Shanghai enforcing deadline for changes to residence permits

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Effective immediately, the Shanghai Exit-Entry Bureau has begun to strictly enforce a regulation that requires foreign employees to give the bureau notice when information on their residence permit changes.

What does the change mean? Foreign residents must report any changes to the information registered in their permits, such as changes to their address or passport, within 30 days.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate.
• Visas/permits affected: Residence permits.
• Who is affected: Foreign residents in Shanghai.
• Business impact: Employers or employees may face warnings or fines for late reporting.
• Next steps: Foreign residents of Shanghai whose information has changed since the issuance of their residence permit should move quickly to file a residence permit amendment application with the Exit-Entry Bureau.

Background: The regulation requires that employees report changes to their residence permits to the Shanghai Exit-Entry Bureau within 10 days, but it was not strictly enforced and foreign residents were allowed to report changes when they renewed their permits. Although the official deadline is 10 days, authorities are now requiring foreign residents to file any amendments within 30 days of a change.

BAL Analysis: Employers and expatriate employees should be aware of the stricter enforcement of the deadline and file any changes to their residence permits within 30 calendar days.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in China. For additional information, please contact china@bal.com.

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