Temporary residence permit: the steps
The order of steps for a temporary residence permit application in China, written for someone who has just arrived.
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
- Confirm your local requirements — Ask the public security bureau office covering your address what documents they require for your situation.
- Collect your documents — Gather your passport, entry documents and proof of your residential address.
- Ask your host about filing — Find out whether your employer, school or host files part of the application on your behalf.
- Go to the correct office — Visit the public security bureau office that covers your address, not your workplace.
- Submit and keep the receipt — Hand in the form and documents, and keep the receipt for collection and for showing your status.
- Ask about your passport — Confirm when you can collect your passport and whether you can travel while the application is processed.
- Check the permit on collection — Read every detail on the permit before leaving the counter and report errors immediately.
- Set a renewal reminder — Note the expiry date and plan a new application before it, since renewal is not automatic.
A temporary residence permit is what you register for after you arrive, and the order of steps matters more than speed. This guide lists the procedure only. It contains no figures because none could be verified, and it is not legal, tax or immigration advice.
Before you start
Check what your entry visa or permit already allows and what your local public security bureau office expects from someone in your situation. Requirements differ by city and by the reason you are in China. Gather your passport, your entry documents and the address details of where you are staying. Your landlord or host may need to provide a registration form for the address. Ask your employer, school or host whether they handle part of the application for you. Many do, and going alone when they expected to file can slow things down.
At the office
Go to the public security bureau office that covers your address, not the one nearest your workplace. Take the originals of everything you gathered, plus copies if the office asks for them. Submit the application form and your documents at the counter. Keep the receipt they give you; you will need it to collect the permit or to show your status if asked before the permit is issued. If the officer asks for something you do not have, ask them to write down exactly what is missing. Returning with the right document is faster than guessing.
After you submit
Your passport may be held while the application is processed. Ask when you can collect it and whether you can travel in the meantime; plan around the answer. Collect the permit in person when the office tells you it is ready, and check the details on it before you leave the counter. Report any error immediately rather than later. Note the expiry date and set your own reminder before it, because renewal is a new application and not an automatic extension.
If your situation changes
If you move address, change employer or change school, ask the office whether your permit needs to be updated. Do this before the change takes effect where possible. If you plan to leave China and return, check that your permit and visa still allow re-entry before you book travel.
Confirm before you act
Fees and processing times change. This page was checked on 2026-11-09; confirm the current rule with the authority named in each source above before you rely on a deadline.
Last checked 2026-11-09, next review 2027-05-08. 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.