Got Permanent Residency but No Social Insurance? China Responds

Source: OT-Team(G)，中国政府网

  On February 20, the Chinese government responded to public concerns regarding foreigners with permanent residency in China being unable to apply for pension insurance.

  Mr. Wang from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, raised the issue on the State Council's "Internet+Supervision" platform. He reported that his wife, a foreign national, had been living in Zhenjiang for 20 years and obtained the Foreigners Permanent Residence Permit in 2023. However, despite holding the permit, she was unable to apply for rural and urban resident pension insurance because she did not have a local Zhenjiang household registration.

  Upon receiving the complaint, the State Council's Supervision Office conducted an initial review and forwarded the matter to the Jiangsu Provincial Government for further investigation.

  The Jiangsu Provincial Government, after receiving the case, took immediate action by assigning the issue to both the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security and the Zhenjiang City Government. An investigation confirmed that the complaint was valid. According to existing regulations, foreigners holding the Foreigners Permanent Residence Permit who reside in China without employment, and who meet the requirements of the local region, can participate in basic medical insurance and social pension insurance programs, similar to local urban residents (per Article 9 of the "Measures for the Enjoyment of Relevant Benefits by Foreigners with Permanent Residency in China," issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2012).

  However, since Zhenjiang's Jingkou District had not previously dealt with such cases, there was no local policy for foreigners with permanent residency to apply for pension insurance. According to the "Implementation Measures for Urban and Rural Residents' Basic Pension Insurance in Zhenjiang" (Zhenzhenggui Fa [2015] No. 8), only residents with local household registration were eligible. As a result, Mr. Wang's wife could not apply for the pension insurance.

  After further discussions, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security and the Zhenjiang City Human Resources and Social Security Bureau clarified that foreign nationals with permanent residency in Zhenjiang are now eligible to apply for urban and rural pension insurance. Mr. Wang's wife has since successfully enrolled in the program.

  In line with the national policy of attracting global talent, Jiangsu Province is also conducting province-wide policy training and interpretation to ensure accurate implementation of the policy across all levels of government, especially frontline service departments. This aims to ensure that foreigners with permanent residency can easily access social insurance services.