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Getting help with living in China?

Help from the Chinese government?

For any questions about moving to or living in China, you may be able to get help from the:

• ?

You can also read the Chinese government’s guidance?on??and?.

The UK government,?the British Embassy in?Beijing, and?British Consulates-General in?China,?cannot give personalised advice on moving to,?living?or retiring in?China.

Professional help in?China?

You can also?get help from?English-speaking?professionals in China, including:

• lawyers?

• translators?

• funeral directors?

• medical?facilities

Help from the UK government

Read the?travel advice for?China?to understand the risks you may face if you live in or visit?China. This includes the latest information on:

• visas and entry requirements?

• laws and cultural differences

• safety and security?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad.

, including in an emergency.

Visas,?residency?and citizenship

Make sure you meet the?entry requirements for?China?before you travel.

Visas and residence permits?

Check which??you need to live in?China.

You can get a visa to:

• work

• study?

• live with family in China?

• invest or do business in China?

?If you want to extend your visa:

• read guidance on?

• contact?the??

For more information:

• read guidance on??from the Chinese Embassy in London

• contact the??

Criminal?record checks

To apply for a residence?or work?permit in China, foreign nationals must provide proof of no criminal record.?For more information:

• read about?police?and criminal records in?documents for British people abroad?

• contact your local police in the UK or the??

• contact the?Disclosure and Barring Service?(DBS) to find out if a DBS check is suitable for your requirements?

If you work or plan to work with children, you can also apply to ACRO for an??(ICPC).

The Chinese government may ask for your?criminal record check?to be legalised.?Our guidance on?documents for British people abroad?covers legalising and certifying UK documents.

For information on how to get a criminal record check in China, read guidance on?criminal records checks for overseas applicants.?

Registering as a resident?

Once you arrive, you?must?register your?address?in?China with?the?Public Security Bureau (PSB).?You must do this within 24 hours of arriving in China.?If you are staying in a hotel, they should do this for you.?Otherwise, you can complete the registration process:?

• at a?PSB?police station?window?

• at a foreigner’s service station?

• online through a ‘self-service declaration system for foreigners accommodation registration’?specific to your area

You must keep your registration up to date. Rules vary depending on where you live. Check if you need to?re-register each time you:

• move house

• renew your passport or visa?

• return to your address after travelling abroad or to a different city in China?

For more information?on?registering, read the?Chinese government’s guidance on?.?

If you have any problems or questions about registering your?address, contact:

• your local PSB office?

• contact the??

• an?

Permanent residency

You may be able to apply for permanent residency?(D visa)?in?China if you meet the eligibility criteria.

To find out if?you’re?eligible and how to apply:

• read?guidance on??

• contact?the?Municipal PSB – Exit-Entry Administration?in?your area

• contact?the??

Citizenship

China does not recognise?dual citizenship. This means that?you may?have to?give up (renounce) your British citizenship?to?become a?Chinese citizen.

Read guidance on?nationality in China?for more information, including for children born in China.?

To find out if?you’re?eligible for?Chinese?citizenship:

• read guidance on??

• contact the??

• contact Municipal PSB – Exit-Entry Administration in your area?

• contact the??

Help with visa,?residency?and citizenship applications?

The British Embassy in Beijing, and?British Consulates-General in?China,?cannot help with?Chinese?visa,?residency?or citizenship applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

• the??

• the??

• an??

Passports and travel?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:?

• apply for a British passport from abroad?

• travel urgently without your British passport?

Dual citizens travelling to the UK?

When travelling to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid?British passport?or?certificate of entitlement. Read guidance on?dual citizenship.?

Healthcare in?China?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• plan your healthcare?

• take medicine abroad?

China does not have?a reciprocal health agreement with the UK.

Make sure you have?appropriate health?insurance to cover any healthcare costs. You can get insurance from?Chinese or international providers.?If you work in China, your employer may also enrol you in a health insurance scheme.

Read about healthcare in China in the Chinese government’s guidance?on?.?

To find out how to get medical treatment:

• contact your insurance provider

• read guidance on?health in China?

• find?medical facilities for British nationals in?China?

Working in?China?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad.?This covers?working abroad, including documents you may need from the UK government.

To work in?China,?you need?a?work visa?and work permit.?To get a work visa or work permit, you must have:

• a job?offer?from a Chinese employer

• proof of no criminal record — read?about criminal record checks in the?visas and residency section of this guide

For more information, read the?entry requirements for China.

You can also read guidance on:

• working in China, in the Chinese government’s guidance on??

• ?from the Chinese Embassy in London?

Recognition of qualifications?

If you want to work in?China, you may need to get your foreign qualifications recognised.?

For more information,?ask your potential employer.?

Driving in?China?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad.?This covers how to:?

• drive abroad legally?

• take your UK vehicle abroad

• get driving licence letters?

Read about road travel in?China, in?safety and security in the travel advice for?China. This includes information on driving in China, including driving licence rules.?

The?Chinese government?provide information on driving in?China, including:

• ?

• driving in China, in the guide to??

?For more information, contact your local?Vehicle Administration Office?in China.

Disabled drivers?

If you have a?UK Blue Badge?and live in?China, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority.?

Money and banking

Foreign nationals can open bank accounts in China if they meet certain criteria. For most banks you will usually need to:

• be aged 18 to 65?years?

• have full civil capacity

• have a legal and stable income

Speak to the bank to find out exact requirements.?

Tax

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers tax, including paying UK tax and National Insurance.

The UK has a?double taxation agreement with?China?so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.?

Contact the??for any questions about double taxation relief.?

Consider getting professional advice on?. To do this, find an?.

Pensions?

Claiming your UK pension?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• how to claim your UK State Pension?

• where the UK government pays an annual increase in the State Pension?

Claiming a?Chinese?pension?

You may be able to claim a Chinese pension if you have worked and paid social security?contributions?in China.?If you work in China, your employer should enrol you in the state social security scheme.?Read guidance on?.

To find out whether you can claim, contact:

• your employer’s human resources department?

• the National Human Resources and Social Security Government Service Platform,
• an??

Benefits

Claiming UK benefits

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit.

Claiming?Chinese?benefits

You may be entitled to some?Chinese?benefits?if you have worked and paid social security contributions in China.?If you are working in China, your employer may enrol you in?the?state social security scheme.?

To find out if?you’re?eligible and how to claim, contact:

• your employer’s human resources department?

• the National Human Resources and Social Security Government Service Platform,

• an??

Buying and renting property in?China?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad.?This covers?buying and renting property abroad.

Requirements for foreign nationals buying property are different in different cities.?Contact an??if?you’re?considering buying property or land.?

Voting in?China?

UK elections?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:?

• vote in UK elections from abroad?

• register as an overseas voter?

Chinese?elections

You cannot vote in?Chinese?elections unless you hold?Chinese citizenship.?

Studying in?China?

If you plan to study in?China, you must meet all before you travel.?

For more information:

• read guidance on?travel grants for students studying abroad or on placements (England)

• visit the??

• contact your higher education provider in the UK or?China?

• contact the??

Children?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad.?This covers?moving abroad with children, including:

• getting permission to take your child abroad

• claiming UK Child Benefit abroad?

• child maintenance payments if a parent lives abroad

Schools and education?

The?Government of Beijing?provides?information about?.

All children aged?6 to 15?must attend school?in China.

For more information, contact your district or municipality’s education department.

Childcare

The Department of Maternal and Child Health, part of the?, is responsible for?childcare services in?China.

Births, deaths,?marriages?and civil partnerships?

Births

If your child is born in?China, register the birth with the?Chinese authorities. You must do this within 60 days. For more information on how to register the birth:

• contact?your local?Municipal Public Security Bureau – Exit-Entry Administration or call the

• contact?your local?Police Station Household Registration Office if one of the parents is a Chinese citizen?

• read about birth registration in the Chinese government’s guidance on??

You can also?read about?nationality in China.?This explains the rules around Chinese nationality for children born in China.

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• register the birth with the UK authorities to get a UK birth certificate

• apply for your child’s first British passport?

Deaths

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• what to do after someone dies abroad?

• how to register the death with the UK authorities?

If someone dies in?China,?read guidance on:?

• what to when someone dies in?China?

• ?

Marriages and civil partnerships

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get married or form a civil partnership abroad.

For more information if you are British and getting married to a Chinese person of the opposite sex, see our guidance about?getting married in China.

The British Embassy can marry couples who are:?

• both British?and?of the?same or?opposite sex?

• one British and one?non-Chinese?person of the opposite sex?

• one British and the other of any nationality, including Chinese, of the same sex?

Same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are not legally recognised in?China.?For information about LGBT+ rights in?China, read guidance on?safety and security in the travel advice for?China.

Divorce and separation?

Read our guidance on?moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get a divorce or end a civil partnership.

The?Chinese government?offers guidance on?.?

Consider taking legal advice from an?.

Documents for British people in?China?

Read our guidance on?documents for British people abroad.?This covers:

• legalising and certifying UK documents

• marriage and civil partnership documents?

• affirmations and?affidavits

• witnessing signatures?

Lawyers,?translators?and notaries

To find an English-speaking lawyer, translator or notary in?China,?read guidance on?professional services if you’re abroad.

Pets?

If you want to bring your pet with you to?China,?read guidance on:

• ?from the Government of Shanghai?

• taking your pet dog, cat or ferret to a non-EU country?

Pet importation?rules change often and?can?differ?depending on where you enter China. Check with a company that specialises in international pet travel or relocation for exact requirements.

You can only bring one pet to China per adult. In most cities, like Beijing, you can only register one pet per household address.

Bigger dogs and specific breeds that are?considered?violent are banned from major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai.?

Returning to the UK

Read?returning to the UK permanently. This includes information on bringing family members back to the UK,?tax?and access to services.

Disclaimer

We provide this information as a guide only.?For definitive information, contact the?Chinese?authorities.

Read?our?consular information disclaimer.