Foreigners who wish to reside in China for a long time generally need to apply for a residence permit. Depending on the purpose of residence, foreigners need to apply for different types of residence permits. When applying for a foreigner's residence permit, the foreigner should go to the exit and entry administration of the public security organ at or above the county level of the place of residence to handle the relevant procedures in person and leave biometric information such as fingerprints.

　　Foreigners' residence permits in China are mainly divided into the following five categories.

　　For work-related residence permits, those who enter the country with a Z visa should submit work permit certificates issued by local human resources and social security, foreign experts and other competent authorities, as well as proof letters from their employers.

　　For study-type residence permits, those entering the country with an X1 visa should submit a letter from their school indicating the duration of study and a certificate of admission or enrollment.

　　For journalists with residence permits and those entering the country with J1 visas, they should submit a letter issued by the foreign affairs department of the provincial people's government and the issued "Journalist Card".

　　For family reunion residence permits, those entering with a Q1 visa should submit the identity proof of the person to be visited and a letter explaining the family relationship.

　　For private affairs residence permits, those entering with an S1 visa and visiting relatives should submit a letter issued by the person to be visited explaining the relationship among relatives (spouse, parents, parents-in-law, and children under the age of 18) and their residence permits.