i. Applying for resident permit

Foreign resident journalist, their spouses and children holding "J-1" visa, according to the Implementation Rules of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens, should apply for Resident Permits at the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of local Public Security Bureau within 30 days of entry. Normally, the validity period of the Resident Permit is one year but shall not exceed that of passport.

Foreign journalists in Beijing applying for Resident Permits are required to present the following documents:

1. Passport with valid visa
2. Residence Registration Certificate in Beijing
3. Fill in the Foreigner's Visa and Resident Permit Application Form, with the official seal of your news agency and a recent 2-inch passport photo, full-face, with a light blue background.
4. Present the Press Card (R) issued by the Information Department.
5. Present Health Certification issued by the inspection & quarantine agency (for those over 18 years old and applying for the Resident Permits for the first time).
6. Accompanying spouses and children are requested to present the Resident Permit or the Press Card (R) of the journalist and official letter from the permanent office.
7. Marriage certificate for accompanying spouse is required.
8. Kinship certificate for accompanying children is required.
9. The resident journalists who originally entered China as short-term journalists holding J-2 visa are required to present the official letters of the Information Department to apply for Resident Permit.

Journalists in Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenyang may obtain information about the procedures for Resident Permits at their local exit and entry administration. The contact information of relevant divisions is as follows:

Foreign journalists are requested to go to the local exit and entry administration to extend the Resident Permit before it expires.

ii. Physical Examination and Health Certificate

Resident foreign journalists, their spouses and children, upon arrival in China, should take physical examinations at local inspection and quarantine administrations so as to get the Health Certificate (Those under 16 years old are not required to take the physical examination). The Health Certificate is valid for six months from the date of issuing.

The contact details and specific requirements of the inspection and quarantine administrations in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangdong and Liaoning are as follows:

iii. Making the Official Seal and the Financial Seal of Your Permanent Office

The head of the permanent office of foreign media organization in Beijing should go to the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau with the Certificate for Permanent Office of Foreign Media Organization in China and an official letter addressed to the Division of Exit and Entry Administration by the Information Department and go through procedures to make the official seal and the financial seal. The names of the permanent office on the official and the financial seal must be consistent with the name specified in the Certificate for Permanent Office of Foreign Media Organization in China .

Journalists in Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenyang may complete this process at the exit and entry administrations of local public security bureaus.

In order to go through smoothly the procedures concerning customs, taxes, banking services and vehicles, foreign journalists may apply to the National Administration for Code Allocation to Organizations (NACAO) for a National Organization Code (NOC) Certificate by providing the Certificate for Permanent Office of Foreign Media Organization in China. (For detailed information of the NOC Certificate, please visit the website of NACAO at http://www.nacao.org.cn) Permanent offices of foreign media organization, in case of closing, merging or changing, shall make a timely registration with the NACAO for the alteration of its NOC Certificate .