China residence and citizenship

Permanent residence — direct investment

Direct, stable, taxed investment for three consecutive years. Article 7 requires OVER USD 500,000 in encouraged industries or qualifying western/poverty-relief counties; over USD 1m in central China or over USD 2m elsewhere. The USD 500,000 field is an exclusive lower boundary, not an inclusive qualifying amount. No currency conversion. Citizenship remains discretionary with no stated number of years.

Sources: Permanent residence eligibility, fee and processing (National Immigration Administration of China), Permanent residence investment thresholds, article 7 (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)

Permanent residence — senior position or equivalent salary

Deputy general manager, factory deputy director, associate senior professional title or equivalent salary for four consecutive years, with at least three years' residence in those four years and good tax records. No investment minimum; citizenship has no fixed qualifying years.

Sources: Permanent residence eligibility, fee and processing (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)

Permanent residence — outstanding contribution or urgently needed talent

For people who made significant and outstanding contributions to China and are especially needed. No investment minimum or fixed citizenship period.

Sources: Permanent residence eligibility, fee and processing (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)

Permanent residence — spouse of a Chinese citizen or permanent resident

Marriage and residence in China for at least five consecutive years, with nine months' presence each year, stable income and domicile. No investment minimum or fixed citizenship period.

Sources: Permanent residence eligibility, fee and processing (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)

Permanent residence — aged 60+ joining a direct relative

Age 60 or older, no direct relatives abroad, living with a direct relative in China, five years' consecutive residence with at least nine months each year, stable income and domicile. This is family reunion, not a general retirement permit.

Sources: Permanent residence eligibility, fee and processing (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)

Residence for property-owning overseas Chinese aged 60+

Limited to foreign nationals of Chinese origin aged at least 60 who own a home in China and can show financial resources. No minimum property value is stated. This is not a general property-investment or retirement route. Fee CNY 400/800/1,000 by validity; citizenship has no fixed years.

Sources: Residence for overseas Chinese aged 60 or above with property (National Immigration Administration of China), Residence-permit fee by validity (National Immigration Administration of China), Temporary residence permit decision time (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)

Work residence permit after Z visa

The residence-permit fee varies with validity: CNY 400 below one year, CNY 800 for one to under three years and CNY 1,000 for three to five years. Z-visa charges are separate. Local residence-permit decision is within 15 working days of acceptance (max one month); the entry visa and work-permit stages are separate. No fixed citizenship waiting period is stated by the Nationality Law.

Sources: Work residence-permit requirements (National Immigration Administration of China), Foreign work, Z visa and local permit sequence (National Immigration Administration of China), Residence-permit fee by validity (National Immigration Administration of China), Temporary residence permit decision time (National Immigration Administration of China)

Q1 family reunion residence permit

Q1 visa holder joining family in China. Fee depends on approved validity: CNY 400 under one year, CNY 800 for one to under three years, CNY 1,000 for three to five years. No single fee or fixed citizenship waiting period.

Sources: Family and personal-matters residence permits (National Immigration Administration of China), Residence-permit fee by validity (National Immigration Administration of China), Temporary residence permit decision time (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)

S1 private-matters family residence permit

S1 visa holder joining a foreign resident spouse, parent, parent-in-law or minor child. Fee varies with validity (CNY 400/800/1,000); no single USD amount or fixed citizenship waiting period.

Sources: Family and personal-matters residence permits (National Immigration Administration of China), Residence-permit fee by validity (National Immigration Administration of China), Temporary residence permit decision time (National Immigration Administration of China), Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration of China)