Choosing Between the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta: A Guide to Guangzhou's Points-Based Household Registration Policy

In 2023, Guangzhou's household registration policy will undergo significant changes. The age limit for certain talents to enter the city will be relaxed by 5 years, for those with undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees, as well as those with intermediate and advanced professional qualifications. The threshold for obtaining a household registration will also be lowered, as demonstrated by the recent policy changes that have made it easier for undergraduate students from "double first-class" universities to obtain a household registration, with only one month of social security coverage required. Additionally, the procedure for obtaining a household registration for recent graduates who come to Guangzhou to work or start a business has been simplified.

Guangzhou has different types of household registration policies, including points-based household registration, education-based household registration, title-based household registration, and skill-based household registration.

Points-based household registration is granted to those who meet the following criteria:

(1) Have stable employment or have started a business legally in the city.

(2) Are under 45 years old.

(3) Hold a valid Guangdong Province residence permit.

(4) Have paid social insurance premiums for at least four years.

(5) Have a total of 100 points (or 150 points according to the latest draft of the policy) based on the "Guangzhou Points-based Household Registration Index System and Scoring Table."

(6) Have no criminal record in the past five years.

Education-based household registration is granted to those who meet the following criteria:

(1) Have no criminal record.

(2) Are under 40 years old (inclusive).

(3) Hold a bachelor's degree and a bachelor's degree certificate obtained from a regular university.

(4) Have paid at least one month of social insurance premiums in Guangzhou (no social security coverage is required for recent graduates).

Title-based household registration is granted to those who meet the following criteria:

(1) Have obtained the middle-level qualification certificate in systems integration or the high-level qualification certificate in information project management.

(2) Are under 40 years old (inclusive) and have paid social insurance premiums for at least six months in Guangzhou (for those with the middle-level qualification certificate) or are under 50 years old and have paid social insurance premiums during the application period (for those with the high-level qualification certificate).

Skill-based household registration is granted to those who meet the following criteria:

(1) Work in a profession listed in the city's "Introduction of Technical and Skilled Personnel Directory."

(2) Have obtained a certificate or passed an assessment related to the profession and have worked and paid social insurance premiums in Guangzhou for at least 6 months (special cases determined by transition period policies are exempted).

If you are considering obtaining a household registration in Guangzhou, you should first understand the different types of household registration policies and their respective qualifications. Whether the Pearl River Delta or Yangtze River Delta is more suitable for you depends on your personal circumstances and your career aspirations.