The applicant may apply for a work-type residence permit with a validity of no longer than five years (annotated "Talent"). Please follow the steps below.

► A valid passport or other international travel documents.

► A completed, printed, and signed (in black ink) VISA / STAY PERMIT / RESIDENCE PERMIT APPLICATION FORM with a recently-taken passport-style photo (full-faced and bareheaded against a white background, color print, two inches, half-length).

► A valid accommodation registration form obtained from the applicant's current hotel or local police station.

► A Foreigner's Work Permit issued by authorities of the Beijing Municipal Government such as Beijing Municipal Bureau of Foreign Experts and Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.

► A Certification Letter of Foreign High Level Talents issued by the following authorities: the Organization Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, foreign experts affairs, or the human resources and social security authorities of the Beijing Municipal Government. Or the employment contract and Guarantee Letter from the employment enterprise, which has been certified by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.

► A verification letter from the present employer expressing consent for the visa application.

► Applicants aged 18 and over applying for a residence permit with a validity of more than one year must provide a Certificate of Verification for Physical Examination Record for Overseas Personnel issued by exit-entry health and quarantine institutions in China. The above-mentioned certificate is valid for six months from the date of issuance.

In the case that the applicant has already submitted a Certificate of Verification for Physical Examination Record for Overseas Personnel to the Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau or the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Foreign Experts when applying for the Foreigner's Work Permit, the Certificate of Verification need not be submitted again.

Fill out the information and make an appointment.

At the appropriate time, proceed to the visa applications hall for document submission and a visa interview.

a. Exit-Entry Administration Reception Hall of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau

Address: No. 2, Dong Avenue, An Ding Men, Dongcheng District, (the southeast corner of Beixiaojie Bridge, Erhuanlu).

Time: Monday - Saturday 09:00 - 17:00;

b. Exit-Entry Administration & Foreigner Service Center of Zhongguancun of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau

Address: No. 22 Jia, Shuangyushu Beili, Haidian District

Time: Monday - Saturday 09:00 - 17:00;

c. Exit-Entry Administration & Foreigner Service Center of Chaoyang Sub-bureau. (Only available for foreign applications of the following categories: first, foreign employees in demonstrating entities and enterprises in Chaoyang District who meet the terms and conditions in the 10 Immigration Policies on Supporting the Comprehensive Pilot Program for the Expansion and Opening of Service Industry in Beijing and the 20 Immigration Policies and Measures for Innovation and Development of Beijing by Ministry of Public Security; secondly, applicants of foreigners' residence permits of employment, international student, family reunion and private business.)

Address: 1st & 2nd Floor, Building 304, BEZ IT PARK, No. 10 Jia, Jiuxianqiao Beilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Time: Monday - Saturday 09:00 - 17:00;

d. Exit-Entry Administration & Foreigner Service Center of Shunyi Sub-bureau (Only available for foreign applications of the following categories: first, foreign employees in demonstrating entities and enterprises in Shunyi District who meet the terms and conditions in the 10 Immigration Policies on Supporting the Comprehensive Pilot Program for the Expansion and Opening of the Service Industry in Beijing and the 20 Immigration Policies and Measures for Innovation and Development of Beijing by Ministry of Public Security; secondly, applicants of foreigners' residence permits of employment, international student, family reunion and private business.)

Address: 1st & 2nd Floor, No. 3 Jia office building, Tianzhu Donglu, Shunyi District, Beijing

Time: Monday - Saturday 09:00 - 17:00;

e. Exit-Entry Administration & Foreigner Service Center of Shijingshan Sub-bureau of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (Only available for applicants of foreigners' residence permits of employment, international student, family reunion and private business. );

Address: No. 3 Jia, Gucheng Nanli, Shijingshan District

Time: Monday - Saturday 09:00-12:00, 13:30-17:30;

f. Exit-Entry Administration & Foreigner Service Center of Tongzhou Sub-bureau of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (Only available for applicants of foreigners' residence permits of employment, international student, family reunion and private business).

Address: No. 15, Beiguan Dajie, Yongshun Town, Tongzhou District

Time: Monday - Saturday 09:00 - 17:00.

Pay the application fee and pick up your documents from the visa applications hall.

  • Timeline and Fees
  • Points for Attention
  • Legal Reminders

The entire process from submission of materials to pick-up will take seven working days.

The fee for a residence permit with a validity of less than one year is CNY 400 (per applicant).

The fee for a residence permit with one to three years' validity (including one year, not including three years) is CNY 800 (per applicant).

The fee for a residence permit with three to five years' validity is CNY 1,000 (per applicant).

1. The applicant must go through a face-to-face interview. However, the host organization or a relevant specialized service agency may submit the application on behalf of the applicant (in which case the trustee's ID and a copy are required) in the case that the applicant is aged above 60 and has limited ability to travel due to disability or illness, or if the applicant has exceptional abilities and high-level talents qualifying them as greatly needed by the state, or if the applicant wants to renew the employment-based residence permit. Nonetheless, if the exit-entry administration notifies the applicant that an interview is necessary, the applicant still must go through the interview themselves.

2. For the above-stated materials, the original documents need to be verified, and photocopies submitted along with the originals.

3. Any application materials in a foreign language (other than English) must be translated into Chinese.

4. Applicants who have not yet nullified China's their household registrations in China should wait to apply until after they have done so.

1. Where visas held by foreigners specify that foreigners need to apply for residence permits after entry, such foreigners must do so within 30 days of their date of entry.

2. Foreigners residing in China who apply for an extension to the duration of residence must file their applications at least 30 days prior to the end of the validity period for their residence permits.

3. During the period when the applicant's passport or other travel document is under the legal custody of the exit-entry authority for the issuance of a visa or resident permit, the applicant may, bearing the ticket for their submitted application, travel and reside legally within the territory of China.

4. If any information submitted when applying for a foreigner's residence permit has changed (such as the bearer's name, sex, date of birth, reason for residence and residence duration, date and place of issuance, passport number or other international travel documents number), the bearer of the permit must, within 10 days of the date of change, apply to the responsible exit-entry administration (at or above the county level) in their place of residence to initiate formalities for alteration.

5. Upon discovery of one of the following circumstances, the entity that employs a foreigner must, in a timely manner, report to the responsible exit-entry administration: changes have been made to the employment location, a foreign employee has violated immigration regulations, has resigned, has died, has gone missing, or should any other serious circumstances arise.

6. The exit-entry administration may verify the purpose of application through such means as interviews, telephone inquiries, and on-the-ground investigation.

7. Decisions made by immigration authorities—including rejecting applications for visa extension or reissuance, not issuing foreigners' stay or residence permits, or not extending the duration of residence—are final.

The right to interpret these instructions resides with the Exit-Entry Administration of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.