I. Who can apply:

Expats who meet any of the following conditions may apply for a three-year residence permit:

1. Legal representatives, general managers, deputy general managers and chief financial officers of "operation-centric"; enterprises;

2. Departmental managers of high-tech enterprises, encouraged foreign-invested enterprises, foreign-invested advanced technology enterprises and foreign-invested goods-exporting enterprises;

3. Staff at the regional headquarters (or headquarters-type organizations) of transnational corporations, headquarters of private enterprises, or trade based headquarters in Shanghai;

4. Department managers of enterprises with registered capital of more than USD 3 million;

5. Those holding a Three-year Type A Work Permit for Foreigners;

6. Those holding a Three-year Type L-B Shanghai Residence Permit;

II. Documents required:

1. The applicant's original, valid passport and visa;

2. A completed Visa and Residence Permit Application Form for Foreigners, and the applicant shall go to the local exit-entry administration of public security organs in person to take a free photograph, or the applicant who meets the relevant requirement of applying for visa without coming in person shall submit one color identification photo (taken within 6 months, white background, 2-inch, bareheaded, without modification, photographic paper printed, without smears);

3. A health certificate issued by a domestic entry-exit inspection and quarantine department within the past 6 months (applicants under 18 and over 70 are exempt from this requirement);

4. An application letter from the applicant's organization (indicating its unified social credit code);

5. A written application;

6. An original and photocopy of the business license or registration certificate of the applicant's organization, and, if the business license does not contain the unified social credit code, its organizational code certificate (unless the organization has already been registered, or for repeated applicants with the same organization);

7. Any of the following work permits for expats:

(1) Foreigner Work Permit holders shall submit the original and photocopy of the permit and a printed copy of the information obtained by scanning the QR code on it;

(2) An original and photocopy of the Three-year Type L-B Shanghai Residence Permit;

8. Any of the following supporting documents consistent with the applicant's identity and reason for application:

(1) Applicants qualified under Article I1 shall submit the original and photocopy of the Certificate of Recognition issued by China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Administration Bureau Waigaoqiao Bureau;

(2) Applicants qualified under Article I2 shall submit the original and photocopy of the Certificate of Recognition of High-tech Enterprises, Certificate of Confirmation of Foreign-Invested Projects Encouraged by the State, Certificate of Confirmation of Foreign-Invested Advanced Technology Enterprises or Certificate of Foreign-Invested Goods-Exporting Enterprises;

(3) Applicants qualified under Article I3 shall submit the original and photocopy of the certificate for Regional Headquarters (or headquarters-type organizations) of transnational corporations, headquarters of private enterprises, or trade based headquarters Multinational Corporations;

(4) Applicants qualified under Article I4 shall submit the original and photocopy of the business license or registration certificate for enterprises with registered capital of more than USD 3 million as well as its capital verification report;

(5) Applicants qualified under Articles I5 or I6 shall submit their Three-year Type A Work Permit for Foreigners or Three-year Type L-B Shanghai Residence Permit;

Notes: 1. In-person application required for the first time. Subsequent applications may be made by the organization or relative by providing relevant documents, or online appointment is available at our E-government platform for entry-exit administration (https://gaj.sh.gov.cn/crj/enhomeE). A medical examination certificate is not required for residence permit renewals within three months of expiration.

2. Exit-entry administrations of public security organs may, as they deem necessary, require applicants to attend an interview or submit additional supporting documents (such as proof of financial support, proof of change of information such as name, medical practice certificate, or business operation certificate, etc.). Applications which fail to provide the requisite information within the required time will be rejected, unless caused by a force majeure event.

3. All decisions of exit-entry administrations of public security organs rejecting applications for extension, replacement or re-issuance of ordinary visas, or rejecting expats' applications for residence permits or permit extensions, shall be final.

III.Online service

Click here to apply for a three-year Residence Permit for work online.

Source: gaj.sh.gov.cn