I. Application conditions
The aliens abiding by Chinese laws, with good health, having no criminal records, and comply with one of the following conditions may apply for permanent residence in China:
(I) Investors and their spouses and children
1. Having direct investment in China, and with stable investment and good taxpaying records for three consecutive years;
2. The paid-in registered capital for investment in China shall comply with any of the following requirements:
a. The total investment in the encouraged industries under the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries shall not be less than US$500,000;
b. The total investment in the west of China and key counties of poverty alleviation development shall not be less than US$500,000;
c. The total investment in central China shall not be less than US$1,000,000;
d. The total investment in China shall not be less than US$2,000,000;
Notes: The investment excludes individual investments in the transaction of house, stock, documentary securities, etc.
(II) Staff member and their spouses and children
1. Serving as deputy general manager, deputy factory director or above, or holding the title above associate professor, associate research fellow and enjoying the same treatment, and having served for four consecutive years, or having lived in China for more than three years within four years, and having good taxpaying records.
2. The units of staff member shall belong to any of the following conditions:
a. Institutions under departments of State Council or provincial government;
b. Key higher education institutions;
c. Enterprises and public institutions executing key national projects or important research projects;
d. High-tech enterprises, encouraged foreign investment enterprises, foreign-funded technologically advanced enterprises or foreign-funded export-oriented enterprises.
(III) Special people and their spouses and children
People have made significant or outstanding contributions to China, or specially needed by China.
(IV) Reunited couples
Spouses having married Chinese citizens or foreigners with permanent residence status of China for five years, lived in China for five consecutive years, with at least nine months every year, and had stable living guarantee and place.
(V) Children intending to live together with Parents
Unmarried children under the age of 18 turning to parents.
(VI) People turning to their relatives
1. People having no immediate relatives abroad and turning to immediate relatives in Chinese Mainland.
2. People aged 60 having lived in China for five consecutive years, with at least nine months every year, and having stable living guarantee and place.
II. Application documents
1. Submit the fully completed Form for Aliens Applying for Permanent Residence in China, four recently taken two-inch half-length, bareheaded and full-faced colour photos (one attached to the Application Form);
2. Submit valid foreign passport or valid certificate which can replace the passport;
3. Submit a health certificate of physical checkup issued by a health quarantine agency designated by the Chinese government or a foreign medical and health institution recognized by relevant Chinese embassy or consulate in foreign countries within six months before applying;
4. Submit the certificate proving no criminal record issued by the country of the applicant and recognized by relevant Chinese embassy or consulate in the country concerned;
5. Certificates relating to the application (certificates issued by overseas institutions shall be subject to the authentication of Chinese embassies and consulates in foreign countries):
Investors and their spouses and children
1) Submit approval certificates, registration certificates, joint annual examination certificates, capital verification reports and personal tax payment certificates of foreign-funded enterprises. The encouraged foreign investment enterprises shall also submit letters of confirmation on investment projects;
1) The applying spouses shall provide permanent residence cards and marriage certificates. The marriage certificate issued by foreign agencies shall be subject to authentication of Chinese embassies and consulates in the countries concerned;
3) The applying children unmarried and under the age of 18 shall provide permanent residence cards, certificates of birth, parent-child relationship or adoption. The aforesaid certificates issued by foreign agencies shall be subject to authentication of Chinese embassies and consulates in the countries concerned.
Staff members and their spouses and children
1) Certificates of post or job title issued by employing units;
2) Foreign Experts Certificate or Alien Employment Permit;
3) The registration certificate, annual examination certificate and personal tax payment certificate of employing units; people working in foreign-funded enterprise shall also provide approval certificate and joint annual examination certificate of foreign-funded enterprise;
4) People working in encouraged foreign investment enterprises shall submit letters of confirmation on foreign investment projects;
5) People working in enterprises and public institutions engaging in key national projects or important research projects shall submit the project certificates issued by provincial and ministrial competent authorities;
6) People working in high-tech enterprises shall submit certificate of high-tech enterprise;
7) People working in foreign-funded technologically advanced enterprises or foreign-funded export-oriented enterprises shall submit corresponding letters of confirmation;
8) The applying spouses shall submit personal permanent residence certificate and marriage certificate. The marriage certificates issued by foreign agencies shall be subject to the authentication of Chinese embassies and consulates in the countries concerned;
9) The applying children unmarried and under the age of 18 shall provide the personal permanent residence cards, certificates of childbirth or parent-child relationship or adoption. The aforesaid certificates issued by the foreign agencies shall be subject to the authentication of Chinese embassies and consulates in the countries concerned.
Special people and their spouses and children
1) Submit the letter of recommendation and relevant certificates issued by PRC government authorities.
2) The applying spouses shall provide personal permanent residence cards and marriage certificates. The marriage certificates issued by the foreign agencies shall be subject to the authentication of Chinese embassies consulates in the countries concerned;
3) The applying children unmarried and under the age of 18 shall provide personal permanent residence cards, certificates of birth or parent-child relationship or adoption. The aforesaid certificates issued by the foreign agencies shall be subject to the authentication of Chinese embassies and consulates in the countries concerned.
Reunited couples
1) Submit the Chinese spouse’s registered permanent residence certificate or foreign spouse’s permanent residence card;
2) Submit the marriage certificate (the marriage registered abroad shall be subject to authentication of the Chinese embassy and consulate in the country concerned);
3) The notarized certificate of source of subsistence and certificate of house leasing or property right;
Reunited parents and children
1) At least one of the applicant’s parents being the Chinese citizen or a foreigner with permanent residence status in China. Submit his Chinese parents’ registered permanent residence certificates or foreign parents’ permanent residence cards;
2) Submit the certificate of childbirth or parent-child relationship or adoption. The certificate issued by the foreign agency shall be subject to authentication of the Chinese embassy and consulate in the country concerned.
Notes: In the application of such people, their nationalities shall be examined and confirmed according to Nationality Law.
People turning to their relatives
1) Submit registered permanent residence certificate of Chinese citizens they turn to or foreigner’s permanent residence card;
2) Submit a notarized certificate of family relationship and a certificate of the applicant having no immediate relatives abroad;
3) Submit a notarized certificate of the applicant’s financial source or the financial guarantee of the person whom the applicant turns to;
4) Submit a notarized certificate of house leasing or property of the applicant or person the applicant turns to;
Please fill in the application form in black or bluish black ink. A4 paper is required for the submitted copies and the aforesaid application materials shall be bound in sequence.
III. Application procedure
Apply in Certificate Transaction Office of Division of Exit-entry Administration of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau. The power of attorney of the applicant shall be submitted if the application is made by attorney. The power of attorney issued by the applicant abroad shall be subject to authentication of the Chinese embassy and consulate in the country concerned.
IV. Processing time
(I) The decision concerning approval or disapproval shall be made within six months after the first day of handling the application of aliens for permanent residence in China.
(II) The aliens applying for renewal or reissue shall be investigated within 15 days as from the date of handling, the examination authority shall complete examination within five days and report to public security organs for producing certificate.
V. Charging standard
(I) The application fee shall be RMB1,500 each person and each Foreigner's Permanent Residence Card shall be charged for RMB300.
(II) RMB300 shall be collected for each certificate due to the expiration, change, renewal or reissue.
(III) RMB600 shall be collected for reissue of each lost or damaged certificate.
VI. Descriptions
(I) Personal tax payment certificate is the voucher of all taxes having been paid by the applicant within the prescribed period in the application conditions.
(II) Joint annual examination is the annual examination of foreign-funded enterprises jointly executed by relevant departments involved in commerce, industry and commerce, custom and foreign exchange.
(III) The “letters of recommendation and relevant certificates” of special people refer to the letters of recommendation issued by the ministries, commissions or bureaus directly under the State Council, certificates of residence in China and reward certificates issued by state authorities and certificates of research results with worldwide influence or significant value obtained by the applicant.
(IV) “Chinese citizens” of this Guide refer to Chinese citizens with the registered permanent residence in China.
(V) The health certificate and certificate of no criminal record are not required for unmarried children under the age of 18, special people and people with the certificates to be reissued and renewed.
VII. For your information
If you want to learn about more detailed information about certificate transaction or inquire relevant results, you can consult the Certificate Transaction Office of Division of Exit-entry Administration of public security organs in Shenzhen or choose the following ways:
(I) Information service hotline: 96897 and 95000100 (automatic station)
(II) Visit the website of Division of Exit-entry Administration of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau: http://www.sz3e.com
Division of Exit-entry Administration of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau
May 2009
This guide is subject to the interpretation of the Division of Exit-entry Administration of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau.
