Two-Way Moves: Plan Before You Commit
A step-by-step procedure for planning a move to China when no official figures are available, with every number left to the source you check.
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
- Identify your purpose of travel — Decide whether you are coming to work, study, join family or visit, because the category you apply under follows from that purpose and everything else depends on it.
- Check the official source for your category — Go to the website or counter of the Chinese embassy or consulate that covers where you live and read the requirements for your category there, not on a third-party site.
- Confirm the document list in writing — Ask the office which documents they require for your category and keep the reply, so you are not relying on a list you found elsewhere.
- Gather and check each document — Collect every item on the confirmed list and check names, dates and spellings against your passport before you submit anything.
- Submit the application and keep the receipt — File the application through the channel the office specifies and keep the receipt, because it is the record you will need if anything is disputed later.
- Read the permit before it expires — When the permit is issued, read the conditions and the expiry date printed on it and note what you must do before that date, rather than assuming a period.
- Register your residence after arrival — Follow the registration procedure your local public security office requires and ask them directly for the timing that applies to you.
- Plan your exit or renewal before the permit runs out — Decide whether you will renew or leave well before the printed expiry date, and confirm the current procedure with the issuing office rather than estimating it.
This guide covers the procedure for planning a move to China when the official figures for your route are not yet in hand. It does not price anything, because no figure in this topic could be verified against a source. Treat every step as a way to find the real number from the authority that issues it, not as a number itself.
What this procedure covers
The world comes to China and opportunities flow both ways, but the paperwork runs in one direction at a time: you apply, you wait, you comply. This procedure lists the actions in the order you perform them, from choosing a route to keeping your status valid after arrival. No figure in this topic could be verified against a source, so this guide contains no amounts, no counts and no deadlines. Where a step would normally carry a number, the step tells you which office or document holds that number and tells you to read it there.
Why there are no figures here
Fees, processing times and validity periods change and differ by city, by category and by nationality. A number copied from an old guide or a forum post can cost you money or time, so this guide does not repeat any. Your only reliable figure is the one printed on the official notice, the application form or the receipt you are given. Ask for it in writing and keep it.
How to use the steps
Work through the steps in order. Do not pay anyone or book travel until the step that confirms your category is complete. If an office gives you a figure that differs from what you were told earlier, treat the written figure from the issuing office as the one that applies and ask them to confirm it in writing.
Confirm before you act
Fees and processing times change. This page was checked on 2026-11-10; confirm the current rule with the authority named in each source above before you rely on a deadline.
Last checked 2026-11-10, next review 2027-05-09. 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.