Bringing Your Family: S1/S2 Visas, Schools and Dependants
China Field Notes · by Daona · 12 min read
Your work permit covers you, not your family. A spouse, children and parents each need their own visa, their own residence permit and their own registration — and none of those documents lets them work. Start the family paperwork when you start your own, not after you land.
In Issue 03 we walked through the route a foreign professional takes to work in China: work permit notification, Z visa, work permit, residence permit. That route is built around one person. When a family moves too, every other member needs a parallel set of documents, with its own visa letters, certificates and timing.
The most common problem is not refusal but delay: a marriage certificate never apostilled, a birth certificate that does not show both parents, a school place not applied for until the family had arrived. Each is easy to avoid with a few weeks' notice.
| Visa | For | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| S1 | Spouse, parents, children under 18, parents-in-law of a foreigner working or studying in China | Over 180 days |
| S2 | Family visiting such a foreigner: spouse, parents, children, children's spouses, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law | Up to 180 days |
| Q1 | Family of Chinese citizens or permanent residents, for reunion or foster care | Over 180 days |
| Q2 | Visiting relatives who are Chinese citizens or permanent residents in China | Up to 180 days |
Definitions follow the Shanghai government's published visa classification. S is 私人事务签证; Q is 团聚签证.
The S1 circle is narrow. An adult child, sibling or grandparent who wants a long stay does not fit; they visit on an S2 or visa-free. Q is for families of Chinese citizens and permanent residents (Issue 29). Short visits may need no visa if the nationality is covered by visa-free entry (up to 30 days, to 31 December 2026) or a mutual exemption agreement (Issue 03).
An S1 is an entry document. For a long stay, each family member applies for a residence permit for private affairs (私人事务类居留许可) at the local exit-entry administration (出入境管理局), generally within 30 days of entry.
Under the Exit and Entry Administration Law, non-work residence permits run from 180 days to five years. In practice a dependant's permit is aligned with the principal's and cannot outlast it. The principal's work-type permit is normally issued first, because the family's applications rely on it. Put all expiry dates in one calendar.
Some cities allow family members who entered on another status to apply in China in certain circumstances. Practice varies; ask the local exit-entry administration before planning around it.
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport of each member | With S1 visa or entry record; valid well beyond the permit |
| Photos | Exit-entry standard; often taken on site |
| Principal's passport and residence permit | Copies |
| Marriage certificate | Apostilled or legalised |
| Birth certificate | Showing both parents; apostilled or legalised |
| Chinese translations | Of foreign-language certificates |
| Accommodation registration form | For each member (Issue 02) |
| Employer's letter / medical | Some cities ask; medicals for some adult members |
The apostille
The Apostille Convention (《取消外国公文书认证要求的公约》) took effect for China on 7 November 2023. For certificates from member countries, an apostille replaces consular legalisation; for others, legalisation is still needed. Arrange it at home, before you move, and ask for several certified copies.
Mismatches. Names are compared across passports and certificates. A married name on the passport and a maiden name on the certificate, or a birth certificate missing one parent, means supporting documents and questions. Check before apostilling.
· A spouse who wants to work needs their own work permit and work-type residence permit, sponsored by their own employer (Issues 03 and 10).
· Paid freelancing, consulting or private lessons for money are work. On a private-affairs permit they are illegal employment, with fines under Article 80 for the individual and anyone who hires them.
· Volunteering, study and caring for the family are not employment. If it is paid or looks like a job, ask first.
A change of status is a new application; some cities allow it in China, others may require the visa step abroad. Check before the start date is agreed.
A child born in China to two foreign parents does not acquire Chinese nationality and has no residence status at birth. The parents:
① obtain the birth certificate (出生医学证明) from the hospital;
② apply to their embassy or consulate for the child's passport;
③ apply for the child's residence permit — under the Regulations on the Administration of Entry and Exit of Foreigners, within 60 days of birth;
④ complete accommodation registration for the child.
The embassy step is often the slowest. Ask what it needs before the birth.
Shanghai's guidance describes three routes; other large cities are broadly similar.
Schools for children of foreign personnel (外籍人员子女学校)
What most people call international schools: foreign or international curricula, mainly taught in English or another foreign language, generally enrolling foreign passport holders. Apply directly. Popular schools have waiting lists and follow their own admission calendar.
International divisions of local schools
Run by some Chinese schools for foreign students; Shanghai says they use the same enrolment criteria as international schools. Often bilingual.
Local public and private schools
In Shanghai, families apply to a district public primary or junior high school under the proximity admission principle (就近入学), or to a private school under randomised admission; kindergartens via the district education bureau. Teaching is in Chinese. Senior high admission is coordinated by the district, with the city's entrance examination (中考) for students who completed junior high in Shanghai.
City policies vary: some designate schools for foreign students, others ask for Chinese ability. Ask the district education bureau before you sign a lease — catchment depends on address. International school fees are set by each school and are often substantial; ask for the full schedule, including application, building levies, transport and meals.
As Issue 09 explains, a foreign tax resident can receive children's education, housing and language allowances tax-free if reasonable and reimbursed against fapiao (发票). The alternative is the special additional deductions (专项附加扣除), including ¥2,000 per child per month. It is either–or each tax year, until 31 December 2027.
One child at an international school; assumed fees ¥200,000 a year; marginal rate 30%:
| A: allowance | B: deduction | |
|---|---|---|
| Excluded from taxable income | ¥200,000 | 2,000 × 12 = ¥24,000 |
| Tax saved at 30% (approx.) | ¥60,000 | ¥7,200 |
Illustrative. Not any real school or person; a large exclusion can move income across a bracket.
The difference of about ¥52,800 a year is why families on international school fees usually choose A — reimbursed against fapiao issued by the school. The choice covers the whole year. From 2028, unless extended, A ends; model it now.
Healthcare. Basic medical insurance is tied to employment; dependants on private-affairs permits are generally not covered by the principal's social insurance, so families rely on commercial health insurance (商业健康保险). Check dependant cover, outpatient, paediatric, dental and maternity limits, and direct billing (Issue 16).
Registration. Every family member needs accommodation registration (住宿登记) within 24 hours at a non-hotel address, and after every move (Issue 02). Foreigners over 16 must carry their passport or residence permit — teenagers too.
Run two tracks from day one. Apostille certificates when the principal's work permit starts.
Apply to schools before choosing a flat. Waiting lists and catchments both shape where to live.
Settle the spouse's employment early. Treat it as a separate hire with its own permit.
Put the tax choice in the offer letter. Reimbursement against fapiao is worth tens of thousands of renminbi a year until 2027.
Use licensed help. Visa and residence applications go through the employer or a licensed agency. Daona is not an immigration agency or law firm; we coordinate and introduce, and government and providers' fees are settled by the client directly at cost.
"My spouse is covered by my work permit." Each member needs their own visa and residence permit.
"My spouse can do some freelance work." Paid work needs their own work permit.
"My adult son can come on an S1." S1 covers children under 18.
"Official certificates will be accepted as they are." They need an apostille or legalisation, and a translation.
"Schools will find a place once we arrive." Popular schools have waiting lists.
"School fees are tax-free anyway." Only if reimbursed against fapiao, and only to end-2027 unless extended.
Your checklist
☐ Right visa for each member: S1, S2, Q1 or Q2
☐ Marriage and birth certificates apostilled or legalised before moving
☐ Names and details match across documents
☐ Each member registered within 24 hours of arrival
☐ Residence permits applied for within 30 days of entry
☐ Family expiry dates aligned with the principal's
☐ Separate work permit planned for a working spouse
☐ School applications made before signing a lease
☐ School fees reimbursed against fapiao agreed with the employer
☐ Commercial health insurance covers every dependant
☐ Reply START for the First Week in China Checklist
Rules as of October 2026. This column provides general information, not legal advice. Visa and residence permit decisions are made by the competent authorities; applications should be handled by your employer or a licensed agency, and school admissions by the schools and education bureaus concerned. Tax treatment should be confirmed with your payroll provider or a licensed tax firm. Government fees and licensed firms' fees are settled by the client at cost.
China Field Notes · by Daona