Shanghai / China International Import Expo
Already applied as an overseas professional visitor? Check your review, payment and badge steps, then choose a base and plan your journey.
Independent guidance, linked to official information.
Before you plan / admission
Admission status checked 26 October 2026 against the organiser’s overseas professional visitor FAQ.
Industry professionals from organisations outside the Chinese mainland—including businesses, government bodies, public institutions and social organisations—in sectors covered by the CIIE exhibition areas.
Check your professional role and affiliation against this definition. A foreign passport alone does not establish eligibility.
Regular on-site registration is not available. A submitted application or payment does not confirm admission until the organiser issues your badge.
Both deadlines used Beijing time (UTC+8). Registration and payment are now closed; submitted applicants should use the official sign-in route to check the current status.
Expo: 5–10 November 2026.
Overseas professional visitor dates: 6–10 November, subject to the validity of your issued badge.
01Official services
Shanghai’s 16 October announcement introduces services for this year’s expo. Use the current instructions for your own date, location and badge.
Venue services from Pudong Airport and the Hongqiao hub, plus custom buses serving selected hotels, have been announced.
Check your pickup point, service date, booking, fare and eligibility before relying on a bus.
See transport optionsShanghai has announced upgraded hotel-to-venue and in-venue planning. The app’s current App Store listing includes English.
Check the requirements for the feature you need. Foreign-number sign-in and the full English workflow have not been verified here.
Find the official toolThe announcement describes a leaflet supplied with CIIE credentials, linking to the CIIE section in 爱购上海 (Aigou Shanghai).
Each offer has its own participating merchant, dates, eligibility and redemption rules.
What to check firstRead the 16 October official announcement 中文 (opens a new tab)
02Choose your base
Start with the first place you need to be and the last place you’ll leave. Two common schedules point to different starting areas.
Schedule A / several expo days
Compare the NECC area and Hongqiao first. A shorter morning journey may matter more than being near an evening attraction.
Schedule B / one expo day
Compare a central Shanghai base with the full expo commute. Choose around your meeting locations, rather than a general “best area”.
The official hotel list includes addresses and property details. Confirm your dates, room availability, price and cancellation terms with the hotel. Straight-line distance is not a walking or commuting time.
03Getting to NECC
Match any expo service to your terminal or hotel and arrival time. A bus announcement alone does not establish the stop, fare or your eligibility.
A usable 2026 timetable, pickup map and complete passenger rules for general attendees have not yet been verified for this guide. Check the latest official notice or ask your hotel, and make sure the details apply to the 2026 event.
CIIE official website (opens a new tab)Line 2
Follow airport signs for Metro Line 2, then check the train direction and destination.
Official route information (opens a new tab)Line 2
Choose Metro Line 2 for this option. Confirm the venue entrance before leaving the station.
Official route information (opens a new tab)Line 10 → Line 17
A temporary T1 corridor opened on 8 October. Follow current signs towards Metro entrance 1; recheck before travel.
Metro route · 2025 official network guide (opens a new tab)T1 walkway update · October 2026 (opens a new tab)Check operating hours, direction, accessibility needs and luggage space for your arrival. These routes do not specify your badge collection point or the permitted expo entrance. Follow the current event instructions for the final walk.
National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)
04The official planning tool
The official announcement describes upgraded planning from your hotel to the venue and within the halls. Keep the Chinese name handy when looking for the tool.
iOS app / official store listing
The App Store lists English and a version updated on 1 October 2026. Store language information does not establish that every planning step is available in English.
The linked developer policy describes registration using your name, identity-document details and phone number, and location permissions for navigation. Read the developer policy 中文 (opens a new tab)
Foreign-number and passport acceptance, badge binding, the full English workflow and anonymous 2026 route planning have not been tested here.
View Jinboshi on the App Store (opens a new tab)05Badge-linked Shanghai offers
Shanghai’s announcement describes a QR code on the leaflet leading to the CIIE offers section in 爱购上海 (Aigou Shanghai).
If one comes with your credentials, use its QR code. This guide does not provide a substitute QR code or coupon link.
Check the current merchant, valid dates, eligible badge or customer types, minimum spend and claim or redemption method.
An offer only helps if it fits your day. Confirm the terms before buying, and leave time for your return journey.
The live 2026 offers section and its full terms have not yet been verified for this guide. The announcement does not establish that every badge or every purchase qualifies. Read the official announcement 中文 (opens a new tab)
A little preparation helps
Save your hotel’s name, Chinese address, phone number and booking confirmation. Keep a copy you can read without mobile data.
Shanghai has also announced airport service centres for communications and currency exchange, and foreign-visitor services at fixed venue restaurants. Confirm hours, card acceptance and individual services on arrival.
06After the expo
If your day leaves enough room, keep it simple: dinner around East Nanjing Road, then one stop at the Bund. Count the trip back before setting out.
Check the journey to East Nanjing Road and back to your hotel.
Choose dinner around your arrival time, energy and dietary needs.
Add the waterfront only if the weather, energy and return time work.
If you finish late, it rains, or tomorrow starts early, choose dinner near your hotel. No extra cross-city stop required.
07Make time for the city
Choose one plan around your free time and hotel location. These are self-guided suggestions; no tour purchase is needed to use this guide.
Allow 3–4 hours for the evening option or 5–6 hours for the half-day option, including travel. These are editorial planning allowances, not measured journey times. Check the route to your own hotel before setting out.
An evening / historic lanes and dinner
Walk among Shanghai’s shikumen buildings, then eat in the same neighbourhood. Keep this as one evening plan; the Bund can wait for another day.
张园 · 茂名北路200–290弄
A half-day off / canals and an old town
Choose a free morning or afternoon, rather than a late expo finish. Walk by the canals, see Fangsheng Bridge and North Street, and add one garden only if time permits.
朱家角古镇 · 放生桥 · 北大街
Check the day’s metro service and venue exit signs, save your hotel’s Chinese address, and shorten the walk in rain or if you are tired. Station walks, queues and temporary controls can add time. No fixed November timetable or boat availability is promised.
Local-visit information checked 19 October 2026. Published ordinary access and opening guidance is linked above; recheck for your visit date. These routes have not been personally timed or tested.
When you would like a guide
A private water-town visit and a late-night food walk serve different plans. Keep the independent routes as an option, and check the full journey from your hotel before choosing.
Listing details checked 26 October 2026. Prices vary by date, party size and currency; these are not reserved places. Recheck your date, language, option, current total and cancellation deadline on Viator.
A free half-day in your schedule
For a day without expo commitments, when you want a guide, a meal and transport arranged together.
Price variesCheck the current total on Viator
Your date and party size apply
For visitors happy to finish late
A food walk for a night when you can stay out. Avoid it before an early expo start.
Price variesCheck the current total on Viator
Your date and party size apply
Sources & latest check
Admission status and deadlines checked 26 October 2026 against the organiser’s FAQ. The Explore Shanghai section retains its 19 October check; other guide sections retain their 16 October check. Event services can change; the app, buses and offer redemption have not been personally tested.
Hotel-location choices and the optional evening plan are editorial suggestions. Consult the organiser for your admission and current event instructions.
