How to verify official information in China

2026-11-10 Settlement Guide

Rules on visas, residence, payments and healthcare change. Rather than memorising a number from one article, learn to verify in three minutes — which is why every guide on this site shows an official source and a verification note.

1. Trust order

Highest: authority websites (.gov.cn), official service platforms, the text of official announcements.
Next: your embassy's website and answers from official hotlines (12367 / 12345 / 12315).
Then: formal notices from established institutions, schools, hospitals or employers.
Lowest: social-media posts, chat screenshots, verbal promises from agents, "a friend told me".

2. Check three things

Date: for policy information, check the publication or update date first. Anything older than two years is background, not a basis for action.
Domain and identity: confirm it is an official domain, app or mini-program, not a look-alike.
One confirming call: 12367 for immigration matters, 12345 for local administration, 12315 for consumer disputes. Confirm the key point verbally.

3. Warning signs

Promises of "guaranteed approval / inside access / no test / no personal appearance"; transfers to a personal account; refusal to provide a written contract or official receipt; "decide today" pressure; claims of being "officially authorised" that cannot be found on the official website.

4. How to use this site

The Official Source block at the bottom of each guide links to the authority's page and quotes official text where relevant — open it for the latest wording.
The Verification Info note shows the last manual check; after 90 days it warns that content may be outdated, so defer to the latest official publication.
User-posted listings (jobs, housing, services) have a validity period and are taken down automatically on expiry. Check the posting date and remaining days, and verify the other party before any transaction.
If you find something outdated or wrong, tell us via the footer "Contact / Report" and we will verify and correct it.

General method guidance only. Always follow the latest official publications.

Official Source

https://s.nia.gov.cn/

Content Compliance Statement

All guides on this platform are based solely on official public information from the relevant Chinese authorities. We only organize and plainly restate it; we do not interpret, promise, or offer any agency service. Visa, residence and permanent-residence policies follow the latest official publications. Content about immigration / PR quotes official texts verbatim without exaggeration. We do not provide any unlawful or shortcut options. Report discrepancies via the footer "Contact / Report".

Verification Info

This guide was manually verified on 2026-11-10 (0 days ago). Based on official publications; always refer to the latest official source.

Official source: https://s.nia.gov.cn/

Common Questions for Foreigners in China

What is this platform for?

It is an information and life-services platform and community for foreigners living, working or studying in China. Listings can be browsed by category, by home country and by city, covering jobs, housing, second-hand goods, services and language exchange. Business-related content is split into three distinct channels: the Merchant Directory (/merchants) lists approved businesses operating in China; Verified Providers (/resources) is an editorially screened list of official bodies and legitimate service providers; Business posts (/listings?src=merchant) are commercial listings published by those merchants. There is no separate merchant-onboarding section — a business registers as a business member and its profile goes live after credential review.

How much does posting cost?

There are two separate posting systems with separate per-day rates. Individual members get a monthly free quota of 1 listings (valid 3 days after approval) and can also pay $2 (USD) per day, up to 30 days. Business members have NO free quota and pay $6 per day — by default 3x the individual rate (at least 2x), configurable by the admin with one multiplier or per category / per merchant — or use posting credits included in a purchased plan when the plan shop is open. The validity period is counted from publication: on expiry the system takes the listing down and withdraws it from every part of the site, and 30 days after takedown it is permanently purged.

How long is a listing valid, and what happens when it expires?

Every listing on this site is valid for up to 30 days. Past that period the system takes it down automatically, and it disappears from listings, search, category pages and recommendations alike; 30 days after takedown it is permanently deleted from the database rather than kept on. This keeps the information on the site current, useful and timely, and stops outdated content from misleading anyone.

Which payment methods are supported?

All prices are quoted in USD. You can pay in USD, EUR or GBP via PayPal / Payoneer, or in CNY via WeChat Pay / Alipay. Content becomes visible only after content review, confirmed payment and a mandatory final go-live review by an admin.

Why can I not pay right after submitting a listing or an ad?

By default we review content before taking payment. A moderator checks the submitted listing, request or ad creative first; once approved you receive an in-site notification and a "Pay now" button appears in your account. The platform can switch this pre-payment review off, in which case you can pay immediately. Either way, payment never publishes content automatically: a mandatory admin go-live review is still required before anything appears on the site. Requests and free-quota listings have no payment step, but still need admin approval to become public.

Who publishes the listings? Is the content reliable?

All listings are published by users (UGC). The platform does not take part in any transaction, so please verify the other party and the details before paying or meeting.