Parents' guide: sending your child to study in China in 2026

Letting your child fly to China alone is the most emotional moment of the whole admission journey. This article is for parents — what we tell our parents on WhatsApp two months before departure.

Safety: how dangerous is it really

Short answer: China is safer than Moscow and far safer than any major European capital. Street crime is among the lowest in the world thanks to ubiquitous surveillance and SMS-based registration.

• Walking the campus alone at night — completely normal.
• Crimes against foreigners — statistically near-zero.
• The actual risks: e-scooter accidents, petty scams in tourist hotspots.

Insurance: what's mandatory

• Chinese provider medical insurance (Ping An / China Life) — issued by the university, ~600–1,000 ¥/year.
• Additional Russian insurance with $50,000 coverage and evacuation — 8,000–15,000 ₽/year.
• COVID/flu coverage — usually rolled into the main plan.

Money controls

The transfer methods that actually work:

• UnionPay card via Gazprombank / Rosselkhozbank — withdraw at any Chinese ATM, 1–2% fee.
• WeChat Pay from parent to child — instant, 50,000 ¥/mo limit.
• Direct SWIFT vi…