China · Business / Startup
China Graduate entrepreneur permit
First stay: 5 yrs
Private-affairs Residence Permit marked "Entrepreneurship" (graduate talent pathway)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Graduate entrepreneur permit is a business / startup route for China. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- CNY 400 ≈ $60 · +2 more
- Processing
- 15 working days
- First stay
- 5 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 3 government fees listed below; decision: 15 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesCNY 400 ≈ $60 · +2 more
- CNY 400 (≈ $60)Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year.
- 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
Residence permits can be extended through the exit-entry department.
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.
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- Route 1: a bachelor's degree or above from a key Chinese institution of higher learning.
- Route 1: a graduation certificate and certificates for innovation or entrepreneurship.
- Route 2: a graduate of an internationally renowned university who comes within 2 years of graduating, with a degree certificate.
- Those employed by an enterprise or institution apply for a work-type residence permit instead.
What you must show and pay3
- A fee of CNY 400 (≈ $60) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year.
- 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.
After you arrive2
- Route 1 gives a private-affairs residence permit valid 2 to 5 years marked "entrepreneurship".
- Route 2 gives a private-affairs residence permit valid up to 2 years marked "entrepreneurship".
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 5 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
Full official text
Residence permit for outstanding graduates of key Chinese universities, or of internationally renowned universities within two years of graduation, who start innovation or entrepreneurship in China. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of CNY 400 (≈ $60) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year. 3
- A fee of CNY 800 (≈ $120) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years. 3
- A fee of CNY 1,000 (≈ $150) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years. 3
Requirements
- Route 1: a bachelor's degree or above from a key Chinese institution of higher learning. 1 2
- Route 1: a graduation certificate and certificates for innovation or entrepreneurship. 1 2
- Route 2: a graduate of an internationally renowned university who comes within 2 years of graduating, with a degree certificate. 1 2
- Those employed by an enterprise or institution apply for a work-type residence permit instead. 1
- Route 1 gives a private-affairs residence permit valid 2 to 5 years marked "entrepreneurship". 1 2
- Route 2 gives a private-affairs residence permit valid up to 2 years marked "entrepreneurship". 1 2
Stay
- Key Chinese institution graduates: 2 to 5 years. Graduates of internationally renowned universities: up to 2 years.
- First stay: 24 to 60 months, decided case by case.
Work
Innovation and entrepreneurship activity; employment requires a work-type residence permit.
Official sources
- Entry-Exit and Stay (Residence) of Foreigners · National Immigration Administration of the People’s Republic of China · checked 2026-10-12
- 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
- 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
Graduate entrepreneur permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate entrepreneur permit | – | 5 yr | – |
| SMART Visa S · 2 years Thailand | Needs savings of ฿600k+ ≈ $18k | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Business Manager Japan | Needs an investment of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden · Entrepreneur United Arab Emirates | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| EntrePass Singapore | Needs an investment of SGD 100k+ ≈ $78k | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Graduate entrepreneur permit?
A fee of CNY 400 (≈ $60). Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year. 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 Graduate entrepreneur permit?
Key Chinese institution graduates: 2 to 5 years.
How long does the Graduate entrepreneur permit 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 work on the Graduate entrepreneur permit?
Innovation and entrepreneurship activity; employment requires a work-type residence permit.
Is there a tax break for Graduate entrepreneur permit 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
Business / startup 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 4 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.
- Entry-Exit and Stay (Residence) of Foreigners · National Immigration Administration of the People’s Republic of China · checked 2026-10-12
- 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
- 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
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.