Household registration

The Ministry of Public Security has announced that, starting on Sept 1, non-permanent residents of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Tianjin will be able to go to a local entry and exit management department to apply for a passport.

In the past, they had to return to the city where their household is registered to get that important travel document.

The change is meant to make it easier for non-permanent residents of big cities to travel overseas. But it doesn't come without restrictions. For one, non-permanent residents will not be able to get a passport unless they can furnish a certificate from their local social security department showing that they have paid into the local social security system for at least a year.