Buying a house in China: only after a year, one home — and the land stays the state's

First the order that is fixed on this site: in your first year you don't buy — you rent, you get to know your city, and only then do you decide. In China that house rule coincides with the law: buying is only allowed after a year.

The entry requirement: a year, one home, own use

The national rule for foreign private individuals dates from 2006 and still stands: you may buy one home for your own use, provided you have worked or studied in China for at least a year — your work permit and residence history are thus literally your ticket to the housing market. Note two things: big cities add purchase rules of their own on top (the requirements in Shanghai or Beijing can be stricter than the national bar), and a current official English-language publication of these rules is scarce — have the local real estate registration office or your employer confirm the requirements for your city before you go viewing. Letting or reselling as an investment isn't what the scheme is meant for: "own use" is checked.

What you buy: the building, not the land

All urban land in China is state property. What comes with a home is a land-use right of seventy years — you become owner of the building, with that right underneath it. With existing buildings the remaining term counts: a flat from 2005 doesn't have seventy but still about fifty years on the clock. Chinese law provides for extension of residential rights after expiry, but the precise conditions for that are still being developed — ask about it with older complexes, and factor the remaining term into what you offer.

The tax: mild since December 2024

On acquisition you pay the deed tax, which you have to settle before registration. The law sets the rate at 3 to 5 per cent, but for private home buyers a reduced rate has applied nationally since 1 December 2024: 1% for homes up to and including 140 m² (first and second home) and 1.5% for a larger first home. On top of that you pay registration fees and, with new builds, payment runs via the developer's project account. A national annual property tax the mainland doesn't have so far — plans for it have existed for years, so don't count on it staying that way. How your further life there works digitally and practically, you read in digital life in China and your first weeks in China.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to China.