Residence permit: the steps that cost you

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. Confirm your permit category — Match the purpose of your stay to the category your host or employer is sponsoring before you gather anything else.
2. Register your local address — Go to the public security station for your neighbourhood with your passport and lease or host letter.
3. Ask whether a medical check is required — Your local exit-entry office or employer's handler can tell you if your category needs one before the application.
4. Assemble originals and copies — Bring your passport, supporting letters, photographs and copies of each, with names and numbers matching exactly.
5. Attend the exit-entry administration — Submit the application in person, give fingerprints and photographs, and pay the fee at the counter.
6. Keep the receipt — The receipt proves your application is in process; carry it until the permit is issued.
7. Check the permit on collection — Verify the category, dates and passport details at the window and report errors before leaving.
8. Set a renewal reminder — Note the expiry date and begin the renewal application well before it, since renewal repeats the same steps.

A residence permit is what lets you stay in China beyond the entry stamped in your passport. The order of steps matters more than the paperwork itself, because one wrong move can mean leaving the country to start again. This is the procedure only; confirm current requirements with your local exit-entry office or your employer’s immigration handler before you act.

Before you apply

Your permit is tied to the purpose you entered for, so the first task is confirming which category applies to you and that your supporting documents match it. Your employer, school or host usually holds the paperwork that proves the purpose, and you should have it in hand before you queue anywhere. Check that your passport has room and that your name, date of birth and passport number are identical across every document. Mismatches between a passport and a supporting letter are a common reason an application is refused at the counter.

The order of steps

Most applicants first register their address with the local public security station, then attend the exit-entry administration for the permit itself. Some cities require a medical check before the permit application, and some require it only for certain categories. Ask your local office which applies to you rather than assuming. Do not let your entry visa or current permit lapse while you are assembling documents. If it is close to expiring, deal with the extension or conversion first, because an overstay is handled separately and can affect the permit decision.

At the counter

Bring originals and copies of everything, your passport, and the photographs the office specifies. Expect to give fingerprints and to be photographed on site. Keep every receipt you are handed: the receipt is your proof of application while the permit is being processed, and you may need it to travel or to show an employer. If an officer asks for a document you do not have, ask for the requirement in writing or note the officer’s name and the window. Returning with the right paper is faster than arguing.

After you collect it

Check the permit before you leave the building: the category, the dates and your passport details. Report any error at the counter immediately, because corrections after you leave are slower. Note the expiry date and set your own reminder well before it. Renewal is a fresh application, not an automatic extension, and the same document trail applies.

Confirm before you act

Fees and processing times change. This page was checked on 2026-11-08; confirm the current rule with the authority named in each source above before you rely on a deadline.

Last checked 2026-11-08, next review 2027-05-07. 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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