Q: I am a foreigner holding a student residence permit in Shanghai. I want to apply for a one-year residence permit for my wife and child, who have recently entered China with an S1 visa. What documents are required for the application?

A: For spouses and children under 18 of foreign nationals holding a valid residence permit in Shanghai, the following documents are required when applying for a residence permit:

• A valid passport and visa of the applicant (original);
• A completed Visa/Stay Permit/Residence Permit Application Form. Applicants must be photographed at the exit-entry administration office, which is free of charge. If applying by proxy under permitted conditions, one recent color passport photo is required. The photo must be taken within six months, have a white background, be two inches in size, bareheaded, unretouched, printed on photo paper, and free of damage;

  

• A health certificate issued by a domestic entry-exit inspection and quarantine authority within the last six months. This is not required for applicants under 18 or over 70 years old;
• The valid passport and residence permit of the person being visited (original and copy);
• A letter from the person being visited certifying the family relationship. This letter must state the relationship as well as the full name of the work unit or school of the person being visited, and proof of family relationship. If reapplying with the same person being visited, this proof may be waived.

Notes:

Applicants entering China on an S1 visa are exempt from providing proof of family relationship.

First-time applicants aged 16 to 60 must apply in person.

If the person being visited holds a residence permit for private affairs (property purchase), the applicant must also provide the property ownership certificate or notarized purchase contract (original and copy).

Source: Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau