Residence Permit

Part of living and working in a foreign country is applying for and getting all the paperwork required to be legal. The next step in my Chinese paperwork journey is getting a Residence Permit.

To do this, I have to go, in person, to an administrative office in downtown Shenzhen. The problem is that most government, and some other, buildings close between noon and 2pm (The Chinese have their own version of the siesta). And I work until 11:30 at one job, halfway across the city, and have to be at the other at 3, also not close to downtown.

My employer talks to my school and they decide that in a couple days, on a Thursday, I can be late to work and go get my new passport sticker.

I, along with a bunch of other people showed up just before 2 and waited for them to open again. Unfortunately, I had issues getting in the door! There was a guard checking that everyone had a green QR code. I scanned the sign, but then there was lots of Chinese that I can’t read. And translating it did let me fill out the form, but I had questions and problems.

I needed to wait for the line to get inside before I, and another confused foreigner, could get help. Eventually, after scanning 3 different images, I finally had a green QR code!

However, it wasn’t the right QR code. The guard couldn’t scan it! I had to fill out a form (name, passport number, phone number) before I was allowed inside. But, I had finally made it in.

I met the representative from my employer and my school. They had me answer a few questions and sign some paperwork that they had already mostly filled out.

Then, it was time to wait a bit. The place was just like a lot of the DMV I had been forced to go to in the US. You check in, and get a letter/number based on what you need. Then sit and wait for your number to be called. There were a bunch of screens around so you can see when your number is called and what window to go to.

First up, was an interview. It was also the shortest interview ever! I went in with my employer so that she could speak Chinese for me. The guy behind the desk in the little office asked maybe one question about something basic that didn’t need my involvement. He just looked at the paperwork, checked my passport, stamped a paper, and we were on our way.

We, next, had to go to the machine that gives out the numbers to get a new number to wait on “line” some more. It was instantly our turn. We went to a window this time.

We gave my paperwork and passport to the man behind the window. He looked it over. I smiled for the camera. He kept the giant stack of paperwork and I got back a single piece of paper telling me when to come back for my passport.

I would have to wait a few weeks.

My employer walked me through the process on how to get my passport back with it’s new permit. She also sent me a pdf with the directions in a little more detail. And how to pay in WeChat. She also mentioned that I would need to get a physical receipt to give to them, if I wanted to be reimbursed the 400 yuan the permit would cost me.

Then it was on to work and to wait until they had the time to add a new sticker, my residence permit, to my passport.

After the long wait, I went back the second day I could.

This time it was easier to get in. While it took a couple tries to get the QR code, the guy at the door was able to scan it and let me in.

I was able to work the number machine after I realized I had to change it to ‘passport number’. It was instantly my turn, again.

I go to the window, hand over my number, the paper from my last visit, and my bank card. The card didn’t work. But I have WeChat Pay and the lady behind the desk was very used to taking people’s phones and entering the correct info to get to the form to pay. All I have to do is enter my name and hit enter. I get a physical receipt and my passport.

Before leaving, I check my passport. I have a new residence permit. It is good for 6 months.

Guess I’m doing this again soon.