Below is information on the application procedures for a residence permit to study or work in Shenzhen.
Application for Residence Permit
Students who enter China with an X1 student visa will need to apply for a residence permit within 30 days after their arrival in China. Students must have all necessary documents ready at least 10 working days before the expiration date to leave enough time for the residence permit application.
China does not accept dual citizenship, therefore, foreigners with Chinese ancestry may be asked to provide household cancellation documents when applying for residence permit.
Required Documents
Complete Foreigner Visa and Permit Application Form (it will be automatically generated after the online reservation is completed). This form must be stamped by the school.
Two-inch half-length, bareheaded and full-faced photo in blue background, affixed to the Application Form
Receipt for Digital Photo Collection in Visa for Foreigners in Guangdong and signature of applicant (1 original and 1 photocopy)
Original and photocopy of passport, with bio-page, visa page and the page with seal of the latest entry
JW201/202 Form (1 original and 1 photocopy)
Admission notice (1 original and 2 photocopies)
Original Police Registration Form of Temporary Residence (obtained at the University Town Police Station, or online – see Step 2 below)
Physical Examination Report (1 original and 1 photocopy), see Step 3 below
2. Procedure for Residence Permit Application
The application for residence permit is straightforward if sufficient documents are available. While SIGS will assist with gathering part of the documents for you from the university’s side, you are responsible for making sure that you have obtained all the necessary documents for application of your residence permit. If you proceed to apply with missing documents, your application will not be accepted at the Nanshan District Public Security Bureau.
The followings are guidelines for application of your residence permit:
Step 1: Register at the school and pay for the tuition fee and insurance.
Step 2: Obtain the Police Registration of Temporary Residence. Foreigners are required by law to complete their temporary residence registration at the local police station within 24 hours after arriving in China. International students shall bring an original copy and photocopy of their passport, a 2-inch photo to the University Town Police Station to complete the registration, or register online. Note that the University Town police Station has jurisdiction over University Town and processes registration forms on Tuesdays and Thursdays 2pm – 5pm. You can also register online by scanning the QR code on the door of your room in the dormitories. If you live off campus, you will need the housing contract and your landlord’s ID card in order to register at the nearest police station.
Step 3: If students have not taken a physical examination (including blood test), they should go to Shenzhen Kouan Hospital of Shenzhen International Travel Healthcare Center, complete the exam and obtain a report. If you have a report from a doctor of your own country, you shall verify it at Shenzhen Kouan Hospital of Shenzhen International Travel Healthcare Center, and re-take the examination if the report is not qualified.
Step 4: Get your passport sized photos taken. We caution you to take these photos in Shenzhen. Photo Studios should be able to give you the Receipt for Digital Photo Collection in Visa for Foreigners in Guangdong which you should sign. Photos unaccompanied by the Receipt for Digital Photo Collection in Visa for Foreigners in Guangdong will not be accepted. The Exit-Entry Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau also provides this service, so you can take the photos on the same day of submission for your residence permit application.
Step 5: Complete the Visa and Permit Application Form at http://www.szga.gov.cn/ and confirm your reservation. After verifying your reservation, bring the application form for stamping along with all the documents and copies to be submitted for residence permit application.
Step 6: Proceed to submit your application for residence permit at the Nanshan District Public Security Bureau, The Exit-Entry Administration Department. The address is：
广东省深圳市南山区南山大道3018号
Note that the adjudication process takes 14 working days. You will not be able to leave China during that period. The receipt given to you after submission of your application and passport will serve as your identification document in China until you collect your passport.
The permit is normally valid for one year. You will need to renew the permit annually, hence, keep all your original and official documents.
3. Fees Associated with Residence Permit Application
These fees may differ from one person to another. This is approximately the costs associated with application for your residence permit.
Residence permit: 800RMB.
Passport sized photos: 60RMB in photo studios, and 30RMB at the Shenzhen Exit-Entry Department.
Physical Examination Report is free for the first time. If you have been in China before, it will cost about 500RMB. If you provide proof that you are a student, you will be eligible for a discount.
Guidelines on Foreigners Applying for Resident Permits to Work in Shenzhen for Over 90 Days
1. Applicability
This document applies to foreigners that need to work in Shenzhen for over 90 days.
2. Applicant
If you are applying for a resident permit in Shenzhen for the first time, you need to do it in person. However, your employer can file an application on your behalf if you: (a) are at least 60 years old, (b) have mobility issues caused by reasons like diseases, or (c) are an urgently needed senior professional. Renewal, replacement, and reissuance can be handled by your employer. For an application not filed by you in person, the processing authority is entitled to interview you if it deems that necessary.
3. Procedure
(1) Fill out the Visa/Stay Permit/Residence Permit Application Form, and attach a recent two-inch, half-length, bareheaded ID photo. Ask your sponsor to stamp this form, and sign your own name. The form can be printed out after you make an appointment.
(2) Submit a valid Receipt of China Visa Photograph for Foreigners in Guangdong Province that bears your signature.
(3) Submit a Proof (Guarantee) Letter for Visa/Permit Application issued by your sponsor. The template for this letter can be downloaded from http://ga.sz.gov.cn/WSBS/BGXZ/CRJ/.
(4) Submit a photocopy of: (a) your passport or another kind of travel document, (b) the travel document bearing the Chinese visa that you are on now, and (c) the most recent entry stamp (mark it with an arrow).
(5) Submit a valid Registration Form of Temporary Residence for Visitors (which is not required if you are applying for a renewal without changing your address or passport number).
(6) If you are aged between 18 and 70, submit a health certificate issued by Shenzhen's exit-entry inspection and quarantine authority. Apply for it at the Huanggang Port Hospital. It is not required in the case of renewal, replacement, and reissuance.
(7) Submit any of the following: (a) Notice on Permitting Foreigners to Work in China, which should be stamped by the Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, (b) Foreigner's Work Permit, which should be applied for with the municipal Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, (c) Permit for Foreigners to Work in the Offshore Oil Industry in the People's Republic of China, or (d) Document issued by a cultural authority to permit a performance.
(8) A photocopy of the Registration Certificate for Organizations Dealing with Foreign Affairs. For details on how to perform this registration, see the Guidelines on Registering Organizations Dealing with Foreign Affairs.
(9) If you are at least 18 years old and applying for a resident permit in Shenzhen for the first time, fill out the Information Collection Form for Foreigners Applying for a Resident Permit in Shenzhen for the First Time. The template for this form can be downloaded from http://ga.sz.gov.cn/WSBS/BGXZ/CRJ/.
(10) If you are applying for a new resident permit because you have lost your passport or it has been stolen, submit the Proof on Reporting the Loss of a Foreign Passport. If you are applying for a new resident permit because your passport is damaged, present it or ask your country's embassy or consulate in China to issue a letter on that.
(11) Submit any other materials deemed necessary by the public security authority.
4. Processing Authority
Shenzhen Public Security Bureau Exit-entry Management Office (4016 Jiefang Rd., Luohu District, Shenzhen)
5. Charging Standard
CNY 400 for a validity period that is shorter than 1 year; CNY 800 for a validity period that is not shorter than 1 year and shorter than 3 years; CNY 1000 for a validity period that is not shorter than 3 years and not longer than 5 years.
6. Processing Time
The processing authority will finish handling an application within 7 workdays starting from the first day following the day when it is accepted. If the processing authority decides to conduct an investigation, the time taken by the investigation will not be counted.
7. Remarks
(1) Before submitting an application, you need to visit ga.sz.gov.cn and make an appointment online (click Police Affairs for People's Convenience on the left, and select Exit-entry Services). Alternatively, you can follow Shenzhen Public Security on WeChat, and select Police Affairs for People's Convenience.
(2) You need to present the original copies of all materials and submit their photocopies. Use A4 paper for these photocopies, and place them in the sequence shown in this document.
(3) If you are on a five-day special economic zone tourist visa, a group visa, or a visa waiver extended unilaterally by China, your application for any visa or resident permit will not be processed, unless force majeure strikes.
(4) If any information registered for your resident permit changes, file a change application with the exit-entry management authority within 10 days.
(5) A proof document issued by overseas organizations needs to be certified by China's embassy or consulate and translated by a qualified translation firm. Its original copy, its translated copy, and a photocopy of the translation firm's business license all need to be submitted.
(6) According to the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, China does not recognize dual nationality. If you were Chinese and are now a foreigner, you need to cancel your Chinese household registration before you can apply for a visa, a stay permit, or a resident permit. If necessary, ask the police station to issue a document that proves you have canceled your household registration.
(7) According to Article 21 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Exit-entry Administration, the processing authority has the right to reject an application for a visa or a permit without specifying any reason.
(8) If a foreigner resides or stays in China illegally or has engaged in any other illegal acts, the public security authority will mete out a punishment.
(9) If you want to know more details or query the result of your application, you can go to the Application Center of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau Exit-entry Management Office or call 84465490.
Shenzhen Public Security Bureau Exit-entry Management Office reserves the right to interpret and update this document.
