Service overview: This guide explains how to make an online appointment to apply for a foreigner's stay permit.

Target applicants:

• Visa-exempt foreign nationals who need to stay in China beyond the visa exemption period for reasons other than diplomatic or official purposes;
• Foreign crew members and their accompanying family members who need to leave the cities where their ships are berthed;
• Individuals whose applications to renounce their Chinese nationality have been approved and who need to remain in China;
• Foreign nationals whose grounds for residence have ceased and who need to remain in China longer for humanitarian reasons;
• Foreign infants born in China who need to stay in the country; and
• Foreign nationals who need a stay permit under other qualifying circumstances.

Service category: Stay permit

Service type: Online appointment

Application method: Online appointment and in-person submission

Administrative level: Municipal

Service platform: Government Online-Offline Shanghai

Laws and regulations: Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China

You can schedule an appointment for your application through the "出入境专栏 (Exit-Entry Services)" on Government Online-Offline Shanghai. Select "Issuance of Foreigner's Stay Permit".

After logging in, select English as the language, then select the district (or city) where you want to submit the application.

Fill in your basic information, including your name, mobile number, and passport number. Then choose the service center where you want to submit the application and select the date and time slot for the appointment. Confirm and submit the information.

After submitting the form, you can check your appointment details by clicking "Check the reservation". Please visit the service center at the scheduled time to submit your application.

In-person submission

Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau: Monday to Saturday, 9 am-5 pm (except statutory holidays; Saturdays for document acceptance only).

Applicants must present their original valid passport or other accepted international travel document and visa (if applicable), submit a completed Visa/Stay Permit/Residence Permit Application Form, and provide supporting documents relevant to their reason for applying. Applicants applying in person must also have a photo taken free of charge at the exit-entry administration office. Those eligible to apply through a representative must provide a two-inch color ID photo taken within the past six months against a white background, showing the applicant without headwear, unaltered, printed on photo paper, and free of stains.

Click to view office hours and locations for the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau and the exit-entry administration offices of district branches of the public security bureau.

Processing time

If application materials are complete, processing will be completed within five working days.

Note: The information provided here is for reference only; for more details, please consult the website of the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Hotline: 12367 (Chinese, English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Korean)