Living map: Living in China · Status hub · IIT hub · Police registration (24h) · Counsel blogs
Money cluster: IIT hub · IIT wiki · Departure tax clearance · Social insurance · Property sale remittance · Bank & wires (property sale pack)
Opening a bank account as a foreigner
- Typical ask: passport, valid visa or residence permit, local phone number, sometimes work proof or address registration.
- Work-status reality: longer residence permits and employment evidence make retail onboarding smoother than short tourist stays.
- Branch variance: the same national bank can accept or reject a file depending on branch experience with foreigners.
- Mobile pay: linking Alipay/WeChat Pay to a China account or eligible foreign card is a product/compliance stack that changes often — treat vendor help pages as primary for UX, and your bank for binding limits.
Police accommodation registration proof sometimes appears in onboarding packs — see police registration (24h).
Sending salary overseas: documentation themes
Orientation only — banks implement controls differently:
- Identity + account in the remitter’s name
- Lawful income story — employment income supported by contract/payslips where asked
- Tax paid evidence — IIT withholding records / app records / employer tax payment materials commonly requested for larger outward transfers
- Purpose and beneficiary consistency — family support, savings, tuition, etc., matching supporting notes
- Annual / per-transaction product limits — do not rely on a single blog “$50k” figure without checking your bank’s current channel
IIT framework: Expat IIT hub. Leaving China permanently: departure clearance.
Property sale proceeds (different file)
Selling a China property and remitting sale proceeds is a separate documentation track (tax clearance on the property, title history, co-owner issues). Use the property remittance cluster — start at selling & remitting property proceeds and bank & wires for property sale — rather than mixing it into a salary wire narrative.
Common failure modes
| Failure | Symptom |
|---|---|
| No tax proof | Bank rejects or caps outward transfer |
| Account not in your name | Remittance story collapses |
| Status expired / overstay | Onboarding and KYC friction |
| Mixing salary + property + third-party funds | Compliance review / delay |
| Using informal “agents” for cash FX | Fraud and legal risk |
Legal basis & authorities (orientation)
- Individual Income Tax Law and withholding administration (proof of tax paid)
- Foreign exchange administration practice applicable to individuals (SAFE-related channels via banks)
- Bank KYC / AML product rules
For tax residence and allowances, stay inside the IIT hub. General information only.
Browse Finance & Tax counsel such as Hongliang Xu. Bring passport, residence permit, payroll records, IIT app screenshots, and the bank’s written document list.
