The visa you are granted will depend on your reasons for going to the country. Once you have your visa you will be able to enter China, but you must apply for temporary residence as soon as you get to the country. If you plan on living in China for more than 180 days, then you will need a permit for residence.
In S1 visas, the intended duration of the stay will be more than 180 days, while in S2 visas, it will be less than 180 days. However, the initial maximum duration of stay for private visit visas will be just 30 days, and if the foreign national wishes to stay more, he or she should take a temporary residence permit.
With a permanent residency, a foreigner is allowed to live and work in China without any restriction – they do not need to apply for other residence and work permits, nor do they need additional visas to enter and exit China.
Irrespective of your position or employer, you can get a permanent residence permit if you earn over 600,000 RMB per year, paid your timely income taxes (120,000 RMB+ per year), and have worked in Shanghai for more than four consecutive years with no criminal record in your home country.
If you are planning on moving to China for the long term, you will need to apply for and obtain an entry visa to enter the country. The visa category you need to apply for depends on the reason for your entry into the country. China visas are divided into the following categories: C Visa.
Many expats work in China without learning Mandarin. This is more feasible in the big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, but even in those places you're likely to run into difficulty if you only speak English.
United Kingdom is 71% more expensive than China. Jul 2023 Cost of Living.
Foreign nationals or stateless persons who are willing to abide by China's Constitution and laws and who meet one of the following conditions may be naturalized upon approval of their applications: (1) they are near relatives of Chinese nationals; (2) they have settled in China; or (3) they have other legitimate ...
Permanent residence permit in China is obtained under special conditions. Foreign investors, spouses of Chinese nationals, and foreigners with permanent employment can easily obtain this document. In other cases, however, applicants must prove that they have invested in China for at least 3 years.
If any person is eligible for a family residence permit in China and he/she desires to live for more than six months in this country, he/she can apply for a permit valid for one year, which is extendible with relevant documents when required.
Feeling like an outsider. Although Chinese society is welcoming and Chinese people are friendly to foreigners, regularly failing to understand the culture or language can make you feel isolated.
Is China a safe place to live? China rates as one of the world's safest countries for foreign expats. Crimes against foreigners are rare because serious crimes are almost non-existent. Harsh penalties, a high police presence and ubiquitous CCV cameras in all major cities help keep everyone on the straight and narrow.
Is it hard to live in China as a foreigner? Many foreigners love living in China, but for some, living in China as a foreigner is unbearably difficult. Much is confusing and unfamiliar, especially if you live outside of a major city. Foreigners living in China must be patient, tolerant, and open-minded.
If you get British citizenship, you can leave the UK for as long as you want without losing your right to return.
All British passport holders (British overseas territories citizens, British overseas citizens, British subjects and British Protected persons) whose passports have at least six months' validity, can enter Hong Kong for a period of up to 90 days without a visa.
It may seem pretty obvious that you should learn at least a little bit of Chinese, or even just Ni Hao 你好 (hello). But, the amount of people that move to China without knowing a single word of the language is very high. You certainly don't have to be fluent.
China does not have a visa specifically for retirees. However, there are several avenues to long-term residency for people who want to retire in China. The most common option for retirees is to get a permanent resident visa.
China does not allow dual citizenship. The line of reasoning seems to be that the authorities don't want to create a group of people who enjoy too much privilege, or potentially allow criminals to evade punishment. Critics say it is a way of ensuring citizens' loyalty or maintaining a monoculture.
China is over-populated, which complicates the process of obtaining citizenship even more. For instance, you can obtain citizenship if you get married to a Chinese individual if you already live in China or have Chinese parents but living abroad.
Upon approval, the foreign-born spouse enters the U.S. on an immigrant visa, thus becoming a lawful permanent resident (or a lawful conditional resident, if your marriage is less than two years old at that time).
Cost of living in Germany vs the UK
Some of the biggest costs you'll incur, like rent, childcare and public transport passes, are all cheaper in Germany— not to mention the cheaper university fees. The average cost of living in Germany is 21% cheaper than the cost of living in the UK.
Just under 40,000 British people live in China according to recent estimates. Many expats live in the capital city, Beijing, or one of China's other major cities such as Shanghai or Guangzhou.
The UK's economy is significantly smaller than China's, standing at $2.76 trillion (£2.08 trillion). However, this is to be expected considering both the size and population differences that exist between both nations. Like China the UK's economy also grew substantially in 2021 despite the effects of Covid.