How Expats Can Apply for A Permanent Residence in China (Individual & with Family)

China’s Ministry of Justice has released an important update draft affecting permanent residents from overseas living in China earlier this week.

In order to make this new legislation more transparent and inclusive, the draft is soliciting comments and opinions from the public before March 27, 2020.

Qualification FOR Individual

Foreign citizens who want to apply for a permanent residence permit in China need to meet any of the following conditions:

Ø  PhD degree/graduated from a top international university + living in China for at least 1 year + working in China for at least 3 years

Ø  Working in a state-owned industry/region for three consecutive years + actual residence for at least 1 year + annual salary, not less than 4 times the local average salary

Ø  Working continuously in China for 4 years + actual residence for at least 2 years + annual salary, not less than 6 times the local average salary

Ø  Working continuously in China for 8 years + actual residence for at least 4 years + annual salary, not less than 3 times the local average salary

Qualification FOR expats with Family Ties

For foreigners with family relations to apply for a permanent residence permit in China, one of the following conditions must be met:

Ø  The spouse is a Chinese citizen residing in China / a foreign permanent resident residing in China for 5 years after marriage + living in China for no less than 9 months each year

Ø  Children under the age of 18 + parents are Chinese citizens residing in China, or immigrating with foreign parents permanently residing in China

Ø  60 years old + no direct relatives abroad + living/tend to live with relatives who have China nationality living in China, or direct relatives of foreign nationality living permanently in China for 5 consecutive years + no less than 9 months per year (maintain stability)

There are also some important rules you should know:

Ø  Foreign citizens must arbitrarily choose a year staying in China for no less than 3 months so as to continue to enjoy the benefits of permanent residence.

Ø  Foreigners who have been approved for permanent residence can obtain a Chinese permanent residence ID card.

Ø  Foreigners with permanent residency can purchase commercial houses for self-use in China.

For more information click here.