If you are married to a Chinese citizen, the usual route to living in China is a Q1 visa, followed within 30 days of arrival by a family-reunion residence permit issued by the local Exit-Entry Administration. The S1 visa is a different category: it is for family members of foreigners who work or study in China, not for spouses of Chinese citizens. After years of marriage and residence, permanent residence is possible, but your status is tied to the marriage, so a divorce generally means you need a new basis to stay.
This guide explains the categories as of 2026. Immigration practice changes often and differs between cities, so always confirm the current requirements with the Exit-Entry Administration of the public security bureau where you will live, or with the Chinese embassy or consulate that will issue your visa.
Which visa: Q1, Q2, S1 or S2?
China's visa categories are set by the Exit-Entry Administration Law and the Regulations on the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (most recently revised in 2025). For families, four categories matter.
| Visa | Who it is for | Length of stay | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Family members of Chinese citizens or foreign permanent residents coming for family reunion (and persons coming for foster care) | Long term, more than 180 days | Apply for a family-reunion residence permit within 30 days of entry |
| Q2 | Relatives of Chinese citizens or permanent residents on a short family visit | Up to 180 days | Leave before the permitted stay ends |
| S1 | Spouse, parents, children under 18 and parents-in-law of foreigners who work or study in China | Long term | Apply for a private-affairs residence permit |
| S2 | Family members of foreigners who are in China for work or study, on short visits, and other private matters | Short term | Leave before the permitted stay ends |
In short: if your spouse is Chinese, you are generally in the Q category. If your spouse is a foreigner working or studying in China, you are generally in the S category.
The Q1 visa for spouses of Chinese citizens
Typical documents
Embassies and consulates publish their own checklists, but a Q1 application for a spouse typically includes:
- Your passport and visa application form, with a photo
- An invitation letter from your Chinese spouse, with a copy of their Chinese resident ID card
- Proof of the marriage, usually the Chinese marriage certificate or a foreign marriage certificate with an apostille or consular legalisation and a Chinese translation
- Any additional documents the consulate asks for, such as proof of address
If you married in China, the marriage certificate issued by the registry is usually the key document. Our guide to marriage registration for foreigners in China explains that step, and our article on apostille for family-law documents explains how foreign marriage certificates are authenticated since China joined the Apostille Convention on 7 November 2023.
After you arrive: the family-reunion residence permit
A Q1 visa is only an entry visa. Under the Exit-Entry Administration Law, a foreigner whose visa states that a residence permit is required must apply within 30 days of entry to the public security Exit-Entry Administration where they live. You will generally need to:
- Register your address at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival (hotels do this for you; private homes do not).
- Book an appointment with the local Exit-Entry Administration.
- Submit your passport, application form, photos, the registration of temporary residence form, the marriage certificate and your spouse's ID and household documents.
- Wait for the decision. The law gives the exit-entry office 15 days to review the application, and your passport is usually held during that time.
The law allows non-work residence permits of 180 days to five years. In practice, family-reunion permits are often issued for one to three years at first and renewed; the exact length is decided locally. Apply to renew at least 30 days before expiry.
Can I work on a family-reunion permit?
Generally no. A family-reunion residence permit is not a work permit. If you want to work, you normally need a work permit and a work-type residence permit through an employer. Working without authorisation can lead to fines, detention or deportation, so check before accepting any job, including part-time or online work for a Chinese company.
Permanent residence through marriage
China does offer permanent residence (the "Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card") to spouses of Chinese citizens. Under the Measures for the Administration of Examination and Approval of Foreigners' Permanent Residence in China, a spouse may generally apply where:
- the marriage has lasted at least five years;
- the applicant has lived in China for five consecutive years;
- the applicant has stayed in China at least nine months in each of those years; and
- the applicant has a stable means of support and a place to live.
Applications are processed by the National Immigration Administration through local exit-entry offices and can take many months. Local offices may ask for proof of income, housing, tax records and a health certificate. Criteria and supporting documents do change, so treat these as general conditions, not a checklist.
What happens to your residence status after divorce?
This is the question we are asked most often by foreign spouses, and the answer is straightforward in principle: a family-reunion residence permit exists because of the marriage. Once the divorce takes effect, the reason for your residence has changed.
- Report the change. The regulations require you to report changes to the information on your permit and provide that a permit can be declared invalid if the original reason for residence changes and the holder does not report it. Do not simply carry on as if nothing happened.
- Find a new basis to stay. Common options are a work-type residence permit through an employer, a study permit, or, where you are the parent of a Chinese-citizen child who lives in China, a family-reunion permit as a parent. Parents are within the family members covered by the Q category, but local offices decide each case.
- Plan the timing. Local exit-entry offices may shorten your remaining permit or give you a limited time to change status or leave. Ask before the divorce is final.
- Permanent residents. If you already hold permanent residence, divorce is not in itself a listed ground for cancelling it as far as we are aware, but ask the exit-entry authorities about your specific case.
If you have children, your immigration status and your custody arrangements are closely linked. A parent without a secure right to stay in China is in a weaker practical position to exercise custody or visitation, so negotiate these issues together. Our foreigner divorce team regularly helps foreign spouses plan both.
Common mistakes
- Entering on a tourist (L) visa and assuming it can be converted locally. Conversions are sometimes possible but are not guaranteed.
- Missing the 30-day window to apply for the residence permit after entering on a Q1 visa.
- Letting a residence permit expire while waiting for a marriage certificate or foreign document.
- Working on a family-reunion permit.
- Not reporting a divorce, or a change of address, to the police and exit-entry office.
Key takeaways
- A spouse of a Chinese citizen generally uses a Q1 visa and then a family-reunion residence permit.
- S1 and S2 visas are for family members of foreigners working or studying in China.
- Apply for the residence permit within 30 days of entry and renew at least 30 days before expiry.
- Permanent residence through marriage generally needs five years of marriage and five consecutive years of residence, with at least nine months in China each year.
- Divorce removes the basis of a family-reunion permit, so plan a new basis to stay before the divorce is final.
- Always confirm details with your local Exit-Entry Administration.
Immigration and family law interact in ways that are easy to overlook. If you are planning a marriage, a move to China or a divorce and want to understand how your residence status fits in, book a free, confidential consultation with our bilingual team.