China · Investing
China Investor permanent residence
Permanent Residence — Direct and Stable Investor Pathway
Checked against official sources on Record corrected 12 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Investor permanent residence is an investing route for China. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- CNY 1,500 ≈ $220 · CNY 300 ≈ $45
Cost, time and long term
Government feesCNY 1,500 ≈ $220 · CNY 300 ≈ $45
- CNY 1,500 (≈ $220)Application fee for permanent residence, per applicant.
- CNY 300 (≈ $45)Fee for producing the permanent residence card.
Permanent residenceAfter 3 years
An applicant with direct and stable investment in China and good tax payment records for three consecutive years can apply; the applicant must also be in good health and have no criminal record.
ProcessingOfficial timeline
Public security organs must decide on approval within six months from accepting the application.
Where to applyInside the country
Apply at the public security organ of the city where your investment is made or where you live long term; an entrusted person may file for you.
Presence rulesStay rule
Permanent residence can be cancelled if you reside in China, without approval, for less than three months each year or less than one year during a five-year period.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs earlier residence or an existing status in China
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant complies with Chinese law, is in good health and has no criminal record.
- The applicant made direct and stable investments in China with good tax payment records for three consecutive years.
- A spouse and unmarried children under 18 may apply as dependants.
What you must show2
- The application fee is CNY 1,500 (≈ $220) and the card production fee is CNY 300 (≈ $45).
- The guideline states no minimum investment amount; it asks for direct and stable investments in China with good tax payment records for three consecutive years.
Documents3
- Investor evidence: a business licence copy, an annual-report disclosure certificate, a confirmation letter on foreign-funded projects and a capital verification report.
- For encouraged projects, a national or provincial confirmation plus an individual tax payment certificate are added.
- A valid passport, a health certificate and a foreign certificate of no criminal record are also required.
Steps1
- Apply to the public security organ of the city where the investment is made or where the applicant resides.
When you become tax resident
How China decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a calendar tax year (and each of the six preceding years)Non-domiciled individual is resident for a year with 183 days or more of residence; foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt unless each of the six preceding years had 183 days or more with no single departure above 30 days.
- More than 30 days in a single departure in any of the six preceding yearsA single departure from China longer than 30 days breaks the six-year chain.
- Foreign-source income
Non-dom (six-year rule)
A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption · Tax relief
All tax rules for China Tax records checked
Full official text
Permanent residence for a foreign investor with direct and stable investment in China and good tax records for three consecutive years. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- A fee of CNY 1,500 (≈ $220) · Application fee for permanent residence, per applicant. 1
- A fee of CNY 300 (≈ $45) · Fee for producing the permanent residence card. 1
Requirements
- The applicant complies with Chinese law, is in good health and has no criminal record. 1
- The applicant made direct and stable investments in China with good tax payment records for three consecutive years. 1
- A spouse and unmarried children under 18 may apply as dependants. 1
- Investor evidence: a business licence copy, an annual-report disclosure certificate, a confirmation letter on foreign-funded projects and a capital verification report. 1
- For encouraged projects, a national or provincial confirmation plus an individual tax payment certificate are added. 1
- A valid passport, a health certificate and a foreign certificate of no criminal record are also required. 1
- Apply to the public security organ of the city where the investment is made or where the applicant resides. 1
- The application fee is CNY 1,500 (≈ $220) and the card production fee is CNY 300 (≈ $45). 1
- The guideline states no minimum investment amount; it asks for direct and stable investments in China with good tax payment records for three consecutive years. 1
Stay
- Permanent residence status after separate approval by the National Immigration Administration.
Work
Permanent residence does not itself replace a work permit for employment.
Family
Spouse and unmarried children under 18 of a qualifying principal can apply for permanent residence.
Fine print
The National Immigration Administration guideline gives no investment figure for this route, so no amount should be assumed.
Official sources
- Guidelines for Approval of Foreign Nationals’ Eligibility for Permanent Residence in China · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2023-03-27
- NIA service guide for foreign residence permits: work, study, family, investors and 30-day application rule · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2021-04-01
Investor permanent residence and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investor permanent residence | – | – | – |
| Investor residence permit | – | 5 yr | Limited |
| LTR · Wealthy Global Citizen Thailand | Needs an investment of $500k+ | 5 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Golden Visa · Portfolio $350k Indonesia | Needs an investment from $350k | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Golden · AED 2M deposit United Arab Emirates | Needs an investment of AED 2M+ ≈ $545k | 10 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Investor permanent residence?
A fee of CNY 1,500 (≈ $220). Application fee for permanent residence, per applicant. A fee of CNY 300 (≈ $45). Fee for producing the permanent residence card.
How long can I stay on the Investor permanent residence?
Permanent residence status after separate approval by the National Immigration Administration.
How long does the Investor permanent residence take to process?
Public security organs must decide on approval within six months from accepting the application.
Can I work on the Investor permanent residence?
Permanent residence does not itself replace a work permit for employment.
Can I bring my family on the Investor permanent residence?
Spouse and unmarried children under 18 of a qualifying principal can apply for permanent residence.
Does the Investor permanent residence lead to permanent residence in China?
Time on the Investor permanent residence counts toward permanent residence in China, which the rules allow after 3 years.
Is there a tax break for Investor permanent residence holders in China?
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption for non-domiciled residents before six consecutive 183-day years: A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption for non-domiciled residents before six consecutive 183-day years
Tax relief
Details
- Who: Tax year is the calendar year
A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income paid by overseas entities or individuals to a non-domiciled resident, at the progressive rates of 3% to 45% when taxable; China-source income is always taxable.
Who it applies to
- Tax year is the calendar year. A person domiciled in China is a resident individual; a non-domiciled person is resident after 183 or more days of residence in the tax year.
- For a non-domiciled resident, foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt on filing if any of the six preceding years has fewer than 183 residence days, or there was a single departure of more than 30 days in any of those years.
- If the current year is resident (183 or more days) and each of the six preceding years had 183 or more days with no single departure above 30 days, domestic- and foreign-source income are both taxable in China. The six-year count began no earlier than 2019.
Exclusions
- The exemption covers only income from outside China paid by an overseas unit or person, and requires filing with the tax authority.
- China-source income stays taxable when the payer or client is abroad; services physically performed in China are China-source.
- Individuals domiciled in China are outside this rule.
Days in the country
- At least 183 days in calendar tax year (and each of the six preceding years) · Non-domiciled individual is resident for a year with 183 days or more of residence; foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt unless each of the six preceding years had 183 days or more with no single departure above 30 days.
- More than 30 days in single departure in any of the six preceding years · A single departure from China longer than 30 days breaks the six-year chain.
Tax residence
Domicile covers habitual residence through household registration, family or economic interests. For non-domiciled individuals the 183-day test uses full days of residence in the calendar tax year. A day counts as a day of residence only if the person is in China for the full 24 hours of that day.
Visas
Immigration visa or residence permit does not automatically make a person tax-resident or confer tax exemption; these are tax-statute tests.
Other taxes
Individual income tax scope only. VAT, social insurance contributions, employer withholding and treaty relief apply separately; resident individuals credit foreign tax paid up to the Chinese tax payable on that income and declare foreign-source income between 1 March and 30 June of the following year.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in China
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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Guidelines for Approval of Foreign Nationals’ Eligibility for Permanent Residence in China · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-10
- NIA service guide for foreign residence permits: work, study, family, investors and 30-day application rule · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.