ChinaPermanent residence

China's green card in China

The "green card" is permanent resident status in China for foreign nationals who have made direct investments in the country, hold a senior management or academic position, are married to a Chinese citizen or to a holder of that status, or have made special contributions to the country. The status confers the right to live in China without a time limit and extends to the applicant's family members.

Visa term

Permanent residence card valid for 10 years (adults), 5 years (minors), renewable

Processing time

From several months to a year or more

Work

Work without a separate permit

Residence

Residence for a substantial part of the term

Source: nia.gov.cn — permanent residence of foreigners and the Foreign Permanent Resident ID card

Who can obtain permanent residence

The applicant must comply with Chinese law, be in good health, have no criminal record and fall within one of the seven categories.

Investment

Direct and stable investment in China with a continuous three-year record of tax payments
From $500,000 — in sectors on the state-encouraged catalogue of foreign investment, and also in the western provinces or in counties designated by the authorities as poverty-relief priorities
From $1,000,000 — in the central provinces of China
From $2,000,000 — in the remaining regions of the country

Senior management or academic position

A position no lower than deputy general manager or deputy factory director, or a title no lower than associate professor or senior researcher — or an equivalent salary
The employer is an institution under a ministry or a regional government, a major university, an implementer of a significant state project, a high-technology company or an encouraged foreign-invested company
At least four years of continuous work in such a position, of which at least three years spent living in China, with no tax violations

Special contributions

A significant and outstanding contribution to China's economic or social development in which the country has a particular interest

Family

Spouse and unmarried minor children (under 18) of an investor, a foreign employee or a person with special contributions
Spouse of a Chinese citizen or of a foreign national with permanent residence — with at least five years of marriage and five consecutive years of residence in China with at least nine months a year, with a stable income and accommodation
Unmarried child under 18 dependent on the parents
Relative aged 60 or over with no immediate relatives abroad, living with family in China — subject to the same requirements as to length of residence, income and accommodation

What it costs

Application for permanent residence	1 500 CNY
Production of the card	300 CNY
Reissue of a lost or damaged card	+600 CNY
Renewal on expiry	+300 CNY
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Reissue of a lost or damaged card” adds 600 CNY; “Renewal on expiry” adds 300 CNY.	1,800–2 700 CNY

Documents to gather

All applicants must provide:

Valid passport or a document replacing it
Health certificate from an authorised medical institution
Certificate of no criminal record abroad, legalised by a Chinese embassy or consulate
Completed application form for permanent residence in China
Four sets of recent colour photographs without headwear
For investors — a copy of the enterprise registration certificate, a capital verification report, a personal income tax certificate and, for encouraged projects, a letter of confirmation from the competent state authority
For employees — a certificate of position or title from the employer, a foreign expert certificate or work permit, the employer's registration documents and its tax payment certificate
For special contributions — a letter of recommendation and supporting documents from the competent Chinese state authority
For family members — a marriage or birth certificate or another document proving the relationship, plus a copy of the main applicant's permanent resident card

How the process runs

The application is filed with the public security authority at the place of investment or intended long-term residence.

1
Filing the application
The applicant — or a parent or authorised representative for an applicant under 18 — files the form and documents with the public security authority at municipal or county level at the place of investment or residence.
2
Checking the documents
up to three months
The receiving authority investigates the application and forwards the verified materials to the higher-level examining authority.
3
Examination by the inspecting authority
up to two months
The examining authority reviews the application and sends the approved materials to the National Immigration Administration (NIA) for the final decision.
4
Decision and issue of the card
no later than six months from the date the application is accepted
The NIA takes the final decision to approve or refuse. On approval, the permanent resident card is issued to the applicant, their guardian or authorised representative, and the previous visa or residence permit is cancelled.

Who you can bring with you

Categories of family members who may obtain the status together with the main applicant or on their own ground:

Spouse and unmarried children under 18 of an investor, a foreign employee or a person with special contributions

They apply together with the main applicant; a marriage or birth certificate (or adoption document) and a copy of the main applicant's permanent resident card are required

Spouse of a Chinese citizen or of a foreign national with permanent residence

At least five years of marriage, at least five consecutive years of residence in China with at least nine months of stay a year, a stable income and accommodation

Unmarried child under 18

Dependent on the parents; confirmed by a birth certificate or a document proving the relationship

Relative aged 60 or over

No immediate relatives abroad, lives with family in China, at least five consecutive years of residence in China with at least nine months of stay a year, a stable income and accommodation

Renewal and the grace period

The permanent resident card is issued for 10 years to adults and for 5 years to applicants under 18. An application for renewal is filed no later than one month before the card expires; any change of the details on the card must be reported within one month of the change, and a lost or damaged card must be reissued without delay. If the public security authority finds that the holder has not lost the right to permanent residence, the card is renewed or reissued within one month. The status may be cancelled if the resident poses a threat to national security, has been expelled by a court decision, obtained permanent residence on forged documents, or without authorisation spent less than three months in China in a year or less than one year in total over a five-year period.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	China's green card	Z work visa	R visa for foreign talents
Visa term	Permanent residence card valid for 10 years (adults), 5 years (minors), renewable	Z visa 30 days; conversion into a residence permit (~1 year) within 30 days, renewable	Often a multiple-entry visa for up to 5 years, renewable
Grounds	Merit / investment / needed skills	Employment	High-level qualifications
Money	For the investment and employment categories — minimum investment, tax or salary thresholds	No personal threshold; the employer confirms its financial standing	No fixed threshold; usually a high-paying offer or recognised contribution
Work	Work without a separate permit	Work only for the sponsor in the approved position	Work for the designated employer / host
Residence	Residence for a substantial part of the term	Police registration within 24 hours	A residence permit is obtained after entry

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Already permanent residence

Route to citizenship

Does not lead automatically to citizenship; naturalisation is rare

Frequently asked questions about China's green card

Who can obtain permanent residence in China (the "green card")?

The status is granted for direct and stable investment in China with a continuous three-year record of tax payments; for four consecutive years of work in a position no lower than deputy general manager or with a title no lower than associate professor, at least three of which were spent living in China; for a significant contribution to the country's development; and also to the spouses and minor children of such applicants, to spouses of Chinese citizens or holders of permanent residence, and to certain relatives aged over 60.

How much does the green card cost?

The application itself costs CNY 1,500 and production of the card a further CNY 300. Reissue of a lost or damaged card costs CNY 600 and renewal on expiry CNY 300.

How long is the permanent resident card valid and when should it be renewed?

Adult foreign nationals receive a card valid for 10 years, applicants under 18 for 5 years. The renewal application must be filed no later than one month before expiry; if the right to permanent residence is retained, the public security authority renews the card within one month.

How long does it take for an application to be examined?

The public security authority decides whether to approve or refuse no later than six months from the date the application is accepted, and that decision is final.

Can a foreign national lose permanent resident status?

Yes. The NIA cancels the status and seizes or declares the card invalid if the resident poses a threat to national security, has been expelled by a court decision, obtained permanent residence on forged documents or by unlawful means, or without authorisation spent less than three months in China in a year or less than one year in total over a five-year period.

Is permanent residence granted to the main applicant's family members?

Yes. The spouse and unmarried children under 18 may obtain the status together with an investor, a foreign employee or a person with special contributions. Separately, permanent residence may be claimed by the spouse of a Chinese citizen or of a permanent resident after five years of marriage and five consecutive years of residence in China with at least nine months a year, and also by relatives aged 60 or over with no family abroad, subject to the same residence requirements.

Other ways to move to China

Every route in one list — migration programmes: China.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 8 August 2026.