New passport or changed details on a residence permit: the 10-day rule and the fine

If you receive a new passport, or another registered item on your residence permit changes, you must apply to have the registration altered. Under the Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 33, the application goes to the exit/entry administration of the public security organ under the local people's government at or above the county level in the place of residence, and you must make it within 10 days from the date of change. If you do not, Law, Article 76(4) provides for a warning, and a fine of not more than RMB 2,000 yuan may also be imposed.

The rules come from two national texts and two service guides. The Exit and Entry Administration Law's English page on the National Immigration Administration website is dated 2021-03-10; the Law was adopted on 30 June 2012 and came into force on 1 July 2013 (Law, Article 93). The Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners are State Council Decree No. 637, promulgated on 12 July 2013 and in force from 1 September 2013; that English page is also dated 2021-03-10.

What the registered items are

Article 33 of the Law lists the registered items of a foreign residence permit. They are:

• name;
• sex;
• date of birth;
• reason for residence and duration of residence;
• date and place of issuance;
• passport number or other international travel document number.

A new passport changes the passport number, which is a registered item. The list is the whole list in Article 33; it does not include the school. The school is not among the registered items listed in Article 33.

Article 33 and Article 76 use the word "foreigners". The Law does not name foreign students in these articles; it names foreign students only in Articles 42, 43 and 45.

Where you apply and by when

The place is the exit/entry administration of the public security organ under the local people's government at or above the county level in the place of residence (Law, Article 33). The deadline is 10 days from the date of change. The Law starts the 10 days from "the date of change" and does not state how that date is evidenced.

What you submit

Regulations, Article 17 says that to apply for extension, change or reissuance of a residence permit, a foreigner shall fill out an application form and submit his or her passport or other international travel documents, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of the application.

The Administration's English guide (page dated 2021-04-01) states the same step for a change. Its section 3 says: "For foreigners needing to extend the period of residence or change the registered items, the applicant shall submit relevant supporting materials or relevant certification materials for the change of personal information or purpose of residence in accordance with the provisions above. The residence period may then be extended, and a new residence permit may be issued."

Where this page quotes the Administration's Chinese service guide, the English wording is this site's translation; that page prints no date of its own and its URL folder is 201903. The translated text says that for an application to extend the period of residence or where a registered item of the residence permit has changed, the applicant shall submit relevant supporting materials or personal basic information and relevant certification materials for the change of the purpose of residence, and the period of residence may be extended and the residence permit may be replaced.

For the residence permit for study after arrival, see residence permit for study after arrival. For changes connected with work, see work and changes.

The fee for an information change

The Administration's English guide (page dated 2021-04-01) prints the charging basis and standards. The charging basis is the Notice of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance on Charging Standard and Issues Relating to Residence Permits for Foreigners (Fa Gai Jia Ge [2004] No. 2230). Under those standards, "For information change: CNY 200/person/time". The Chinese service guide's note states that the fee figures are those printed in the guide and that a local office's current notice prevails.

After you apply: receipt and decision

Regulations, Article 18 covers acceptance. If the application meets the acceptance provisions, the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ shall issue a receipt of acceptance valid for a period not exceeding 15 days, and make a decision on the application within the validity period of the receipt of acceptance; the English text of the Regulations says "whether to issue the visa" in this sentence about residence permit applications. If the procedures followed or materials submitted do not conform to relevant provisions, the authority shall, in a one-off manner, notify the applicant of the procedure(s) to be followed and the material to be supplemented and corrected. While the passport or other international travel documents are retained for processing, the applicant may reside in China legally on the strength of the receipt of acceptance (Regulations, Article 18).

Questions people ask

What are the registered items on a residence permit?

They are name, sex, date of birth, reason for residence and duration of residence, date and place of issuance, and passport number or other international travel document number (Law, Article 33). The school is not one of them.

How long do I have after my passport number changes?

You have 10 days from the date of change to apply to the exit/entry administration of the public security organ under the local people's government at or above the county level in your place of residence (Law, Article 33). The Law does not say what counts as the date of change for a new passport.

Is the school one of the registered items?

No. Article 33 does not list the school. Changing school is not a change to a listed registered item; if your reason for residence or duration of residence (both listed) changes, that is a registered-item change.

What documents do I need to alter a registered item?

Regulations, Article 17 requires an application form, your passport or other international travel documents, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of the application. The Administration's English guide adds that the applicant shall submit relevant supporting materials or relevant certification materials for the change of personal information or purpose of residence (English guide, section 3).

How much does an information change cost?

The Administration's English guide (page dated 2021-04-01) prints CNY 200 per person per time for information change, under the charging basis in Fa Gai Jia Ge [2004] No. 2230. A local office's current notice prevails over the figure printed in the guide.

Is the deadline 10 days or 30 days?

The 10-day period is in Law, Article 33 and starts from the date a registered item changed. The 30-day rule is different: the Administration's English guide says that for foreigners residing in China applying for extension of the residence period, the applicant shall submit the application 30 days before the validity period of the residence permit expires, and that if the extension is denied the foreigner shall leave China before the residence certificate expires. The Law's 10-day alteration rule does not set a 30-day period.

What happens if I miss the 10-day period?

Law, Article 76(4) says a warning shall be given, and a fine of not more than RMB 2,000 yuan may also be imposed, where a foreigner fails to go through the formalities for altering registration when a registered item in the residence permit has changed. The Law does not state a further consequence or a way to cure the failure.

Can I stay in China while the alteration is being processed?

Yes, in the situation described in Regulations, Article 18: during the period when the passport or other international travel documents are retained for processing the application, the applicant may reside in China legally on the strength of the receipt of acceptance.

Sources

• Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (English text published by the National Immigration Administration) — National Immigration Administration
• Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (English text published by the National Immigration Administration) — National Immigration Administration
• National Immigration Administration — service guide for issuing, extending, replacing and reissuing foreigners' residence permits (Chinese) — National Immigration Administration
• National Immigration Administration — Service Guide on residence permits for foreigners (English page dated 2021-04-01) — National Immigration Administration (en.nia.gov.cn)

Checked 11 October 2026 (the English service guide was checked 10 October 2026).

This page is an unofficial summary of the official texts named above, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the National Immigration Administration or any other body named here, and the official text and the instructions of the visa office or exit-entry office handling your case prevail if they differ.