Concept
China does not sell status: there is no golden visa, no residence-for-real-estate scheme and no investor programme in the usual sense. Legalisation is derivative of a function — work, business, study or family — and rests on a chain of three documents: the work permit notification, the Z work visa and the residence permit, which is the document that actually serves as the residence permit. Entry "through capital" exists only at the level of permanent residence — and that is one of the rarest statuses in the world: on the order of 15,000 cards over the two decades of the programme.
For a business owner there are two working routes: your own company (a WFOE) that employs its founder, or a representative office of a foreign company with the position of chief representative. Since October 2025 a third channel has been added — the K visa for young STEM specialists, for the first time without a sponsoring employer.
Status map
A Chinese visa is not an end in itself but an entry into one of the modes of stay. The full line-up looks like this:
| Status | For whom | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free for Russia | an ordinary international passport | up to 30 days: business, tourism, family, transit; extended until 31.12.2027 |
| M | regular business trips | multiple-entry, usually 30–90 days per entry; no right to work |
| Z | employment, including employment at your own WFOE | entry into the work permit + residence permit chain |
| K | young STEM specialists | from 01.10.2025: multiple-entry, work/research/business without a sponsor |
| R | high-end talent (category A) | fast-track contour, permits of up to 5 years |
| S1 / S2 | spouses and children of a work-status holder | S1 (over 180 days) converts into a family-reunion residence permit |
| X1 / X2 | study | X1 — long-term with a residence permit, X2 — up to 180 days |
| Permanent residence | work / investment / marriage / merit | a five-star card for 10 years, living and working without visas or permits |
Visa-free travel covers negotiations, exhibitions, supplier sourcing and a visit to the bank, but it gives no right to work and creates no residency: a long-term lease, a personal account and hiring all require a long-term status. The rules on visa-free travel and the 240-hour transit are covered separately: China: visa-free travel for Russians.
Work permit: categories A, B and C
Since 2017 a unified Foreigner's Work Permit system with a points-based assessment has been in force. Thresholds: 85+ points — category A (high-end talent, no age limits, fast track, a residence permit of up to 5 years), 60–84 — category B (the bulk of professionals: engineers, managers, consultants), below 60 — category C (temporary and quota-based staff). Category A can also be reached directly — through national talent programmes or a salary of six local averages; the baseline entry into B is a bachelor's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience.
How the points are counted:
| Element | Gradation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Annual salary in China | from ¥450K — 20; ¥350–450K — 17; ¥250–350K — 14; ¥150–250K — 11; ¥70–150K — 8; below — 0–5 | up to 20 |
| Education | PhD — 20; master's — 15; bachelor's — 10 | up to 20 |
| Relevant experience | 2 years — 5; then +1 for each additional year | up to 15 |
| Working time in China per year | 9+ months — 15; 6–8 — 10; 3–5 — 5 | up to 15 |
| Age | 26–45 — 15; 18–25 and 46–55 — 10; 56–60 — 5; over 60 — 0 | up to 15 |
| Chinese language | HSK 5+ or a degree taught in Chinese — 10; HSK 4 — 8; below — 2–6 | up to 10 |
| Region of work | western regions, the north-east, special territories | up to 10 |
| Bonuses | a global Top-100 university — +5; experience at a Fortune Global 500 company — +5; provincial add-ons — up to 10 | up to 20 |
A practical benchmark: a 35-year-old bachelor's graduate with five years of experience, a full working year in China and a Shanghai salary of ¥30K a month scores 65 points — 10 for the degree, 17 for salary, 8 for experience, 15 for age, 15 for working time — comfortably category B. A master's holder on the same salary qualifies even without experience: 62 points. Since February 2026 the age ceiling of 60 for category B has been applied strictly — renewals over 60 are systematically refused.
The "single-window" reform merged the work permit, the residence permit and social insurance into a single online process, and since late 2024 the permit itself has been integrated into the social insurance card. The chain moves fastest in Shanghai.
Documents: an apostille instead of consular legalisation
Since 7 November 2023 China has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention: public documents from member states (Russia is one) no longer go through two-step consular legalisation — an apostille in the issuing country plus a translation into Chinese by a licensed bureau in China is enough. How the apostille and legalisation work across jurisdictions is set out in a separate analysis.
The basic set for a work permit: a diploma (apostilled), a certificate of no criminal record (apostilled; valid for 6 months from the date of issue), proof of experience (letters from employers), a medical examination, photos, a passport valid for at least 12 months. Budget 4–8 weeks for apostilles and translations — this is the most underestimated stage of the whole timeline.
The process step by step
- Preliminary assessment — calculating the points, checking the position and salary against the company's profile: 1–2 weeks.
- Apostille and translations — in parallel, 4–8 weeks.
- Notification Letter — the employer files online into the work permit system: 5–10 business days.
- The Z visa at the consulate in your place of residence: 4–7 business days. In Shanghai and Beijing a legal representative can sometimes convert status without leaving the country.
- Entry — 30 days to convert the visa into permits.
- Medical examination in China (if a foreign one is not recognised): 2–3 days, results in about a week.
- Work permit (the social insurance card): 5–10 business days.
- Residence permit at the Exit-Entry Administration: 7–10 business days, with the passport surrendered for that time.
- Residence registration with the police — within 24 hours of moving in (a hotel does this automatically; with a rental you do it yourself).
The full cycle from start to the residence permit is 8–12 weeks once the documents are ready; the first permit is usually for 1 year, and up to 5 years for category A.
Route 1: your own WFOE
The company hires its own founder: the WFOE appoints the foreigner as legal representative or general director and sponsors his work permit. The requirements are standard — a degree from bachelor's up, 2 years of experience, a clean record, a medical exam; the position and salary must be plausible for the company's scale.
What matters in practice:
- the company must be alive: monthly reporting, a real salary and IIT paid — when the status is renewed the tax history is checked against the salary in the original application
- salary is a tax burden: on top of the salary the employer pays social contributions (in Shanghai on the order of a quarter of payroll, with a further ~10% withheld from the employee); social insurance for foreigners has been mandatory since 2011; exemptions are granted only by bilateral agreements — and Russia has no such agreement with China
- the city matters: you can work where the permit was issued; the most predictable route is Shanghai, while in other cities a legal representative more often has to leave the country for the Z visa
- budget: company registration €4,000 (in detail — A company in China), work permit + residence permit — from US$2,500, annual upkeep of the company — from €11,400
Route 2: a representative office (RO)
A representative office of a foreign company does not carry on commercial activity — only representative functions: liaison with suppliers, quality control, marketing, market intelligence. In exchange comes lighter upkeep: no charter capital, taxes are calculated from the office's expenses (deemed profit), and the chief representative receives a work permit and a residence permit under the same three-step scheme. Besides the chief representative, the office can appoint up to three general representatives.
Requirements for the parent company: a Hong Kong one — at least 2 years of existence, a Russian one — at least 3 years; you will need a bank reference confirming good standing and an apostilled corporate pack. RO registration is from US$4,200, obtaining the status from US$2,500, plus apostilles and translations.
The limitations mirror the advantages: an RO does not issue fapiao, does not sign local commercial contracts and hires Chinese staff only through employment agencies (FESCO). Who the route is for: procurement and quality control without local sales, a presence before launching a WFOE, personal status without an operating burden.
The K visa: a STEM channel without a sponsor
Since 1 October 2025 a new category has been in force — the K visa for young specialists in science and technology (amendments by the PRC State Council to the entry-exit rules, August 2025). The key difference from the Z: neither a sponsoring employer nor a work permit is needed — the visa is issued on the STEM qualifications themselves (a bachelor's degree or higher from a recognised university, or work at such an institution), it is multiple-entry and permits work, research, entrepreneurship and business activities.
As of mid-2026 the roll-out is uneven: consulates are opening intake at different speeds, the age brackets are not officially fixed (working materials suggest guidelines of 18–35 and up to 45), document packs differ by country, and the consular fee is US$30–140. The channel is designed as a response to the tightening of the American H-1B and should be treated as early: strong for young engineers and researchers, but as yet without settled practice — including on converting K status into a long-term residence permit.
Permanent residence: the five-star card
China's "green card" is issued to a select few: on the order of 15,000 cards over the two decades of the programme, though after the launch of the new card (the five-star card, from 1 December 2023) issuance has noticeably accelerated. The card, with its 18-digit number, is read by banks, transport, hotels and government systems on a par with a Chinese ID; adults get it for 10 years, children for 5.
| Track | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Work | 4 years of work in China at 9+ months a year (for certain hi-tech sectors, from 2026 — 2 years) + income and tax thresholds: in Shanghai the benchmark is a salary of at least ¥886K/year and IIT paid of at least ¥177K/year |
| Investment | US$500K–2M of direct investment (the threshold depends on region and sector), held for at least 3 consecutive years, a stable tax history of the company |
| Marriage | 5 years of marriage to a Chinese citizen or PR holder + 5 years of residence at 9+ months a year + stable income and housing |
| Special merit | on the recommendation of the relevant authorities — an outstanding contribution or national interest |
What the card gives: living and working without visas, permits or a tie to an employer, entry and exit without restrictions, social insurance and the housing fund on a par with citizens, schools for children, home purchase on a resident basis, onboarding at banks and services by the card itself. The general requirements across all tracks: no criminal record, a medical board, and confirmed income and housing.
Tax residency
183 days in a calendar year make a foreigner a Chinese tax resident. The IIT scale on aggregate annual income (after the standard deduction of ¥60K and social contributions):
| Annual taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| up to ¥36K | 3% |
| ¥36–144K | 10% |
| ¥144–300K | 20% |
| ¥300–420K | 25% |
| ¥420–660K | 30% |
| ¥660–960K | 35% |
| over ¥960K | 45% |
Worldwide income is not included straight away — the six-year rule applies: only after six full consecutive years with a stay of 183+ days and without a single absence longer than 30 days; one absence of 31 days resets the counter. The count runs from 2019, so for those who have lived in China continuously since then worldwide income may switch on from 2027 — which made 2026 the year to plan the "resetting" departure.
The reliefs that keep the effective rate below the scale: tax-free fringe benefits for foreigners (rent, children's schooling, language courses, home-leave flights) have been extended until 31 December 2027; in the Hainan FTP, IIT for qualified specialists is capped at 15%, and in the cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) subsidies apply that bring the effective rate for qualified specialists down to 15%.
The Russia–China double tax treaty is in force — China is not on the Russian list of suspended treaties: dividends 10%, or 5% for a qualifying holding, with standard credit mechanisms. For a Russian controlling person a WFOE remains a CFC with all the reporting that entails.
Timelines and budget
| Route | Timeline | Budget benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| WFOE → work permit → residence permit | company 45–60 business days + status 8–12 weeks | €4,000 registration + from US$2,500 status + from €11,400/year upkeep + payroll taxes |
| RO → chief representative | about 3 months | from US$4,200 registration + from US$2,500 status |
| K visa | as consulates roll out | consular fee US$30–140 |
| S1 for family | in parallel with the main status | consular fees + certificate translations (apostille) |
| Permanent residence | from 2–4 years of work in China | income and IIT-paid thresholds |
A separate line item is apostilles and translations (diploma, criminal-record certificate, marriage and birth certificates): 4–8 weeks before filing, and it is this stage that most often derails the schedule.
Common mistakes
A shell company under a residence permit
Renewal of the work permit fails on the IIT reconciliation: if a salary was declared but no taxes were paid, the status will not be renewed, and the filing history stays in the system. A shell does not survive even the first bank KYC.
Salary "for points" without the economics
A high salary adds points but drags along IIT on the scale of up to 45% and social contributions. The optimum is worked out in advance: category B on a realistic salary is almost always more economical than category A arranged for the sake of the status.
Working on visa-free entry or an M visa
Any paid function in China requires a work permit. A breach is a risk of entry refusal and a ban on future statuses; checks at offices are routine practice.
The six-year rule without a plan
A missed "resetting" departure of 31 days brings worldwide income into the IIT base. A calendar of presence is worth keeping from the first year rather than reconstructing after the fact.
City of issue ≠ city of work
The permit is tied to the place of issue: work in another city is effectively a new procedure with a new sponsoring employer and, often, a new departure for the visa.
Legalisation at the last moment
A criminal-record certificate lives 6 months, and the apostille and translation take weeks. The wrong order of collecting documents derails the whole schedule — you should start with the apostilles, not with renting an office.
Questions and answers
Can you get a residence permit by buying real estate?
No. Real estate in China creates neither a visa nor a residency status — only functions work: work, business, study, family. The purchase of a home by a foreigner, on the contrary, itself requires a year of work or study in the country.
Does registering a WFOE automatically confer the right to a residence permit?
No: the company only sponsors the work permit, and approval is a separate check of qualifications, salary and the reality of the function. A work-permit refusal with a live company is a normal, if unpleasant, situation with a weak profile.
How many points do you need and how do you count them in advance?
60 for category B, 85 for category A. It is counted by the table above: salary, education, experience, age, HSK, region. A preliminary assessment takes a couple of days and is done before any expense — it is the first step of the route.
Do you have to live in China permanently to keep a residence permit?
There is no formal minimum number of days for the permit itself, but renewal is tied to the function and the tax history, and the points system counts the months of work in China. The work track of permanent residence requires at least 9 months a year.
What about family?
Spouses and children follow the holder of the work status: an S1 visa and a family-reunion residence permit for the same term. Marriage and birth certificates — with an apostille and translation.
Does China recognise an apostille on Russian documents?
Yes, since 7 November 2023: China is in the Hague Convention, and so is Russia. Consular legalisation for public documents is no longer needed — an apostille plus a translation by a licensed bureau in China.
Does a foreigner pay social contributions?
Yes; since 2011 social insurance for foreign workers has been mandatory; exemptions are granted only by bilateral agreements (Germany, Korea, Japan and about a dozen more countries). Russia has no such agreement — contributions are paid in full, but they count towards permanent residence and pension rights.