Shanghai VISA Policy

Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security Bureau

Foreigner apply visa / Residence permit, Visa Policy Q&A

Friendly Reminding: The time limit of handling and winding up an application for visa and residence permit is 5 working days. ( for passportloss is 2 working days ) The applicant must come to apply in person when make a first application; Can ask the agent to reapply but must submit the agent’s ID card and unit’s introduction letter. We will enquire the applicant when necessary; If you want know the documents needed please see the list of information of our Bureau.

A. Working

Question 1: If a foreigner’s working unit has changed, how to go through the formalities ?

Answer : If a foreigner’s working unit has changed, he(she) must go through the modification formalities within 10 days after the change happens. First, go to Shanghai Administration Center for Employment of Foreigners or Shanghai Personnel Bureau to modify Foreigner Employment Permit or Expert Certificate; Then bring relevant documents to Bureau of Exit-entry Administration to modify the working unit of the Residence Permit.

Question 2: If a foreigner’s address in Shanghai has changed, how to go through the formalities ?

Answer : If a foreigner’s address in Shanghai has changed, he(she) must go through the modification formalities within 10 days after the change happens. First, he (she ) should go to the police station of the new residential place or hotel to apply and get a new ; Then bring relevant documents to Bureau of Exit-entry Administration to modify the address of the Residence Permit.

Question 3: What’s the regulation about the Health Certificate ?

Answer : Foreigner’s Health Certificate is issued by Shanghai Administration for Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine with 6 months validity. Address:15 Jinbang Road. The Certificate issued by other Administration for Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine in China will also do. If a applicant has a valid Residence Permit and applies for extension he (she ) can free of Health Certificate; If a foreigner’s Residence Permit has already expired and has made an application within 3 months after the expiration, he (she ) can also free of Health Certificate; if more than 3 months, he (she ) must submit a new Health Certificate.

Question 4: foreigner, who has already obtained the Residence Permit in Shanghai , has been sent to work and reside in other province (city) by the company for a long time so he (she) can’t provide the Temporary Residence Certificate in Shanghai. How to apply for the extension the Residence Permit?

Answer : He(she) should get the Temporary Residence Certificate in the place he (she ) works and resides. If the company has branch there, he (she) can go to local Administration for Exit-Entry to apply for the Residence Permit; If the company has no branch there and the local Administration for Exit-Entry won’t accept his (her) application , he (she ) can also provide Temporary Residence Certificate in the place he (she ) works and resides to apply for the extension of His (her ) Residence Permit in Shanghai.Return to the beginning of the page

B. Foreign student

Question 1: foreign students below 16 under which situation can they free of the ?

Answer : under one of the following situations they can free of the : 1. His(her) father or mother is the resident of China interior , who resides in Shanghai with ID card and household register or ; 2. His(her) father or mother is a Taiwan resident and has the Residence Visa issued in Shanghai; 3、 His(her) father or mother is a foreigner and has the Residence Permit issued in Shanghai; 4. His (her) father or mother is a Hongkong (Macao ) resident or overseas-Chinese and has or .

Question 2: The child of a foreigner working in Shanghai soon will be 18 years old. How to apply for visa?

Answer : If the child goes on with his(her) study in Shanghai, can change the type of the Residence Permit from family member to foreign student and the validity won’t exceed the date on the application letter issued by the university (school); If the child doesn’t go on with his(her) study, can change the Residence Permit to L visa (visiting family member) with 6 months duration one entry. He(she) can apply at most two times. If you want know the documents needed please see the list of information of our Bureau.

Question 3:A foreign child under 16 is going to study in Shanghai. How to apply for visa?

Answer : According to the following situations, he(she) can apply Residence Permit (family member), Residence Permit(foreign student),L visa etc. respectively and submit relevant documents. 1. If his (her) parents work in Shanghai, He(she) can apply for Residence Permit (family member) and study in Shanghai.; 2. If he (she) is a fosterage child or visits his(her) Chinese parents, he(she) can apply for Residence Permit (fosterage child) or visits his(her) Chinese parents, studying in Shanghai; 3. If he (she) comes to Shanghai as a foreign student, in this case, he(she) can apply for Residence Permit (foreign student).

C. Visiting

Question 1:From June 1 2010, the range of the Residence Permit has been widened. What kind of people can apply for Residence Permit ( visiting ) ?

Answer : Include: 1. The foreign spouse , parents and children under the age of 18 of a Chinese citizen or a foreigner who has obtained the Foreigner’s Permanent Residence Permit in China. (visiting family members) 2. The foreigner who has reached the age of 60 and has no direct relative overseas seeks refuge with the direct relative in China.(seeking refuge with the direct relative) 3、The person of Chinese origin who has reached the age of 60 and bought house in Shanghai and his/her spouse and children under the age of 18.(people of Chinese origin buying house) 4. Foreigner with Chinese origin (18 or above ) supporting their Chinese parents (without any child in China). (supporting parents ) 5. The overseas Chinese or person of Chinese origin foster the foreign children under the age of 18 in Shanghai.( child fosterage)

Question 2: How to go through the child-fosterage procedure ？

Answer : Trust the following people as the guardian and go to the Notary Public to make a Child Fosterage Guaranteen. Then to Exit-Entry Administration of Shanghai to apply for Residence Permit within 2 years or L visa within 6 months.( The form for notarization can get in Exit-Entry Administration ).The age of the child must be under 18.The applicant must submit the guardian’s ID certificate and the child’s birth certificate. If the guardian changes during the time, the fosterage relation must be modified.

D. Newly-born child

Question 1: The child was born in China and his (her ) parents are foreigners. How to apply for visa?

Answer : Within one month after the child was born ,his (her) father or mother should bring the child’s birth certificate and parents’s ID certificates to Exit-Entry Administration of Shanghai to register and apply for relevant visa.

Question 2: The foreign child born in Shanghai is not able to obtain his (her ) passport within one month. How will he (she) do ?

Answer : Within one month after the child was born ,his (her) father or mother should bring the child’s birth certificate, parents’s ID certificates and the receipt of the embassy (consulate) to Exit-Entry Administration of Shanghai to register . He (she )must apply for relevant visa as soon as he (she ) gets the passport.

Question 3 : The child was born in China and his (her ) father (mother) is a foreigner and mother (father ) is a Chinese . He (she ) has obtained the foreign passport from the foreign embassy (consulate ).How to go through the procedure for exit?

Answer : According to the , The child was born in China and his (her ) father (mother) is a foreigner and mother (father ) is a Chinese . He (she ) has Chinese nationality. Exit-Entry Administration won’t issue him(her) visa even if the child has obtained a foreign passport. The child’s parents should bring the birth certificate of the child and their ID certificate to Exit-Entry Administration of Shanghai to go through nationality confirmation then apply for to exit.

E. Others Question

Question 1: About the new edition Temporary Residence Certificate 

Answer: From Oct 1 2008 the new edition Temporary Residence Certificate began to use. The foreigner should submit the new edition Temporary Residence Certificate when to make application, modification and extension of the visa or residence permit. If the applicant only has old edition Temporary Residence Certificate ( there is no registration No. on the upper right ) or lost it, you should go to the police station of the residential place or hotel to be renewed or to be reissued . If a foreigner’s address in Shanghai has changed, he (she ) should go to the police station of the new residential place or hotel to apply and get a new Temporary Residence Certificate within 10 days; Then bring relevant documents to Bureau of Exit-entry Administration to modify the address of the Residence Permit.

Question 2: Whether B card can be in place of visa and residence permit?

Answer : B card can neither be in place of visa and residence permit nor as the certificate of foreigner’s exit-entry and residence. The foreigner with Chinese origin can free of < Alien’s Employment Permit > when applying Residence Permit if he /she holds type L, card B.

Question 3: Entry with a foreign passport but still keeping the permanent household register in China, can he/she apply visa and residence permit?

Answer : According to the , China doesn’t acknowledge dual nationality. To those who has obtained foreign nationality outside China and entered China with foreign passport but, at the same time, kept permanent household register in China, they should go to local police station actively to cancel the permanent household register. They should submit the cancellation certificate when apply visa or residence permit. Otherwise their application will be rejected.

Question 4:Those who entered China with Chinese passport but is going to leave China with foreign passport. How to go through the exit procedure?

Answer : To those who has already resided permanently in a foreign country and joined foreign nationality, first he/she should go to local police station to cancel the permanent household register then bring the cancellation certification the Exit-Entry Administration to apply exit visa. The Exit-entry Administration will take back the Chinese passport and do the relevant exit visa on his/her valid foreign passport.

Question 5: If a foreigner lost his/her passport, how to report the loss and apply new passport ?

Answer : If a foreigner lost his/her passport, he /she must personally go to the Exit-entry Administration o report the loss. After investigation, the Exit-Entry Administration will issue him/her within 2 days. The foreigner should take the confirmation within 30 days to the embassy or consulate to apply for passport. After get new passport ,he/she should come back to the Exit-Entry Administration to apply for relevant exit visa.