Official 2025 Beijing Visa, Residence Guide Drops for Foreigners

Abigail Weathers | Sep 13, 2025 11:30 am | Add a comment | 279 reads

The Exit-Entry Administration Municipal Public Security Bureau recently released their “Welcome to Beijing: Guidance on Entry, Exit, and Residence Services for Foreigners” for 2025. The English-language guide consists of 39 pages of information related to entry, exit, visas, business and residence for foreigners in China. There are also references and pages of addresses and contact information for various entry-exit bureaus and other places that might be of interest to foreigners.

For most longtime Beijing foreigners, most of the information in this guide won’t be anything new. However, it is a decent guide for visitors and new arrivals and a good resource for contact information and answers to some basic questions dealing with things like visas and residence permits, housing registration, residence permits and driver's licenses that even long-time residents might want to keep handy.

The guide is organized into eight chapters over three main sections. The information in each chapter is delivered by way of answers to simple questions that get straight to the point. The guide is easy to read with no fluff.

Here's what's inside:

Arriving in Beijing: Guidance on Entry Permit for Foreign Nationals

Flow Chart of Entering China for Foreign Nationals
Enter Methods for Foreigners, and Port Visas
- Who is eligible for the visa waiver program?
- Who is eligible for China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy?
- Is China’s port visa the “visa on arrival”? Which ports are authorized to issue it?
- Under what circumstances are foreign nationals eligible to apply for a port visa?
- How to apply for a port visa?
- What are the types of port visa?
- Contact information of port visa offices in Beijing

Living in Beijing: Guidance on Accommodation Registration, Stay or Residence for Foreign Nationals

Accommodation Registration
- When should foreign nationals register their accommodation?
- What are the procedures for foreign nationals registering their accommodation in beijing?
- What documents are required for registration?
- How to register via the online system?
- Does a non-Beijing or overseas phone number work with the online system?
- Which types of exit/entry permits can be used for the online registration?
- What are the possible consequences of refusing to register accommodation?
Visa/Stay Permit
- Can visas issued by Chinese overseas embassies or consulates or the port visa issued by entry port visa authorities, be extended or renewed in China?
- How many days does it take to complete an application?
- Where can I apply for a residence permit, visa and stay permit?
  - Distribution Maps of Exit-Entry Administration Reception Halls of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau
- What types of visas are available?
- Who is eligible for the Q2 (short-term family reunion) visa?
- Who is defined as a family member?
- Who is eligible for the S2 (short-term personal business) visa?
- Who is eligible for the internship-marked S2 visa?
- Who is eligible for the R (talent) visa?
- What should foreign nationals do if their visa, stay permit, or residence permit is lost, damaged, or stolen?
- Under what circumstances can foreign nationals apply for a stay permit?
- What is the process for registering a newborn infant born in China to foreign parents?
- How can foreigners apply for a passport loss certificate or a certificate of no criminal conviction?
Residence Permit
- What types of residence permits are available?
- Who is eligible for the residence permit for work?
- Who is eligible for the residence permit for internship or work-study as a study category?
- Who is eligible for the residence permit for reunion?
- Who is eligible for the residence permit for personal business?
- Who is eligible for the residence permit for domestic service in the category of personal business?
Permanent Residence
- What is permanent residence?
- How long is it valid?
- What are the approaches to the five-star card?
- Who is eligible to apply as a contributor?
- Which authorities are eligible to recommend a contributor?
- Who is eligible to apply as an employee?
- Who is eligible to apply as investment personnel?
- Who is eligible to apply based on family reasons?
- What documents are required?
- Which authorities do foreign nationals make their application to?

Traveling in Beijing: Facilitation Services

The Facilitation Policies of the Yangfan Plan on Entry-Exit
- 14 Policies of the Yangfan Plan to Assist Enterprises
- 12 Policies of the Yangfan Plan to Gather Talent
References
- Enquiry Numbers
- Related Websites
- Official WeChat Account: Beijing Public Security Exit-Entry
- Relevant Units and Contact Information
- Application for Motor Vehicle Driving License by Overseas Individuals Residing in This City

To access the guide, scan the QR code below, which will take you to a Tencent Weiyun drive where you can view the guide online, save it to your drive, or download it to your device.