Is Shanghai safe? Travel risk overview
As of October 16, 2026, 3 governments publish travel advice for China, and those using numeric levels all place it at level 2.
Official government travel advisories for China
Four governments assess the same country independently. Levels run 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest).
| Government | Level | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. State Department | Level 2 | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO | — | No active warning detected The FCDO publishes a country page for this destination, but no "advise against travel" warning was found when this page was built. Check the official page before relying on that. |
| Smartraveller | Level 2 | Exercise a high degree of caution |
| Global Affairs Canada | Level 2 | Exercise a high degree of caution |
U.S. State Department
Exercise increased caution in mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the use of exit bans without a fair and transparent process under the law, and the risk of unjust arrest or detention . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Exercise increased caution in mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the use of exit bans without
Smartraveller
Australian Government travel advice for China. Exercise a high degree of caution. Travel advice level YELLOW. Understand the risks, safety, laws and contacts.
Crime and safety indices
Numbeo indices are crowd-sourced perception measures for Shanghai; the UNODC rate is an official national statistic. They measure different things and are shown together for context, not as a combined score.
Health
Current CDC notices: Global Measles.
Health considerations for China:
- Routine vaccines
- COVID-19
- Chikungunya
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Measles
- Monkeypox
- Rabies
- Tick-borne Encephalitis
- Typhoid
- Yellow Fever
Source: CDC Travelers' Health. Vaccination needs depend on your history and itinerary — consult a travel health provider.
Natural hazards
Active GDACS events for China:
- Orange FL — Flood in China
Full assessment for Shanghai
This page shows published advisories and indices. A Secure Traveler assessment adds eight categories of analysis for your specific trip — crime, targeted risks, cyber, IP risk, identity and financial, transportation, embassy and emergency, and medical — plus an emergency card with local numbers, hospitals and embassy contacts. Three full reports are free.
Generate a free assessmentSources
- U.S. State Department — official advisory
- Smartraveller — official advisory
- Global Affairs Canada — official advisory
- Numbeo crime and safety indices for Shanghai
- UNODC Global Study on Homicide (2021)
- CDC Travelers' Health — China
- GDACS — Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
Not available when this page was built: usgs: no M4.5+ earthquakes within 500km of Shanghai in the last 30 days. These are named rather than omitted so the gaps are visible.