外籍孩子申请中国五星卡

为何“早”是关键？

Why is "early" crucial for foreign children applying for permanent residency in China?

中国五星卡（外国人永久居留身份证）作为外国人在华长期居留的重要凭证，对未成年外籍孩子而言，申请时机的选择尤为重要。“趁早办理”不仅是对现实便利的精准把握，更是对未来权益的长远规划，背后藏着多重必然考量。

The China Five-Star Card (Permanent Resident Identity Card for Foreigners) serves as an important document for foreigners to reside in China long-term. For underage foreign children, the timing of application is particularly important. Applying early not only ensures immediate convenience but also represents long-term planning for future rights, reflecting multiple essential considerations.

从申请资格的核心逻辑来看，未成年身份是外籍孩子办理五星卡的“黄金窗口期”。

From the core logic of the application eligibility, the status of a minor is the "golden window" for foreign children to apply for a five-star card.

目前，外籍孩子申请五星卡的主要路径是亲属投靠，政策明确限定申请对象为未满18周岁的未婚子女。一旦孩子年满18周岁，便会超出亲属投靠的年龄范畴，失去以子女身份办理五星卡的机会。届时若想获取在华永久居留资格，需通过工作、投资等其他路径，不仅申请门槛大幅提高，所需满足的条件也更为严苛。因此，在孩子未成年阶段趁早申请，本质上是借助政策给予的亲属投靠便利，为孩子锁定在华长期居留的身份基础，避免因超龄而错失关键机会。

Currently, the main path for foreign children to apply for the Five-Star Card is through family reunion, and the policy clearly limits the applicants to unmarried children under the age of 18. Once a child reaches the age of 18, they will exceed the age limit for family reunion and lose the opportunity to apply for the Five-Star Card as a child. At that time, if they wish to obtain permanent residence in China, they need to go through other channels such as work or investment, which not only have significantly higher application thresholds but also more stringent requirements to meet. Therefore, applying early while the child is a minor essentially takes advantage of the convenience of family reunion provided by the policy to secure a basis for the child's long-term residence in China, avoiding missing key opportunities due to exceeding the age limit.

教育是孩子成长的核心议题，趁早办理五星卡能为孩子衔接起完整的教育福利链条。

Education is a core issue in a child's growth. Applying for the Five-Star Card early can connect a complete chain of educational benefits for the child.

对未成年孩子而言，幼年时期办好五星卡，可直接对接国内教育体系——按当地政策就近入读公立学校，享受与中国籍孩子同等的免费义务教育福利，无需因外籍身份陷入复杂的入学审批流程，也不必承担额外的择校费用。更重要的是，从小融入国内教育环境，能让孩子在语言、学习习惯上实现无缝衔接，未来符合条件时，还可凭五星卡申请参加高考。除了教育，少儿医保的便捷办理也是重要福利，持有五星卡的孩子可顺利参保，让看病就医有坚实保障。这些与成长相伴的福利，都需要以尽早办卡为前提，若拖延办理，给孩子的成长带来不必要的阻碍。

For underage children, applying for the Five-Star Card at an early age can directly connect them to the domestic education system. They can attend public schools nearby in accordance with local policies, enjoy the same free compulsory education benefits as Chinese children, and do not need to go through complicated admission approval procedures due to their foreign nationality, nor bear additional school selection fees. More importantly, integrating into the domestic education environment from an early age allows children to achieve a seamless transition in language and study habits. When they meet the requirements in the future, they can also apply for the college entrance examination (Gaokao) with the Five-Star Card. In addition to education, the convenient application for children's medical insurance is also an important benefit. Children holding the Five-Star Card can successfully enroll in the insurance, providing solid protection for medical treatment. These benefits that accompany a child's growth all require applying for the card as early as possible. Delaying the application may bring unnecessary obstacles to the child's growth.

According to the reply from the Ministry of Education:

“国籍冲突”解释：

出生地点以及孩子出生时父母的身份状态会决定孩子的身份状态。

中国国籍法判定：如果孩子在海外出生时，中国籍一方（父/母），没有获得海外永居身份，那会判定为国籍冲突。

Explanation of "nationality conflict":

The place of birth and the identity status of the parents at the time of the child's birth determine the child's identity status.

According to China's Nationality Law: If a child is born overseas and the Chinese national parent (father or mother) has not obtained permanent residency abroad, it will be judged as a nationality conflict.

具体可参看以下付费文章：

For details, please refer to the following paid articles:

跨国子女身份如何规划？——6类【汇总篇】

从日常生活与出行场景来看，五星卡带来的便利贯穿孩子成长的每一个阶段。

From the perspective of daily life and travel scenarios, the convenience brought by the Five-Star Card runs through every stage of a child's growth.

孩子的童年与青少年时期，离不开频繁的出行、住宿等日常需求。早早办好五星卡，在国内乘坐高铁、飞机时，可直接用卡购票并走自助通道，无需反复出示外国护照及相关证明；外出旅游或探亲住酒店时，也能凭卡快速办理入住手续，省去身份核验的繁琐环节。在出入境方面，持有五星卡的孩子只需搭配有效护照，便可自由出入中国边境，无需额外申请签证，无论是家庭出国度假，还是孩子赴境外探亲，都能灵活安排行程，避免因签证办理周期长而耽误计划。这种贯穿生活方方面面的便利，能让孩子享受更顺畅的生活体验。

Foreign children applying for the Five-Star Card need to submit core materials such as birth certificates and proof of kinship. If these materials are issued overseas, they also need to go through a series of procedures including notarization, consular authentication, and Chinese translation. The younger the child, the lower the difficulty in tracing and processing these materials. Core documents such as birth certificates, which have just been issued, are kept intact, information verification is simple, and problems such as document loss or information changes are less likely to occur. If the application is delayed, not only will the risk of material preservation increase, but additional procedures for material supplementation and information verification may be required due to changes in the child's residence records or identity information, making the application process more complicated. It may even lead to the application being blocked due to material issues.

政策的不确定性与申请竞争的加剧，更凸显了“趁早办理”的必要性。

The uncertainty of policies and the intensification of application competition further highlight the necessity of "handling it as early as possible".

一方面，五星卡的申请存在一定配额限制，近年来随着归国外籍华人家庭数量的增多，五星卡的申请量大幅上涨，部分地区已启动阶段性审批机制，后续办理流程可能更为严格，审批周期也可能延长。趁早提交申请，能有效抢占配额资源，避免陷入漫长的排队等待。另一方面，移民与居留政策会随社会发展需求动态调整，当前五星卡的申请条件清晰、福利配套完善，不仅能保障孩子在华的生活教育权益，未来成年后还可享受就业免办工作许可、创业简化审批等延伸福利。若未来政策收紧，无论是提高申请门槛、缩减福利范围，还是调整亲属投靠的核心条件，已成功持卡的孩子都不会受到影响。尽早办理，本质上是用当下的确定性规避未来的政策风险，为孩子锁定长期稳定的在华权益。

On the one hand, there are certain quota restrictions on applications for the Five-Star Card. In recent years, with the increase in the number of returned overseas Chinese families, the number of applications for the Five-Star Card has risen sharply. Some regions have launched a phased approval mechanism, and the subsequent processing procedures may become more stringent, with the approval cycle possibly being extended. Submitting the application early can effectively seize the quota resources and avoid getting stuck in a long queue. On the other hand, immigration and residence policies will be dynamically adjusted according to the needs of social development. Currently, the application conditions for the Five-Star Card are clear and the supporting benefits are comprehensive. It not only protects children's rights and interests in life and education in China, but also allows them to enjoy extended benefits such as exemption from work permits for employment and simplified approval for entrepreneurship when they reach adulthood in the future. If the policy is tightened in the future, whether it is raising the application threshold, reducing the scope of benefits, or adjusting the core conditions for family reunification, children who have successfully obtained the card will not be affected. Applying as early as possible is essentially using the certainty of the present to avoid future policy risks and lock in long-term and stable rights and interests in China for children.

对有外籍孩子的家庭而言，五星卡不仅是一张居留凭证，更是孩子在华成长的“保障卡”与“便利卡”。趁早办理，既是顺应政策条件的明智选择，也是为孩子的教育、生活与未来铺路。在政策环境相对稳定、申请通道清晰的当下，抓住未成年阶段的黄金窗口期，为孩子办妥五星卡，方能让孩子在华的成长之路更顺畅、更安心。

For families with foreign children, the Five-Star Card is not just a residence certificate, but also a "security card" and "convenience card" for their children's growth in China. Applying for it as early as possible is not only a wise choice in line with policy conditions, but also paves the way for the children's education, life and future. At a time when the policy environment is relatively stable and the application channels are clear, seizing the golden window period during the minor stage and completing the Five-Star Card for the children will ensure that their growth path in China is smoother and more secure.

外国人办理中国永居可咨询中创侨智，我们提供永居申请全流程专业支持，如政策解读、申请材料清单梳理、材料填报规范指导、流程进度跟踪、常见问题解答及面试技巧辅导等核心服务。

Foreigners applying for permanent residence in China can consult OTGEO. We provide professional support throughout the entire permanent residence application process, including core services such as policy interpretation, sorting out the list of application materials, guiding the standardization of material filling, tracking the progress of the process, answering common questions, and coaching on interview skills.