Many foreign friends may mistakenly think that everything is settled after successfully obtaining the work permit. However, only by completing the final step, which is applying for the work-related residence permit, can the loop of obtaining a visa for legal employment in China be closed. The work permit is not a visa. It is a certificate that approves legal work in China, while the residence permit is the visa in the true sense. If the following key points are ignored during the process of applying for the residence permit, all the previous efforts may be in vain.

许多外国朋友在成功获取工作许可后，可能会误以为一切已经尘埃落定。然而，完成最后一步：申请工作类居留许可才算完成了合法中国就业获得签证的闭环。工作许可证不是签证，它是可以在中国合法工作的批证证书，居留许可是真正意义的签证。若在办理居留许可过程中忽视了以下几个关键点，之前的努力也可能会付诸东流。

1

Apply for the Accommodation Registration Certificate

办理住宿登记证明

The Accommodation Registration Certificate is an indispensable and important document for applying for the residence permit. Usually, you need to go to the local police station in the jurisdiction where you live to handle it. For foreigners who have just arrived and haven't determined their long-term residence yet, they may stay in hotels temporarily. At this time, you can ask the hotel front desk to assist in registering the residence information and report it to the police station to obtain the hotel accommodation registration receipt. Remember that it needs to be stamped with the official seal of the hotel, otherwise it will be invalid. It is worth noting that even if you have been living in an apartment in China for a long time, once you leave the country and re-enter after 15 days, you still need to contact the local police station and re-register your residence information.

住宿登记证明是申请居留许可不可或缺的重要文件，通常需前往居住地所属辖区的派出所进行办理。对于初来乍到、尚未确定长期居所的外籍人士，他们可能暂时居住在酒店中。此时，可以请求酒店前台协助登记居住信息，并向派出所报备，以获取酒店住宿登记回执，切记需要酒店盖正式的酒店章，否则无效。值得注意的是，即便您已在中国某个公寓长期居住，但一旦出境15天后重新入境，仍需联系辖区派出所，重新登记您的居住信息。

• Accommodation Registration Voucher for Foreigners Issued by the Local Police Station within the Jurisdiction
• 辖区内派出所出具的境外人员住宿登记凭证

• Accommodation registration voucher issued by the hotel. It varies from hotel to hotel. Please refer to the specific format provided by the actual hotel where you check in
• 酒店出具的住宿登记凭证，因酒店而异，具体样式请参照实际入住酒店所提供的为准

During the process of applying for the residence permit, the following problems may occur due to the arrangements of the applicant's company or personal reasons：

办理居留许可期间，常因申请人公司安排或自身原因，可能出现以下问题：

Q

If I live in other cities, can I apply for the work-related residence permit in Ningbo?

如果在其他城市居住，能否在宁波办理工作类居留许可？

A

No. Applying for the work-related residence permit in Ningbo means that the applicant is supposed to work and have a long-term residence in Ningbo.The accommodation registration certificate of Ningbo needs to be provided and cannot be replaced by the accommodation registration certificate of other cities. Of course, it is within the normal scope of work if you often travel on business to other cities with Ningbo as the base, and you can still apply in Ningbo.

否。在宁波办理工作类居留许可说明申请人理应工作并长期驻地宁波，需要出具宁波的住宿登记证明，不可由其他城市的住宿登记证明代替。当然，以宁波为核心经常出差其他城市属于正常工作范畴，仍然可以在宁波申请。

Q

Can I leave Ningbo during the process of applying for the residence permit?

办理居留许可期间，是否可以离开宁波?

A

In principle, you can. People who hold the voucher of the residence permit application form can present it to take domestic transportation and check into hotels. This voucher is valid only with the official seal of the exit-entry administration department. If you are staying in a hotel, you must not check out before obtaining the residence permit. Because the hotel's security information system is available for the exit-entry administration department to query at any time. Usually, the exit-entry administration department will query this system, call the hotel or even conduct on-site inspections before approving the residence permit. If you have already checked out at this time or the hotel accidentally deletes your accommodation information, it will cause trouble for the smooth approval of the residence permit.

原则上可以，持有居留许可申请单凭证的人可以出示该凭证来搭乘国内交通工具和入住酒店。这个凭证需要有出入境管理部门正式的盖章才有效。如果你入住的是酒店，千万不能在获得居留许可前退房。因为酒店的安全信息系统是可供出入境管理部门随时查询的。通常，出入境管理部门在审批居留许可前都会到该系统中查询或是致电酒店，甚至上门实际勘查情况。如果此时你已经退房，或是酒店不小心删除了你的住宿信息，都会给顺利批复居留许可带来麻烦。

2

Confirm whether the company's office address is in normal operation

确认公司办公地址是否正常运营

During the process of applying for the work-related residence permit for foreigners, the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau may conduct on-site visits based on the actual work address filled in by the applicant to verify whether the applicant is actually working for the company they applied for. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the company is open for business as usual so that the bureau can conduct the verification smoothly.

在办理外国人工作类居留许可的过程中，出入境管理局可能会依据申请人填写的实际工作地址进行实地走访，以核实申请人是否确实在其申请的公司工作。因此，请务必确保公司正常开门营业，以便管理局能够顺利进行核查。

All in all, applying for the residence permit is a meticulous and important process, which requires foreign friends to make full preparations and strictly abide by relevant regulations. It is recommended that foreign friends contact Reindeer consultants to learn about and prepare all the necessary materials and documents in detail before applying for the residence permit, so as to ensure the smooth progress of the application process. It is hoped that every foreign friend can find a sense of belonging and happiness in China.

综上所述，办理居留许可是一个细致且重要的过程，需要外国朋友充分准备并严格遵守相关规定。建议外国朋友在办理居留许可前，联系灵达顾问详细了解并准备好所有必要的材料和文件，以确保申请过程的顺利进行。希望每位外国朋友都能在中国找到属于自己的归属感和幸福感。

Author 作者 | Fiona