Measures for the Administration of Shanghai Social Security Cards

(Promulgated by Decree No. 22 of Shanghai Municipal People's Government on September 17, 2019; amended by Decree No. 15 of Shanghai Municipal People's Government on January 8, 2025)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 (Legislative Purpose)

With a view to standardizing the management of social security cards in this Municipality, guaranteeing the effective use of social security cards, improving the level of government social administration and public services, these Measures are formulated in the light of the actual circumstances of this Municipality.

Article 2 (Scope of Application)

These Measures apply to the application, production, distribution, use and related services and management activities of social security cards in the administrative area of this Municipality.

Article 3 (Definition)

The social security card in these Measures means the electronic certificate issued by the government in a unified manner for cardholders to enjoy social security and other public services.

Article 4 (Card Information)

The personal information recorded by the social security card includes the cardholder's name, photo, social security number, card number and other card face information, as well as other basic information of the cardholder and related application information.

Article 5 (Function and Application)

The social security card has basic functions such as information recording, self-service inquiry, expense settlement, payment and benefits drawl, and has financial service functions as well.

Through the promotion mechanism for social security card — one card holding all service functions for residents, this Municipality guides and coordinates the application of the social security card in such fields as social security, public services, and financial services, gradually achieving universal use of the card.

Article 6 (Division of Duties)

The municipal public security department is responsible for overall managing, coordinating and promoting the establishment of the social security card information management system, and verifying the identity information of applicants for social security cards and taking the lead in gathering relevant basic information of social security cards.

The municipal departments of human resources and social security and medical security are responsible for verifying the social security card applicants' participation of social insurance in this Municipality, and promoting the application of social security cards in the field of social security.

The municipal department of development and reform is responsible for coordinating the major issues related to the implementation of the work of one card holding all service functions for residents with the social security card as a carrier, in accordance with the relevant work arrangements of this Municipality.

The departments of health, education, civil affairs, economy and informatization, finance, transport, culture and tourism, local finance, data management are responsible for doing well the relevant service and management work related to social security cards in accordance with their respective duties.

The people's governments of various districts, as well as the sub-district offices and town/township people's governments are responsible for cooperating in the service and management related to the application and issuance of social security cards within the administrative region.

Article 7 (Undertaking Subject)

The municipal social security card service agency is specifically responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the social security card information management system, the production and issuance of social security cards, and the organization for the handling of social security cards application and related management work.

Community and bank acceptance outlets shall specifically undertake the application acceptance, issuance, function opening, and loss reporting of social security cards.

Chapter II Application and Use

Article 8 (Applicants)

The person with this Municipality's household registration and people from China who come to Shanghai to participate in this Municipality's social insurance according to law may apply for a social security card.

Article 9 (Method of Application)

Applicants can apply for a social security card at a community acceptance outlet. When applying for a social security card, the applicant shall submit his/her valid ID card, have the name, nationality, ethnicity, gender, photo and other information checked on the spot, and provide information such as the mailing address and postal code. After confirmation thereof, the staff of the community acceptance outlet shall upload the application information to the social security card information management system.

Applicants can also go to the bank acceptance outlet or go through the application formalities for the social security card on the online service platform.

Article 10 (Information Verification)

The public security and human resources, social security and medical security departments shall verify the applicant's basic information and participation in the social insurance of this Municipality, within 3 working days after receiving the application information.

If the verification is passed, the card shall be produced by the municipal social security card service agency. If the verification fails, the original acceptance outlet shall inform the applicant and explain the reasons; for acceptance online, the municipal social security card service agency shall inform the applicant and explain the reasons.

Article 11 (Production and Issuance)

The municipal social security card service agency shall complete the production and issuance of the Social Security Card within 30 days from the date of verification.

Article 12 (Activation of the Card)

The cardholder can go to the community or bank acceptance outlet, use online service platform, or make the social security card service call to open the social security functions.

Article 13 (Use of the Card)

The social security card can be used for affairs related to pension insurance, medical insurance, work injury insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, employment services, labor relations, human resources and talent, and resident health management.

The social security card with the transportation function can be used for taking public transportation such as buses, trams, rail transit, ferries, etc.

Relevant business departments are encouraged to load business functions through social security cards. Enterprises, institutions, people's organizations, and social organizations can rely on social security cards to provide preferential and convenient services, gradually expand the application scope of social security cards, and promote application interoperability and service sharing in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Article 14 (Financial Application)

The applicant can voluntarily choose the relevant service bank to open the financial service function of the social security card.

After it is opened for financial services, the social security card can be used for cash access, transfer, and consumption.

Article 15 (Convenience Service)

The municipal departments of development and reform, human resources and social security are responsible for compiling a list of applications for the social security card — one card holding all service functions for residents, making timely and dynamic adjustments, and publishing it to the society.

Public security, human resources and social security, medical security, education, health and other departments shall, by means of government websites and brochures, actively make public such information as specific service items, application conditions, basic procedures, and processing time limits to be handled by the social security card to provide convenience for the cardholder to enjoy the benefits of public services.

Article 16 (Cardholder's Obligations)

The social security card shall be used only by the cardholder. The cardholder shall properly keep the social security card and may not lend it to others for use.

Chapter III Loss Reporting and Replacement

Article 17 (Loss Reporting in Time)

If the social security card is lost, the cardholder shall promptly handle the loss reporting procedure.

The personal fund risk caused by failure to report the loss in time shall be borne by the cardholder.

Article 18 (Loss Reporting)

The cardholder may apply for a temporary loss reporting by making the social security card service phone call, and may use online service platform or go to the community acceptance outlet with a valid ID card to handle the official loss reporting. After the loss is reported, the social security function is frozen immediately.

Temporary loss reporting is valid for 5 days. If the cardholder fails to make an official loss reporting within the validity period of the temporary loss reporting, the social security function will be automatically restored after the expiration of the validity period; if the cardholder handles the formal loss reporting in the temporary loss valid period or directly makes the formal loss reporting, the social security function should be discontinued.

Article 19 (Removal of Loss Reporting and Replacement)

If the original card is found after the social security card is reported lost, the cardholder may go to the community acceptance outlet to cancel the loss report with the valid ID card, and the social security function is instantly restored.

If the social security card cannot be retrieved after the official loss report of the social security card, the cardholder may go to the community or bank acceptance outlet to complete the replacement procedure with a valid ID card.

Article 20 (Loss Reporting for Bank Service)

If the social security card has opened the financial service function, the cardholder may handle the temporary loss reporting by making the bank service telephone call, or go to the bank acceptance outlet with a valid ID card to handle the official loss reporting. With regard to the specific rules for the validity period and cancellation of the loss report, and the replacement, the relevant service bank shall determine and inform the cardholder.

Article 21 (Replacement)

If the social security card is defaced or incomplete and unrecognizable, or cannot be used normally on the application terminal, the cardholder may apply to the community or bank acceptance outlet for a replacement with a valid ID card.

Article 22 (Re-application)

In any of the following circumstances, the cardholder shall make application again in accordance with the relevant provisions of these Measures:

1. changing the name;

2. changing the social security number;

3. changing the photo; 

4. or changing the service bank.

The child over the age of seven shall replace a social security card with a photo.

Article 23 (Replacement Limitation and Original Card Invalid)

The municipal social security card service agency shall complete the production and issuance of social security cards within 15 days from the date of receipt of the information of replacement and renewal.

If cardholders urgently need to apply for or replace their social security cards, they can go to community or bank acceptance outlets that meet the conditions to handle instant card replacement services on the spot.

After replacing, renewing and reapplying the social security card, the original card is invalid and cannot be used again.

Article 24 (Card Fees)

The application for, replacement and renewal of social security cards are free of charge.

Article 25 (Information Confidentiality)

Relevant administrative organs, enterprises and institutions, social organizations and their staff shall keep confidential the personal information of the cardholders obtained at work, and shall not disclose or make legal inquire and use of such information.

Chapter IV Legal Liability

Article 26 (Punishment for Violations of Public Security Management and Card Management)

In the case of lending, transferring one's social security card, or applying for, or using the social security card by fraud or theft to seek illegal benefits, the relevant departments shall investigate the wrongdoer for legal responsibilities according to law, and the information about the dishonesty shall be recorded in the public credit information service platform of this Municipality. If the forgery, alteration, sale or purchase of the social security card, or the sale or use of the forged or altered social security card faces punishment for violation of public security management, the public security department shall impose punishment in accordance with the Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China and the information about the dishonesty shall be brought into the municipal public credit information service platform; if a crime is constituted, the wrongdoer shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law.

Article 27 (Punishment for Violation of Management and Service Duties)

Where the relevant administrative organ, enterprise, institution, social organization and the staff members have one of the following acts, the competent department at a higher level shall make an order for rectification, and the relevant unit shall impose disciplinary action on the chief person in charge and other persons held directly responsible; if a crime is constituted, the wrongdoer shall be prosecuted for criminal responsibility according to law:

1. loss of cards or arbitrary issuance due to improper management;

2. delaying the issuance of social security cards without justified reasons;

3. prevaricating or refusing cardholders who use social security cards in the prescribed business;

4. making use of the convenience of producing and issuing social security cards to accept or seek other interests; 

5. or leaking or illegally inquiring about and using the cardholder's personal information.

Chapter V Supplementary Provisions

Article 28 (Related Concepts)

The service bank means the bank to which the social security card financial account belongs.

The community acceptance outlet means the outlet designated by the Community Affairs Service Center and the Municipal Information Service Center for handling social security card services.

The bank acceptance outlet means the outlet set up by the service bank to handle the social security card business.

Article 29 (Reference)

The application for and the production, issuance, use and related services and management of the social security cards of overseas persons who participate in this Municipality’s social insurance shall take reference to these Measures.

Article 30 (Transitional Article)

The social security card issued before the implementation of these Measures that does not have the functions specified in Clause 1 of Article 5 of the present Measures shall be discontinued from December 31, 2020, and the cardholder shall make application again in accordance with these Measures and the relevant provisions of this Municipality.

Article 31 (Electronic Social Security Card)

The application and use of electronic social security card shall be conducted in accordance with relevant provisions of the State.

Article 32 (Date of Implementation)

These Measures shall be effective as of December 1, 2019. The Measures for the Administration of Shanghai Social Security Cards promulgated by Decree No. 100 of Shanghai Municipal People's Government on May 12, 2001 shall be abolished at the same time.