher or the CEO of a FTSE 100 company? Personally, I was offered: Base salary. Monthly expat allowance on top. Business class air fare to Shanghai. Costs of shipping my stuff to Shanghai. All visa costs including flights to HK for the monthly "runs" I used to do. One month initial free housing in a Western hotel suite.(subsequently extended to 3 months because I didnt have time to find anywhere). Tax filing / accountancy firm costs. Repatriation allowance and business class air fare if and when you leave. Others in my firm get: Kids' schooling Tax equalisiation (so you are not left any worse off by coming here). But as mentioned, depends on who you are.

All that shangstar mentioned except we have 2 trips home/year business class for all in the family. We also have a clause put in to allow us to use the tickets to anywhere in the world as long as it does not exceed cost back home OR use the tickets to fly relatives to visit us in China. Plus: Company takes care of our property back home ie cut grass, shovel snow, check the property periodically etc. Should we choose to sell, they will pay real estate commission. Provide storage of vehicles back home. Provide storage of household goods back home - nothing left in the house for insurance purposes. Provide accomodation/car during visits back home. Provide company vehicle in Shanghai including gas/maintainance. Provide shipment of goods home during repatriation plus 2 weeks relocation time-off. One time tax free relocation allowance for both to/from China. Provide mail-forwarding service for our mails to be couriered to China. International health insurance which includes emergency evacuation to 1st safe country. Provide housing equivalent to sq footage/rooms as in home country. Provide business class tickets both ways in case of death of family member/s in home country. In regards to COLA "Cost of Living Allowance", our company did use a 3rd party to calculate that but I don't remember who. COLA should be net to you ie you don't pay tax on it. They also used this to calculate housing allowance.

I wonder when companies are going to realize ether A) there are enough qualified expats already in Shanghai and the don't need to offer anyone in the west a relocation package to fill their open positions, or B) that the economy is so poor in Western countries and Japan that expats will come without the package just to have a job? 8) Personally I don't like companies offering any kind of package because it raises the cost of living for the majority of us who do not have packages! Having said that, I think what's included in the average package has already been posted. My advice is to take what ever you can get (eg. things no sane employer would offer you back home) because sooner or later companies have to realize there wasting there money providing any package at all.

^ i know what you mean. For me, young free and single, I'd be just as happy without the package (though I aint gonna say no to it!). If I was much older and had worked at the company for a long time and had family, perhaps in a senior position, then a package would be expected. However, more and more companies, mine included, are moving towards all inclusive salaries, as it's just a lot easier for all. They'll just quantify the value of the package and stick it on to your salary. Most of my colleagues got up to 10,000 USD shipping costs and they used every dime. I only had 3 suitcases, which I simply carried with me on business class, thus kind of "lost out" on that 10K. When I arrived they put me up in the JW Marriott for 3 months. I'd rather have lived in Motel 168 and kept the cash.