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Residence permit fees in China: RMB 400, 800 and 1,000

Unofficial summary · Sources checked

A residence permit for foreigners in mainland China is priced by how long it is valid: RMB 400 for a permit valid up to one year, RMB 800 for one to three years, and RMB 1,000 for three to five years. Those figures are printed in section 九(二) of the National Immigration Administration's Chinese service guide for issuing, extending, replacing and reissuing foreigners' residence permits, and the same amounts appear as CNY in section IX of the Administration's English service guide (page dated 2021-04-01). Both name 发改价格〔2004〕2230号, the notice of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance on the residence permit charging standard, as the basis for charging.

The Chinese guide is published in Chinese; where this page renders its wording in English, that English is this site's translation. The amounts below are the ones printed in those guides. The current notice of the exit/entry administration handling your application prevails.

The permit question comes after the visa question. The X1 or X2 visa check asks for your length of study, where you will live and whether you plan off-campus work, and prints the documents for that visa plus the steps that follow after entry; it does not decide a visa.

The three bands, as each page prints them

Validity Chinese service guide, section 九(二) English service guide, section IX
Up to one year 400 yuan (一年以内有效期居留许可) CNY 400 (valid for no more than 1 year)
One to three years 800 yuan (一年（含）至三年以内有效期居留许可) CNY 800 (valid for 1–3 years)
Three to five years 1,000 yuan (三年（含）至五年（含）有效期居留许可) CNY 1,000 (valid for 3–5 years)

The two wordings differ at the edges. The Chinese text marks the lower bound as inclusive — one year inclusive to within three years, three years inclusive to five years inclusive — while the English page writes "1-3 years" and "3-5 years". This page does not tell you which wording governs your case; the office handling the application does.

The basis both pages cite

Both guides name the same charging basis: the notice of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance on the charging standard and issues relating to residence permits for foreigners, 发改价格〔2004〕2230号. The English page gives the title in English as "Notice of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance on Charging Standard and Issues Relating to Residence Permits for Foreigners (Fa Gai Jia Ge [2004] No.2230)". Neither guide quotes the text of the notice; each gives only its title and number.

The further fee lines the English page prints

Section IX of the English service guide adds three lines after the validity bands:

  • The charging standards above apply to every accompanying person added to the residence permit — the validity-based amount, not a flat sum.
  • Removing an accompanying person: CNY 200 per person per time.
  • Information change: CNY 200 per person per time.

Section 九(二) of the Chinese guide prints the three validity bands, and the Chinese guide has no corresponding lines for accompanying persons or information changes.

Where the obligation to pay comes from

Article 92 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China requires foreigners who apply for exit/entry documents such as visas or foreigner stay or residence permits, or who apply for document extension or alteration, to pay visa fees or document fees in accordance with relevant regulations. That article is from the Law; the two service guides give the amounts. Under Article 93, the Law came into force on 1 July 2013 (English text published by the National Immigration Administration, page dated 2021-03-10).

What the fee sections do not set out

Section 九(二) of the Chinese guide and section IX of the English guide give no separate figure for re-issuing a permit (补发). They do not say whether a university or school may collect anything separately in connection with the application. They do not state that the amount differs by city or by the office handling the case.

How long the decision takes

Section 八 of the Chinese guide and section VIII of the English guide give the same timeline: if the application meets the conditions for acceptance, it is accepted and an acceptance receipt is issued, and the decision whether to issue the permit is made within the receipt's validity period. For a residence permit application, the receipt is valid for no more than 15 working days from the date of acceptance.

Questions people ask

Does a longer permit always cost more?

On the figures printed in both service guides, yes within this range: the amount rises with the validity band, from 400 to 800 to 1,000 yuan. Section 九(二) of the Chinese guide and section IX of the English guide set no band beyond five years.

Is there a fee for adding my spouse or child?

Section IX of the English service guide says the validity-based charging standard applies to every accompanying person added to the residence permit, and sets CNY 200 per person per time for removing an accompanying person.

What does it cost to change information on the permit?

Section IX of the English service guide sets CNY 200 per person per time for information change.

Can my university charge me separately for this?

Section 九 of the Chinese guide and section IX of the English guide do not address payments to a university. This page cannot tell you what your school does or does not collect.

Is this the amount my local office will charge?

The amounts on this page are the ones printed in the two National Immigration Administration service guides, citing 发改价格〔2004〕2230号. The current notice of the exit/entry administration handling your application prevails.

Sources

Checked 10 October 2026 and 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, and is not published by the bodies named above; if it differs from the official text or from the instructions of the body handling your application, those prevail.

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