How do family members get a residence permit in China in 2026?

Q1 is the common long-stay reunion route with a Chinese citizen or a foreigner who holds Chinese permanent residence. Q2 is the short visit version of that family map. S1 is the common long-stay route for a spouse, parent, child under 18, or parent-in-law of a foreigner already residing in China for work, study, or another permitted purpose. S2 is the short visit version. Embassy and visa-centre category pages list those purpose lines; city Exit-Entry desks then convert Q1 or S1 into residence stickers after you land.

Kinship proof usually means marriage or birth certificates with apostille or legalisation rules that match your passport country, plus Chinese translations when the local window demands them: Apostille documents. If you married in mainland China first, keep the Civil Affairs marriage booklet ready: Marriage registration. The host supplies an invitation letter and their Chinese ID, residence permit, or permanent-resident card, depending on the route.

Register temporary accommodation within 24 hours if a hotel did not file for you: Register address. Then apply in person at Exit-Entry with passport, application form, photos, accommodation registration, invitation and relationship papers, and the host’s identity or residence proof. National guidance puts residence-permit applications for these long-stay entries inside 30 days of entry. Some cities also ask for a recent foreigner medical exam when the requested residence validity is long.

S1 residence length often tracks the host’s own residence permit. Q1 validity bands differ by age and city practice; Beijing English instructions publish multi-year ceilings for some family applicants, so treat each city’s checklist as binding. Renewals need fresh host evidence before expiry: Renew a residence permit. Switching later into work or study is a purpose change, not a quiet renewal: Change status of residence. Mandarin-only counters are common: Chinese bureaucracy without Chinese.