Residence Permit from start to finish

[doumeizhen]

This form was prepared by the IUP for their students. I thought it was nice and thorough, so I asked if I could post it here, and they didn't say no. (sh) Hope its helpful!

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1. REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE

临时住宿登记表 (L>insh>i zh]us]u d

To live in China, EVERY foreigner (unless living in a university dorm) must begin the procedures to obtain this document WITHIN 24 HOURS after moving into an apartment.

2. FOREIGNER RESIDENCE PERMIT

外国人居留证 (Wa]igu>o r>en jiu zh]eng)

Every foreigner who lives in China more than six (6) months must initiate the procedures to obtain this Permit WITHIN 30 DAYS after arrival in China. The permit is pasted into your passport. It is processed at the Public Security Bureau Border Control Office downtown near Andingmen. This should be considered national police registration, which allows you to move around in China. Be careful of the expiration date.

If you stay in China without a Foreigner Residence Permit, you are liable to a fine of RMB 500 Yuan A DAY up to USD 5,000!

To obtain these two permits, complete the following steps, in order.

HIGH PRIORITY

STEPS TO OBTAIN RESIDENCE PERMITS:

A. Turn in the following materials to Room 502 the first day you come to IUP:

1. Ask the office staff make a copy of your passport ID page.

2. TSINGHUA University Foreign Student Registration form

3. 8 passport-sized photos (you can get these made on campus)

B. 4 Steps to obtain the FOREIGNER RESIDENCE PERMIT:

Step 1. Obtain TEMPORARY RESIDENCE FORM

“REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE”

临时住宿登记表 (L>insh>i zh]us]u d

All foreign residents (regardless of type of visa) who live off campus or on campus home stay and not in a hotel, must register with the local police precinct and receive a “REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE” within 24 hours of moving into an apartment. (Most people do not meet this deadline, so don’t worry too much about it.

The landlord and tenant are required to do the registration together.

You need to identify which one you are living in so that you can register at the appropriate police station.

东升派出所 – 成府路和王庄路 (Dong1sheng1 pai4chu1suo3 – Dongsheng Police Station)

每日上午8:30-11:30 a.m. and 下午 2:00-5:00 p.m. 7 days a week Tel. 6231-7177.

Dongsheng Precinct Station is at the corner of Chengfu Lu and Wangzhang Lu. It is responsible for the area defined by Jingchang Highway on the east; East Gate of Tsinghua on the west; north side of 4th Ring Road on the south; and Bajia Area on the north.

中关村派出所- 中关村北二路 和 四环北路的南面 (Zhong1guan1cun1 Pai4chu1suo3)

每日上午8:30-11:30 a.m. and 下午 2:00-5:00 p.m. 7 days a week Tel. 6256-6587

Zhongguancun Precinct Station is at the corner of Zhongguancun North 2nd Road and just south of the Fourth Ring Road. It is responsible for the area defined by Qinghua Nan Lu on the east; Zhongguancun Lu on the west; Zhichun Lu on the south; and Tsinghua University on the north.

IUP has prepared a set of explanations in Chinese about these local police registration procedures landlords. These are included in this booklet.

To register you with the police, the landlord must have and show two forms: “PERMISSION TO RENT” and “RESIDENCE RENTAL SAFETY CERTIFICATE.” To obtain these, the landlord must pay 7.3% of rental income as a tax at the local tax office (see Chinese explanation). The initial tax payment should be for at least a quarter (three months) worth of tax. After the tax is paid, the landlord can immediately obtain the certificates. (NOTE: The landlord does not have to fill-in the actual amount of rent paid, just something “reasonable.” For an apartment in Huaqing Jiayuan, a “reasonable” rental rate would be 2500-3000 yuan, with a monthly tax of 180-216 yuan.)

Some landlords will demand that the foreign tenant pay this tax for them, but you should refuse to pay it. The landlord should take the two forms, and their personal identification card, plus the foreign resident’s passport, and the rental contract to the police precinct. There is no fee charged for registration.

YOU WILL NEED THIS DOCUMENT TO APPLY FOR YOUR “Foreigner Residence Permit 外国人居留证.”

Step 2. Obtain a verified Physical Exam Report

NOTE: All students need to obtain a verified physical exam report from the Beijing Sanitary & Quarantine Office (see below) in order to get a Foreigner Residence Permit. You should go in the early morning, in case you need to re-take some or all of the exam, and you should not eat that morning.

If you have brought your physical exam report from your home country, you still need to visit the Beijing Sanitary & Quarantine Office to get it verified.

REMEMBER: DO NOT HAVE BREAKFAST THAT MORNING!!

AND TAKE RMB 700 YUAN IN CASH!!

Document checklist for obtaining a physical exam report:

1. Passport

2. Two passport-sized photos

3. RMB 644.5, plus RMB 10 you can get it on the exam day (recommended)

4. The physical exam report you brought from your home country (if you do not have this item, just tell the doctor you need to take a new physical exam)

Beijing Sanitary & Quarantine Office 北京国际旅行卫生保健中心

Hospital Address:

No. 20 North Street He2ping2 Li3 An1ding4 Men2 Wai4 Beijing, which is located on the east of Jiang3 Zhai2 Kou3 and nearby He2ping2Li3 Hospital

安定门外和平里北街20号 （蒋宅口东150米）

The physical exam center is located near Yong1he2gong1 di4tie3 zhan4 Subway Station雍和宫地铁站,， It is about RMB 10 Yuan by taxi from the station to the Beijing Sanitary & Quarantine Office.

Phone Number:

010-6427-4239

Working Hours:

8:00 am-----10:30 pm Monday-Friday

PICKING UP YOUR EXAM: Your exam will be ready for pick-up in three days. No same day processing. You can have results delivered for 20 kuai.

Step 3 Pick Up “Resident Permit Application Form”

from Foreign Student Office

Only after you have both the physical exam report you get from Beijing Sanitary & Quarantine Office and local residence police registration form you completed with your landlord, can you then obtain the Resident Permit Application Form from the Chief of the Foreign Student Office.

Before you go there, please check to sure you bring the following materials:

➢ verified physical exam report obtained from a specified Chinese hospital (this includes the Beijing Sanitary & Quarantine Office.)

➢ REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE obtained from police station (paichusuo).

➢ JW202 Form and Letter of Acceptance issued by Tsinghua University

➢ Original passport

➢ 2 photos

The office staff will help you complete the application form, which must be stamped with the official University seal/stamp. .

Last step: Obtain Residence Permit for Foreigner外国人居留证

WARNING: You must register and obtain your Residence Permit for Foreigner within 30 days after ARRIVING IN CHINA, or be fined RMB 500 yuan PER DAY if you exceed the 30-day limit. If you overstay the expiration date of your Foreigner Residence Permit you will also pay a RMB 500 yuan PER DAY fine.

All foreign students who hold the X Category visa, or who plan to study at IUP for over 6 months, must apply for a Residence Permit for Foreigner 外国人居留证. This is a legal requirement of the Chinese government. This is how you get one:

北京市公安局出入境管理处

Foreigners’ Entry and Exit Control Division

Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau

Tel: 8402-0101

Address: No.2, Andingmen Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing 10007

北京东城区安定门东大街2号 （10007）

Please see attached map of Foreigners’ Entry and Exit Control Division

You can take the Light Rail from Wudaokou to the Subway at Xizhimen, and then take the Subway to the Yonghegong 雍和宫 station. It should be about a 200 meter walk to the east.

Hours: Mon-Sat, 8:30 a.m. --4:30 p.m

These are the items you must take with you:

1. Two 2” passport-style photos

2. Original passport

3. verified physical exam report you obtain from Beijing Sanitary & Quarantine Office

4. REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE 临时住宿登记表obtained from the local police station (paichusuo).

5. Completed JW202 form

6. Letter of Acceptance issued by your school

7. Residence Permit Application Form issued by Foreign Student Office

8. RMB 400 yuan

It usually takes 6 working days to process the permit. You will have to return to pick it up, but this can be done by somebody else on your behalf.

[doumeizhen]

PLEASE REMOVE THIS PAGE AND SHOW TO LANDLORD

Important!! Students living with host families or in apartments should show this paper to your landlord when you sign the lease contract.

留学生办理“临时住宿登记表”相关事宜

Explanation of procedures for

REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE

各位房东您好,

为了保障留学生的安全, 北京市出入境管理局以及派出所要求所在辖区内所有的外国人,不论短期长期,都必须与房东一起到派出所办理登记手续. IUP 十分感谢您为我们的留学生提供的房屋,也希望您能在租借房屋后,帮助他们在中国完成这道最后的手续,让他们尽快的投入到在清华大学的学习生活中. 谢谢!

请按照以下步骤进行:

1. 房东与学生签订租赁合同

2. 房东带本人身份证，户口本，房产证，与租赁合同及以上四项的复印件到二里庄外来人口服务中心办理“出租许可证”。如果学生就住在华清嘉园，推荐您就近去东升园外来人口管理站

In order to get PERMISSION TO RENT, the landlord should prepare:

➢ Personal ID card

➢ HUKOU Certificate

➢ Real estate certificate

➢ Tenant’s original passport

➢ Tenant’s Chinese name & his.her purpose of stay, i.e. study

房东与学生到外来人口登记管理站办理房屋出租许可证，需要提供以下材料：

➢ 个人身份证

➢ 户口本

➢ 房产证

➢ 承租人的护照原件

➢ 承租人的中文名字以及在中国停留的原因

东升园外来人口登记管理站 Dongshengyuan Foreigner Registration Station

地址：东升园11号楼 电话：6255-9323

工作时间―――周一到周五8：30～11：30 a.m. 1:30~5:00 p.m.

The initial processing is done at the local police service station, located in a room next to the entrance to the Dongshengyuan Apartment Complex gate, just behind (south of) Huaqing Jiayuan, facing the Light Rail at Wudaokou.

东升派出所 Dongsheng Precinct Police Station

地址――成府路与王庄路交界处。

工作时间――周一到周日 8:30～11:30 a.m. 2:00~5:00 p.m.

电话：8238-9082

东升派出所不再要求房东出示“安全许可证”。

居住范围：东至华清嘉园，西至中关村路东， 南至知春路北，北至清华。

中关村外来人口服务中心 Zhongguancun Foreigner Registration Station

地址: 中关村南路甲二号

工作时间: 周一到周五 Monday- Friday 8:30～11:30 a.m. 2:00~5:00 p.m.

电话：8283-9082

房东带本人身份证，户口本，房产证，出租许可证同学生一起到中关村派出所办理“临时住宿登记表”。学生需要带本人护照。

中关村派出所 Zhongguancun Precinct Police Station

地址: 中关村南三街甲16号/中关村医院往东1000米。

工作时间――周一到周五Monday- Friday 8:30～11:30 a.m. 2:00~5:00 p.m.

电话：6255-4600转8005.

注意1：IMPORTANT: Get it done within 24 hours.

房东与学生签订合同后，需在24小时之内办理临时住宿登记表，如果超时，请到海淀公安分局外事科办理登记。

海淀公安分局外事科 This is where you go if you miss the 24-hour deadline.

地址: 海泰大厦，科技大学东门外。

工作时间: 周一到周五8:30～11:30 a.m. 2:00~5:00 p.m.

电话：8251-9750

注意2：IMPORTANT: Get initial registration done in the right location.

办理户口本的派出所即该房东要办理外来人员“临时住宿登记表”的派出所。 办理出租许可证是在当地街道办事处的外来人口服务中心。相关电话可通过114及街道办事处查询。

[onebir]

In practice, if you get a "REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE

临时住宿登记表" do you really need a "FOREIGNER RESIDENCE PERMIT 外国人居留证"?

If you're not constrained in some way to stay in China (eg by the contract term of your job), you can't really be sure you'll be staying for more than six months, and therefore require the latter permit...

Has anyone had trouble because they've stayed over 6m on a TEMPORARY RESIDENCE

form?

[magores]

If you have a 6-month visa you can get a Temporary residence for the same amount of time.

Then, get both renewed after the first 6 months.

I don't believe there is any problem with this.

[roddy]

Excellent stuff, thanks.

Onebir, I think you're maybe getting confused by the different documents. This has been written up here previously, but I think it might make sense to include it in this thread also.

I'll use the Chinese terms as it's the English ones that tend to get mixed up.

The 临时住宿登记表 does not give you any right to stay in the country. It isn't a residence permit or a visa. It is simply a statement that foreigner X is currently residing at Apartment Y and has informed the local police of this. You need these because a) Chinese law says you do and B) It needs to be shown when applying for a 外国人居留证 (which you only need on a study or work visa, not business or tourist) and when extending a visa. You get it from the local police station, as detailed above (although it's often a lot simpler than described.)

The 外国人居留证 is what gives you the right to stay in the country beyond the initial 30 days of your work or study visa. Length usually matches up with that of your work contract or university enrollment, although if that's longer than a year you may need to renew. You obtain this as detailed above, from the main entry-exit administration (basically the foreigner-handling and passport issuing office) of the PSB for your city. This will involve showing your 临时住宿登记表.

So if you are on a study or work visa, you will need both - the first as part of your application for the second. Confusion arises as 住宿 and 居留 are both translated as residence, and the 临时 of the first appears again in 外国人临时居留证, which is the sub-six month version of the 外国人居留证 . Back when the 外国人居留证 was a separate green book, anyone staying six months or under would get instead a sticker in their passport called a 外国人临时居留证. Now there are no green books and all 外国人居留证's are stickers in passports.

It's not too difficult to see how someone could read (particularly in English) an explanation of all this, go to the police station for their 临时住宿登记表 and believe that they've actually got a 外国人临时居留证 and they can stop worrying. That's not the case.

Some notes. If you are on a tourist or business visa, there's no pressing need to get the 临时住宿登记表. However, it is still a requirement of Chinese law and if you don't there's a chance of a knock on the door and a long session at the police station. Maximum fine for this is RMB500, often waived if you apologetic and swear on your first pet's grave never to gravely disrespect the Chinese law again. It's a formality both for you and the police.

The 外国人居留证 is much more important and not having it incurs much more severe fines as you are effectively in the country without permission. The above document puts it at RMB500 per day to a maximum of USD5000 though - I suspect that's a currency error and it should be RMB5000. You get the same fine for overstaying a tourist or business visa.

The first case is 'allowed to be in the country, but didn't keep us informed of where he was.' The second is 'shouldn't have even been in the country.'

If I thought anyone would listen, I would set the English translation for 临时住宿登记表 as Registration of Current Accommodation and 外国人居留证 Foreigner's Permit to Remain in China. Neither are particularly elegant but at least the names would match up with what they actually are.

[onebir]

Onebir, I think you're maybe getting confused by the different documents.

Thanks Roddy - it was this bit that threw me:

2. FOREIGNER RESIDENCE PERMIT

外国人居留证 (Wa]igu>o r>en jiu zh]eng)

Every foreigner who lives in China more than six (6) months...

Now that I think about it, it makes sense in context - students with 1 year visas need it. But from what you're saying it's not necessary provided you don't have a 1 year visa. I seem to remember you had a one-year F visa a while back - did you get need a 居留证 then?

[roddy]

No such thing as a 1 year student visa. Student and Work visas are always for 30 days, during which you need to get the 外国人居留证 for the remainder of your stay - which will often be one year, but that's incidental. Obviously it would be entirely normal to be a student, have a one year 居留证 and think of that as a one year student visa, but technically it's inaccurate and would cause confusion when we're trying to figure out what all the different bits of paper are.

Back before the format of the 外国人居留证 changed anything under six months would be a 外国人临时居留证, and a sticker in the passport rather than the green book. The application procedure was the same, except you didn't need the health check.

I don't know if that distinction between 外国人居留证 and 外国人临时居留证 still exists, but regardless it's not very important- if you have a student or work visa and you are staying anything over 30 days you need to get a 外国人居留证. This is why short terms stays are sometimes better done on a tourist or business visa - less formalities to deal with in China.

Every foreigner who lives in China more than six (6) months...

That part is misleading. If you have a one year business visa, or a series of tourist visa extensions, you don't - there's no need for a 外国人居留证 (or, to cover all bases, a 外国人临时留证居). They just don't apply to tourist or business visas. If you are staying five months and entered on a student visa, there is.

Also if you are in China between 30 days and 6 months on a work visa or student visa, you will need a 居留证, although in that case you may be wiser to come in on an F visa, particularly if you are a student, as you then don't have any further formalities to complete in China. Except:

I seem to remember you had a one-year F visa a while back - did you get need a 居留证 then?

No, because it was an F visa - business. But I did (ok, should, but lets assume) get a 临时住宿登记表, because the PSB should know where every foreigner sleeps every night. Or they'll sit up all night, fretting.

[adrianlondon]

Student and Work visas are always for 30 days

I got a 180-day student visa. Type F.

[onebir]

Student and Work visas are always for 30 days, during which you need to get the 外国人居留证 for the remainder of your stay - which will often be one year, but that's incidental.

Ah - that clears things up a bit. Now I understand why you said this:

The first case is 'allowed to be in the country, but didn't keep us informed of where he was.' The second is 'shouldn't have even been in the country.'

I got a 180-day student visa. Type F

I think Roddy means 'X' student visas. You can study on an F visa, but it's more a general purpose medium stay visa than a student visa.

[Senzhi]

Adrian,

Onebir is right.

Legally, an F-visa is a business visa ... and you're not supposed to study, since you would be working for a foreign licenced company.

An X-visa is the only legal visa for students ... and as anywhere else, X-visa holders (or foreign students) are not allowed to take up any kind of employment.

F-visas are only issued for 6 months or 12 months. (Usually 6 months).

X-visas are (like Z-visas) only valid for 30 days. Within those 30 days, X-visa holders need to go through the (cumbersome) formalities in obtaining a Residence Permit (valid for one year).

[adrianlondon]

Legally, an F-visa is a business visa ... and you're not supposed to study

The University in Beijing (BNU) gave me the relevant study forms and the embassy in London said that I needed an F-visa for academic study of 6 months or less.

[Senzhi]

Adrian,

True. I should have pointed out that X-visas are only for full-time academic students. Hence, the F-visa is sufficient if you study some course for less than 6 months. For courses longer than 6 months, you really need an X-visa (and thus a residence permit).

[adrianlondon]

Thanks. Sorry, I didn't mean to put loads of confusion into this thread, but ... as I'm confused about it all, it's what happened ;)

I plan on spending half a year in China some time after the Olympics and my current plan is to enter via HK and just get a 6-month F-visa there. I'm reading this thread to work out what else I need to do (as far as registering etc) when I find/rent an apartment. I

[roddy]

Not much, and there could well be changes by then anyway.

Nice to see someone with plans for after the Olympics for a change. You could perhaps give classes to cadres. "How to set targets for dates other than 2008."

[muyongshi]

X-visas are (like Z-visas) only valid for 30 days. Within those 30 days, X-visa holders need to go through the (cumbersome) formalities in obtaining a Residence Permit (valid for one year).

Somehow I fell through the cracks and my school got me a legitimate 2 year residence permit off of my X-visa. Full study purpose, two years without renewing, come and go as I please- man it's the life!

[tweaked]

Hi all.. i must agree its a little cumbersome.. however, i arrived in Beijing Jan 4th.. i have just gotten my medical check-up this last Monday. Form what i gather i have to now apply for foreigner resident permit. My uni said after you get your medical, bring it back to us Thursday!.. that's the last of before the holidays.

It seems i came a little early to travel and sight see. It appears that i cutting it close..

I'm assuming that i must give in my passport to the school.. which means i cant travel around china?!.. was hoping to travel to harbin and shanghai during the spring festival. could i wait til after the holidays or must i submit before?

thanks in advance.

[roddy]

You'll need to ask the school - they'll have a better idea of the timing involved. If the school do want your passport then there should be a receipt from the PSB which you can use instead of a passport for air travel and booking into hotels. However, you'll need to get that from the school, and be prepared to explain what it is to everyone - they might not have seen one before. Obviously photocopies of your passport and visa would be a good idea also.

An alternative might be to get the school to check you've got everything you need, then go to the PSB yourself - no reason I know of why you couldn't do that, and it might end up being quicker.

[Senzhi]

I'm assuming that i must give in my passport to the school..

This seems to be common practice by schools ... mostly based on the fact they're afraid the foreign teacher might leave without notice.

However, I always refuse to hand in my passport to anyone (except the authorities). I usually give a copy of my passport/visa to anyone who deems they need it.

[roddy]

I'm assuming tweaked is a student, though I could be wrong. Either way, you can't avoid the PSB having your passport for a while, and it doesn't make much difference whether you give it to them or the school does. Certainly no need for them to have it after that though.

[tweaked]

correct.. i am a student.. lets see how it goes tomorrow..going without a translator..

Hope everything works out.. thanks for the advice..