China Permanent Residence: Steps and Costs

No published figure yet. The authority does not publish this cost in a form we could verify and quote, so this guide covers the procedure only: what to bring, in what order, and where it goes wrong. We will add the figures the moment there is a source for them.

In order

1. Identify your eligible category — Read the category conditions published by the exit-entry administration in your city and confirm in writing which one you meet.
2. Request your criminal record certificate — Apply to the authority in your country of nationality or long-term residence, allowing for authentication or legalisation before it can be used in China.
3. Complete the health check — Attend a clinic designated for foreigner health certificates in China and keep the original certificate.
4. Have foreign documents authenticated and translated — Use a translation agency the local office accepts, and keep the originals alongside the translations.
5. Assemble originals and copies — Organise the file in the order the office lists, with originals for inspection and copies for retention.
6. Submit in person and pay the fee — Lodge the file at the exit-entry administration with jurisdiction over your residence and keep the payment receipt.
7. Renew your current permit if it will expire — Do this before the permit expires so your stay remains lawful while the application is pending.
8. Collect the card and check it — Present your passport at collection and verify every detail on the card before leaving the counter.

A permanent residence application is filed by you, through the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau where you live. The work is mostly in proving eligibility and assembling documents before you submit anything. No figure in this guide is quoted, because none could be verified against a source; treat every amount and deadline as something you confirm locally.

Confirm you are in an eligible category before spending anything

Permanent residence is not a points scheme you enter and see how you do. You apply under a defined category, and each category has its own conditions. The common ones are close family ties to a Chinese citizen or to a foreign permanent resident, long-term stable work and residence in China, and significant investment. There are also categories for people with particular skills or achievements. Read the category conditions as they are published by the exit-entry administration in the city where you live, not as you remember them from elsewhere. City-level offices apply the national framework, and the documents they ask for can differ in detail. If you do not clearly meet one category, stop here. Filing in the hope that the office will find a fit costs you the application fee and the cost of notarising and translating documents you did not need.

Build the evidence file for your category

Every category asks you to prove the facts that make you eligible, and the proof is documentary. Expect to need your passport and current residence permit, a clean criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or long-term residence, and a health certificate from a designated clinic in China. Family-tie applications need the relationship proved: marriage certificate, birth certificate, or the Chinese relative’s identity and residence documents. Work-based applications need the employer’s supporting documents and your own record of residence and tax in China. Investment-based applications need the corporate and capital documents behind the investment. Documents issued abroad generally need to be authenticated or legalised and then translated into Chinese by a translation agency the office accepts. This is where most of the preparation cost sits, and it is paid to notaries, translation agencies and courier services rather than to the government.

Submit at the right office and pay the application fee

Lodge the application in person at the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau with jurisdiction over your place of residence. Bring originals and copies; the officer will check originals against the copies and may keep some of them. You pay the application fee at the point of submission, through the channel the office uses. Ask for the receipt and keep it; you will need it if you follow up on the file. The office will tell you whether your file is accepted for processing. If documents are missing, you will be asked to supply them, and the clock on your application does not usefully start until the file is complete.

Track the file and keep your current status valid

While the application is pending, your existing visa or residence permit still governs your stay. Renew it before it expires if the processing runs past its end date. Do not let your current status lapse on the assumption that a pending permanent residence application protects you. Keep the contact details you gave the office current, and respond to any request for further documents promptly. If your address, employer or family circumstances change while the file is open, tell the office in writing.

Collect the decision and the card

If the application is approved, you are issued a permanent residence card. You collect it in person and may be asked to present your passport. Check the personal details on the card before you leave the counter, and report any error immediately. If it is refused, ask for the refusal in writing and for the reason. That document is what you would use to decide whether to reapply or to challenge the decision, and it is worth having before you spend anything further.

Confirm before you act

Fees and processing times change. This page was checked on 2026-10-29; confirm the current rule with the authority named in each source above before you rely on a deadline.

Last checked 2026-10-29, next review 2027-04-27. Every figure above names its source and the date it was read. This page is a guide, not legal, tax or immigration advice — confirm with the authority before acting on a deadline.

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