Guide to Staying in Shenzhen for Hong Kong Residents

1. Single Stay Duration (Without Residence Permit)

• Chinese-national Hong Kong residents (standard Home Return Permit): These residents hold the standard Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (“Home Return Permit”). During the validity period of the permit, they can make multiple trips and remain in mainland China on a long-term basis; in practice there is no single, uniform “90 days per stay” limit for them.
• Non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents (non-Chinese Mainland Travel Permit): They may hold the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (Non-Chinese Citizens), which is generally valid for 5 years and allows multiple entries, but each stay in the mainland must not exceed 90 days. Holders are not permitted to work or study in the mainland and are not eligible for the Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents. If they wish to work, study or reside long term in the mainland, they usually need to apply for appropriate visas or stay/residence permits under the rules for foreign nationals.
• If, due to medical treatment, caring for relatives or other reasonable reasons, you genuinely need to extend your stay, you should consult the local exit–entry administration of the public security bureau about applying for the relevant stay or residence document.

2. Application for "Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Residents"

• If you are a Chinese-national Hong Kong resident, your Home Return Permit alone already allows you to remain in mainland China on a long-term basis, so a residence permit is not a mandatory condition for being allowed to stay. However, if you plan to live and work in Shenzhen on a long-term basis (for example to take up employment, pay into social insurance, open a local bank account, get a mobile plan or have your children attend local schools), it is strongly recommended that you also apply for the Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents, which is valid for 5 years, because it lets many systems recognise you as a local resident and makes everyday procedures much easier.
• The main eligibility requirements include:
• Having actually lived in the mainland for at least 6 consecutive months; and
• Meeting at least one of the following: lawful and stable employment, lawful and stable residence or continuous study (for example a labour contract, business licence, property or lease contract, employer or school accommodation certificate, student card or an enrolment/attendance certificate issued by your school).
• With a residence permit, you can lawfully work in your place of residence, join the social-insurance system, open bank accounts, sign up for mobile and utility services and access public services such as education and basic medical care more conveniently. However, some benefits that are strictly tied to local household registration (hukou) – for example certain housing schemes or school-allocation rules – still depend on local policies and may not be identical to those for registered local residents.
• Non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents who hold the non-Chinese Mainland Travel Permit are generally not eligible for this residence permit. If they wish to live or work long term in the mainland, they must instead follow the visa and residence-permit rules for foreign nationals.

3. How to Apply for "Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Residents" Online?

• Website: Official website of the National Immigration Administration (NIA)
• App / mini-program: You can use the "Immigration 12367" service platform or the official apps / WeChat mini-programs of local public-security exit–entry administrations to make appointments and check the requirements.
• WeChat Official Account: In Shenzhen, you can follow accounts such as "Shenzhen Public Security" or "Shenzhen Exit–Entry" and follow the on-screen instructions to complete an online booking.

4. Working Legally in Shenzhen

• Hong Kong and Macao residents working in the mainland (including Shenzhen) no longer need to obtain the former "Employment Licence for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Residents". As long as you hold a valid Home Return Permit or Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents and have signed a labour contract with a mainland employer, you can be legally employed, complete employment registration and participate in the PRC social-insurance system.
• If you are a freelancer or self-employed, you may register as a self-employed business (individual industrial and commercial household) or establish a company in accordance with mainland business-registration rules, and you must pay taxes and participate in social insurance and, where applicable, housing funds in line with local regulations.

5. Applying for Shenzhen Household Registration (Long-term Option)

• Chinese-national Hong Kong residents who meet the criteria under Shenzhen’s talent-introduction, points-based household registration or similar schemes may apply for mainland household registration (hukou) in Shenzhen.
• Once approved, you can live in Shenzhen long term as a local hukou holder and, subject to current policies, enjoy rights such as local property purchase and participation in basic pension and medical-insurance schemes. Detailed thresholds (for example education level, age and years of social-insurance contributions) may change over time, so you should always refer to the latest official information from Shenzhen authorities.

6. If my residence permit expires and I no longer live in Shenzhen afterwards, can I renew it?

The "Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Residents" is valid for 5 years. When it expires, if you are still actually living in the mainland and continue to meet the conditions of living there for at least 6 months plus at least one of lawful and stable employment, lawful and stable residence or continuous study, you can usually apply in your place of residence to replace the card with a new one. If you have already been living outside the mainland for a long period (for example you have moved back to Hong Kong), it is often difficult in practice to replace the permit, and you will generally need to apply again under the rules in force at the time if you later decide to move back to the mainland.

Typical supporting documents include: proof that you have been living in the mainland for at least 6 months (such as a lease agreement, property-ownership certificate, purchase contract, or an accommodation/residence-confirmation certificate issued by your employer, school or local community grid staff) and documents showing that you still meet at least one of the “lawful and stable employment / lawful and stable residence / continuous study” conditions (such as a labour contract, business licence, student card or an enrolment/attendance certificate issued by your school).

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