I. Who can apply:

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

1. Those who have won a Shanghai "Honorary Citizen"; "Magnolia Gold Award" or "Magnolia Silver Award";

2. Legal representatives, general managers, deputy general managers and chief financial officers of high-tech enterprises, encouraged foreign-invested enterprises, foreign-invested advanced technology enterprises, foreign-invested goods-exporting enterprises, regional headquarters (or headquarters-type organizations) of transnational corporations, R&D centers, investment companies, headquarters of private enterprises, trade based headquarters, or enterprises with registered capital of more than USD 3 million in Shanghai;

3. Foreign experts and scholars invited by key institutions of higher learning and research institutes, and well-known enterprises in China;

4. High-level foreign management and professional and technical talents certified by the competent department of human resources and the competent department of scientific and technological innovation in Shanghai;

5. Foreign members of the innovation and entrepreneurship teams that are introduced by key development fields and industries in China;

6. Foreign members of the work teams that are led by the expats who have made significant contributions and are in the special demand of China.

7. Foreign high-level technical talents with five-year tenure;

8. Those who have been granted a one-year (or above) residence permit for work in Shanghai for two consecutive times, and who have not violated laws or regulations;

9. Chinese with foreign nationality working in Shanghai;

10. Those holding a Five-year Type A Work Permit for Foreigners;

11. Those holding a Five-year (or above) Type L-B Shanghai Residence Permit;

12. Expats working in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Special Area.

13. Outstanding foreign graduates from key majors of domestic or internationally renowned universities working in Shanghai.

14. Foreign high-skilled professionals who have obtained professional qualifications overseas and are working in Shanghai.

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 issued by 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 Five-year (or above) Type L-B Shanghai Residence Permit;

9. 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 relevant certificate and a recommendation letter issued by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government;

(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, Certificate of Foreign-Invested Goods-Exporting Enterprises, certificate for Regional Headquarters (or headquarters-type organizations) of transnational corporations, R&D centers, headquarters of private enterprises, or trade based headquarters Multinational Corporations, the business license of the investment company, or the business license or registration certificate for enterprises with registered capital of more than USD 3 million as well as its capital verification report;

(3) Applicants qualified under Article I3 shall submit a letter of recommendation and undertaking issued by the employer;

(4) Applicants qualified under Article I4 shall submit a certification letter issued by the relevant department and a letter of recommendation and undertaking issued by the employer;

(5)Applicants qualified under Article I5 shall submit an official letter of recommendation and undertaking issued by the organization included in the Shanghai sci-tech innovation occupation list, the valid identity document of the team leader, and a letter of recommendation and undertaking issued by the team leader;

(6) Applicants qualified under Articles I6 shall submit relevant certification documents (such as certificate of award, medal, certificate of employment, etc.) of the expat (team leader) who has made significant contributions and is in the special demand of China, the valid passport of the team leader, the original and photocopy of the residence permit of the team leader, and a letter of recommendation and undertaking issued by the team leader;

(7) Applicants qualified under Article I7 shall submit a confirmation letter of high-level foreign technical talents issued by the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission;

(8) Applicants qualified under Article I8 shall have been granted a residence permit for work in Shanghai for two consecutive times, have not violated laws or regulations, and submit the original and photocopy of the Work Permit for Foreigners and a printed copy of the information obtained by scanning the QR code on it;

(9) Applicants qualified under Article I9 shall submit a Chinese identity certificate. Please see the Visa or Permit Service Notice for Chinese with foreign nationality (A034).

(10) Applicants qualified under Article I10 or I11 shall submit the original and photocopy of the Five-year Type A Work Permit for Foreigners or Five-year Type L-B Shanghai Residence Permit;

(11)Applicants qualified under Article I12 whose employing unit (both registered address and business address ) shall be located in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-Gang Special Area (the list of qualified employing unit is available by China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-Gang Special Area Administration);

(12) For those who meet the requirements of condition 13, domestic graduates should submit a full-time undergraduate (or above) diploma or degree certificate issued by a domestic key higher education institution, while overseas graduates should submit a full-time undergraduate (or above) diploma or degree certificate issued by a well-known international university, and provide a certificate of academic degree or diploma issued by the Overseas Education Credential Authentication Center of the Ministry of Education (applicants can apply through the Shanghai International Exchange Association), or provide a certification issued by our overseas embassy or consulate. For the list of key majors, please inquire with the exit-entry administration of the public security organs.

(13) For those who meet the requirements of condition 14, they should submit a certificate of overseas professional qualification authenticated by our overseas embassy or consulate (which needs to be included in the list of catalogues formulated by the municipal department of human resources and social security).

Notes: 1. Foreigners who have made significant contributions and are in the special demand of China refer to the winners of China's national awards and internationally renowned awards, academicians of national academies of science and engineering in each country, professors and researchers of internationally renowned universities and research institutes, senior management and senior professional and technical personnel of internationally renowned enterprises and financial institutions, and other personnel with significant achievements.

2. Key institutions of higher learning and research institutes in China refer to the universities under the Double First Class University Plan, as well as 7 categories of research institutes including national laboratories, national key laboratories, national engineering laboratories, national engineering research centers, national enterprise technology centers, national engineering technology research centers and foreign investment R&D centers; International renowned universities refer to universities that have been ranked in the top 300 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) released by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Higher Education Research Institute for the past five years. Well-known enterprises in China refer to the top 500 Chinese enterprises selected by the China Enterprise Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association, the organizations included in the Shanghai sci-tech innovation occupation list, and the organizations established by the Fortune Global 500 companies in Shanghai.

3. 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 and official letter issued by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government are not required for residence permit renewals within three months of expiration.

4. 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 major event.

5. 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 five-year Residence Permit for work online.

Source: gaj.sh.gov.cn