China · Spouse visas
China Spouse of a citizen
First stay: 3 yrs
Q1 Visa and Family Reunion Residence Permit — Spouse of a Chinese Citizen or Permanent Resident
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for China. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- CNY 800 ≈ $120 · CNY 1,000 ≈ $150
- Processing
- 15 working days
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; decision: 15 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesCNY 800 ≈ $120 · CNY 1,000 ≈ $150
- CNY 800 (≈ $120)Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years.
- CNY 1,000 (≈ $150)Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years.
RenewalRenewable
Reunion-type residence permits can be extended through the exit-entry department.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of marriage
The spouse of a Chinese citizen can apply after at least 5 years of marriage and 5 consecutive years of residence in China with at least nine months each year, plus a stable income and domicile.
Processing15 working days
The receipt of acceptance for a residence permit application is valid for no more than 15 working days from acceptance, within which the decision is made.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Apply for the Q1 visa abroad; after entry, apply for the reunion-type residence permit within 30 days.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside China, not after arriving
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant is the spouse of a Chinese citizen or of a foreigner holding a Chinese Permanent Residence Card.
- The intended stay in China exceeds 180 days; for stays up to 180 days the Q2 visit visa applies instead.
What you must show and pay2
- A fee of CNY 800 (≈ $120) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years.
- A fee of CNY 1,000 (≈ $150) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years.
Documents5
- Invitation letter from the Chinese citizen or permanent resident naming the applicant, purpose, arrival date, residence place, relationship and financial source.
- Chinese ID card of the Chinese inviter, or passport and Permanent Residence Card of the foreign inviter.
- Original and copy of the marriage certificate, legalised by government agencies.
- Residence permit application form with photo and valid passport.
- Medical examination verification certificate for applicants aged 18 to 70 seeking a permit longer than one year.
Steps2
- The Q1 visa is applied for at a Chinese embassy or consulate.
- The holder applies for a residence permit at the local exit-entry administration within 30 days of entry.
After you arrive2
- The residence permit is valid up to 2 years, or up to 3 years for those under 18 or aged 60 and over.
- Extension is applied for within 30 days before expiry.
When you become tax resident
How China decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 3 years at first, renewable
- 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
What you need to arrange
- Certified translation
Original and copy of the marriage certificate, legalised by government agencies
- Police certificate and civil documents
Original and copy of the marriage certificate, legalised by government agencies
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Q1 visa for the foreign spouse of a Chinese citizen or of a foreigner with Chinese permanent residence, followed by a reunion-type residence permit. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- A fee of CNY 800 (≈ $120) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years. 4
- A fee of CNY 1,000 (≈ $150) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years. 4
Requirements
- Applicant is the spouse of a Chinese citizen or of a foreigner holding a Chinese Permanent Residence Card. 1
- The intended stay in China exceeds 180 days; for stays up to 180 days the Q2 visit visa applies instead. 1
- Invitation letter from the Chinese citizen or permanent resident naming the applicant, purpose, arrival date, residence place, relationship and financial source. 1
- Chinese ID card of the Chinese inviter, or passport and Permanent Residence Card of the foreign inviter. 1
- Original and copy of the marriage certificate, legalised by government agencies. 1
- Residence permit application form with photo and valid passport. 3
- Medical examination verification certificate for applicants aged 18 to 70 seeking a permit longer than one year. 3
- The Q1 visa is applied for at a Chinese embassy or consulate. 1
- The holder applies for a residence permit at the local exit-entry administration within 30 days of entry. 1
- The residence permit is valid up to 2 years, or up to 3 years for those under 18 or aged 60 and over. 2
- Extension is applied for within 30 days before expiry. 2
Stay
- Q1 visa is for stays over 180 days; the reunion-type residence permit is valid up to 2 years, or up to 3 years for those under 18 or 60 and over.
- First stay: up to 36 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Family
Parents, parents-in-law, children, siblings and grandparents of a Chinese citizen or permanent resident also qualify as family under Q1.
Official sources
- Q1 & Q2 Visa · Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Papua New Guinea · checked 2026-10-11
- Application for a Foreigner's Residence Permit (reunion-type residence permit) · National Immigration Administration, China · checked 2026-10-11
- Instructions on Application for Family Reunion Residence Permit for Foreigners · Beijing Municipal People's Government · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence permit: charge standard · Beijing Municipal People’s Government · checked 2026-10-11
- NIA guide for visa changes/extensions and category-specific stay limits · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2021-04-01
- 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
Spouse of a citizen and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a citizen | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a permanent resident Thailand | – | 3 mo, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a citizen Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Spouse of a stay permit holder Indonesia | – | – | No |
| Spouse of a citizen United Arab Emirates | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Spouse of a citizen?
A fee of CNY 800 (≈ $120). Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years. A fee of CNY 1,000 (≈ $150). Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years.
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen?
Q1 visa is for stays over 180 days; the reunion-type residence permit is valid up to 2 years, or up to 3 years for those under 18 or 60 and over.
How long does the Spouse of a citizen take to process?
The receipt of acceptance for a residence permit application is valid for no more than 15 working days from acceptance, within which the decision is made.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a citizen?
Parents, parents-in-law, children, siblings and grandparents of a Chinese citizen or permanent resident also qualify as family under Q1.
Does the Spouse of a citizen lead to permanent residence in China?
Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward permanent residence in China, which the rules allow after 5 years of marriage.
Is there a tax break for Spouse of a citizen 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
Spouse and partner visas elsewhere
≈ 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 7 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.
- Q1 & Q2 Visa · Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Papua New Guinea · checked 2026-10-11
- Application for a Foreigner's Residence Permit (reunion-type residence permit) · National Immigration Administration, China · checked 2026-10-11
- Instructions on Application for Family Reunion Residence Permit for Foreigners · Beijing Municipal People's Government · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence permit: charge standard · Beijing Municipal People’s Government · checked 2026-10-11
- NIA guide for visa changes/extensions and category-specific stay limits · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12
- 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.