D Visa (Permanent Residence Entry)
🇨🇳 China visas · Retirement
What it is
Single-entry visa for holders of a Foreigner's Permanent Residence Confirmation Form. Used for the initial entry to collect the permanent residence card. Primarily used by retirees with Chinese family ties and long-term residents who have been approved for permanent residence. Official applicant scope: persons entering China for permanent residence.
Key facts
- Category
- Retirement
- Duration
- Single entry (permanent residence card grants indefinite stay)
- Processing time
- 4–5 days
- Path to permanent residence
- Direct route
- How to apply
- Mixed
Standard figures for this route. Some applicants pay a reduced fee or none at all, so confirm your own case on the official page.
Fees
- Application fee (入境后领取永久居留身份证时收取（非签证费）)
- CNY 300
- Application fee (通常约合170至250元人民币，视使领馆而定)
- CNY 170
Key requirements
- Foreigner's Permanent Residence Confirmation Form issued by Chinese public security bureau
- Valid passport
- This visa is for entry only; permanent residence card collected after arrival
Working on this visa
Work rights follow from the permanent residence the D visa delivers, not from the visa: once the 外国人永久居留身份证 is collected (within 30 days of entry) the holder may live and work in China on that card.
Facts checked against the official source. Last updated 4 August 2026.