Foreigners who intend to buy a house in Beijing need a
certificate issued by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau
to prove that they have stayed in China for at least one year for
reasons of work or study, according to a new rule published on
Friday.
A statement jointly issued by six ministries led by the
Construction Ministry last July required foreigners to stay in
China for at least a year before they would be allowed to buy a
house.
The rule required that they only use and dwell in the house
themselves and not buy a house for other purposes.
They were also required to use their real names when buying a house in China.
However, property sales for foreigners and foreign organizations
came to a temporary halt in Beijing following the statement because
it lacked specific requirements.
Friday's new rule jointly issued by the city's five departments
led by the Beijing Municipal Construction Committee specifies that
foreigners should provide a certificate as to their status when
buying a house. They can only buy a house for their personal use,
it said.
HK, Macao and Taiwan
Residents from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative
regions, Taiwan Province and overseas Chinese should also be in
possession of proper certificates when buying a house.
Foreign organizations that set up branches or agencies in
Beijing should provide certificates to prove their legal status in
the city and give written guarantees that the houses they buy are
only used for their own needs.
Foreign organizations and foreign individuals who want to buy
houses in Beijing, other than for their own needs, should apply to
set up a foreign company first.
If they want to buy houses to rent or sell or change them for
commercial use, they should apply to set up a foreign company and
obtain an operations certificate.
Foreign embassies in China, representatives of international
organizations and people who enjoy diplomatic privileges should
have a note of approval to buy a house from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
Inquiries can be made to the Public Security Bureau by
telephoning 8402-0101.
(China Daily February 3, 2007)