With the increasing openness of the internet, China is attracting a growing number of foreign friends to come and work and live with its unique charm. For individuals relocating alone, preparing materials and applying for work visas are already challenging tasks; for those new immigrants wishing to bring their entire family to China, the following guide will provide detailed answers to questions regarding residence permits for accompanying family members.

随着互联网的日益开放，中国以其独特的魅力吸引着越来越多的外国友人前来工作与生活。对于单身赴任的个体，准备材料、申请工作签证等流程已属不易；而对于那些希望携全家共赴中国的新移民，以下指南将细致解答关于随行家属居留许可的疑问。

Generally, the application for a residence permit for accompanying family members is contingent upon the principal applicant (i.e., the holder of the work permit) having their residence permit approved. After the principal applicant obtains a work permit in China, they must proceed to apply for a work-type residence permit. Meanwhile, the accompanying family members, based on their dependent relationship with the principal applicant, are required to apply for a residence permit for private affairs, such as "family reunion."

通常，随行家属的居留许可申请需以主申请人（即工作许可持有者）的居留许可获批为前提。主申请人在华取得工作许可后，需进一步办理工作类居留许可；而随行家属，基于与主申请人的依附关系，则需申请因“家庭团聚”等私人事务为由的居留许可。

To avoid confusion, let's first distinguish between the two types of visas that accompanying family members may hold: the Private Affairs Visa (Category S Visa) and the Private Affairs Residence Permit.

为避免混淆，我们先来区分一下随行家属会持有的两种签证类型：私人事务类签证（S类签证）和私人事务类居留许可。

Private Affairs Visa (Category S Visa)

私人事务类签证（S类签证）

This includes S1 (long-term family visit) and S2 (short-term family visit), issued by Chinese embassies or consulates abroad. After entering China with a private affairs visa, individuals must apply for a residence permit at the local immigration authority within 30 days; otherwise, the visa will become invalid.

包括S1（长期探亲）和S2（短期探亲），由中国驻外使领馆签发。私人事务类签证入境后需在30天内向当地出入境管理机构申请居留许可，否则签证将失效。

• The S1 visa is applicable to individuals who are immediate family members (spouse, parents, children under 18 years old, etc.) of a foreigner working or studying in China and require a long-term stay (exceeding 180 days) for family visits, or foreigners handling long-term private affairs.
• S1签证适用于与在华工作/学习的外国人存在直系亲属关系（配偶、父母、未满18周岁子女等），需长期居留（超过180天）的探亲者，或处理长期私人事务的外国人；

• The S2 visa is applicable to other relatives (siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, etc.) who intend to stay for a short-term visit (not exceeding 180 days), or foreigners handling short-term private affairs.
• S2签证适用于其他亲属（兄弟姐妹、祖父母、外祖父母、孙辈等）短期居留（不超过180天）的探亲者，或处理短期私人事务的外国人。

Private Affairs Residence Permit

私人事务类居留许可

Issued by the immigration authorities within China. Its validity period typically aligns with that of the principal applicant's residence permit, ranging from 1 to 5 years. It is applicable to foreigners who enter China with an S1 visa and require long-term residence.

由中国境内的出入境管理部门签发。其有效期通常与主申请人的居留许可有效期相匹配，为1年至5年，适用于持有S1签证入境后需要长期居留的外国人。

• Obtain an S1 visa before entering China, and switch to a private affairs residence permit within 30 days after entry.
• 入境前获得S1签证，入境后30天内换成私人事务类居留许可

When addressing this critical question: Does the principal applicant need to prepare materials for accompanying family members when applying for the work permit notification? This needs to be considered from two aspects:

面对这样一个关键问题：主申请人在申请工作许可通知时，是否需要一并准备随行家属的材料？这需从两个方面来考虑：

• Does the Chinese embassy in the applicant's country of nationality explicitly require that the work permit notification of the principal applicant must include information about accompanying family members when applying for a private affairs visa (Category S visa)?
• 中国驻申请人国籍所在国的大使馆是否明确要求，在办理私人事务签证（S类签证）时，主申请人的工作许可通知上必须注明随行家属的信息？
• Are the documents proving the familial relationship between the accompanying family members and the principal applicant, as well as the necessary Hague Apostille or consular authentication (e.g., a marriage certificate for a spouse or a birth certificate for a child), complete and ready?
• 随行家属与主申请人之间的亲属关系证明文件，以及必要的海牙认证或使领馆认证（如：作为配偶的随行家属需提供结婚证明；作为子女的则需提供出生证明）是否已完备？

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Scenario 1: If the answers to both of the above questions are affirmative, it is recommended that the principal applicant includes the information of the accompanying family members and submits the corresponding proof of familial relationship when applying for the work permit notification. In this way, once the principal applicant obtains the work permit notification, the accompanying family members can proceed to apply for the Category S private affairs visa at the embassy together. Subsequently, while the principal applicant obtains the work permit and processes the residence permit, the accompanying family members can simultaneously complete their residence permit applications.

情形一：若上述两个问题均得到肯定回答，建议在主申请人申请工作许可通知时，一并纳入随行家属的信息，并提交相应的亲属关系证明。如此，主申请人在获得工作许可通知后，随行家属即可随同前往大使馆申请S类私人事务签证。随后，主申请人在获取工作许可并办理居留许可的同时，随行家属亦可同步完成居留许可的申请。

• The work permit notification of the principal applicant includes the information of the accompanying family members.
• 主申请人的工作许可通知，标注了随行家属的信息

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Scenario 2: If it is confirmed that the Chinese embassy in the applicant's country does not require the work permit notification of the principal applicant to include information about accompanying family members when processing the Category S private affairs visa, and the proof of familial relationship for the accompanying family members is not yet ready, it is advisable to initiate the application process for the principal applicant's work permit notification first, without submitting the proof of familial relationship for the accompanying family members at this stage. Once the principal applicant obtains the work permit notification, the accompanying family members can then proceed to apply for the Category S private affairs visa at the embassy together. However, it is crucial to note that when the principal applicant processes the residence permit and plans to convert the visa type for the accompanying family members (at which point the complete proof of familial relationship must be provided), the long-term private affairs visa can then be successfully converted into a private affairs residence permit.

情形二：若确认中国驻所在国大使馆在办理S类私人事务签证时无需在主申请人的工作许可通知上注明随行家属信息，且随行家属的亲属关系证明尚未办妥，建议先启动主申请人的工作许可通知申请程序，暂不提交随行家属的亲属关系证明。待主申请人获得工作许可通知后，随行家属可随同前往大使馆申请S类私人事务签证。但务必注意，在主申请人办理居留许可并计划为随行家属转换居留许可类型时（此时必须持有完备的亲属关系证明），长期私人事务签证方能顺利转换为私人事务类居留许可。

When applying for a private affairs residence permit for family members, there are additional points to note:

在为家属申请私人事务类居留许可时，还有其他需要注意的事项：

• If the accompanying family members are adults over 18 years old, such as a spouse or parents, a medical examination report is required. Additionally, each time an extension of the residence permit is applied for, the relationship proof must be carried for verification.
• 如果随行家属是18岁以上的成年人如配偶、父母等，需要提供体检证明；并且，在每一次申请居留许可延期时，也都需要携带关系证明进行核验等。

• Children over 18 years old cannot apply for a private affairs residence permit due to age restrictions and will need to explore other avenues to achieve long-term residence.
• 18岁以上的子女因年龄超出限制，无法申请私人事务类居留许可，需通过其他方式实现长期居留。

In summary, whether you are the principal applicant or an accompanying family member, navigating China's complex residence permit application process requires patience and attention to detail. If you have any further questions or need consultation, feel free to contact Reindeer Consultants at any time!

总而言之，无论是主申请人还是随行家属，面对中国复杂的居留许可申请流程，都需要保持耐心与细心。如果您还有其他问题需要咨询，欢迎随时联系灵达顾问！

Author 作者 | Fiona