Foreigners holding permanent residence in China shall have their Foreigner’s Permanent Residence Permit valid for five or ten years. If the validity period, content change, damage or loss of the certificate expires, the holder shall apply for replacement or reissue to the public security organ of the city level people’s government or the public security branch or county bureau of the municipality directly under the central government where they reside for a long time.
According to Article 23 of the Measures for the Administration of Examination and Approval of Foreigners’ Permanent Residence in China, foreigners holding Foreigners’ Permanent Residence Certificates shall apply for renewal within one month before the expiration of their valid certificates; If there is a change in the content of the certificate, an application for replacement should be made within one month after the situation changes; If the documents are damaged or lost, they should be replaced or reissued in a timely manner.
In addition, foreigners who have been approved to stay permanently in China shall stay in China for at least three months each year. For those who are unable to reside in China for a cumulative period of three months per year due to actual needs, approval must be obtained from the public security department or bureau of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government where they reside for a long time. However, their cumulative residence in China within five years shall not be less than one year.
