I lived and worked in Kunming with Nokia for 2.5 years at the end of the nineties I have a Chinnese wife and we own an apartment in Kunming. We are now thinking of returning to Kunming to live permanently, I am British my wife has contacted the local Chinese embassy in the UK for advice on what type of visa I would need and any other things that would be necessary for me to live permanently in China but did not get a reply. Can anybody help with some information for us.

Hi Pete, I'm not an expert on the matter but thought I'd just give you something to start with. I think you are referring to a Chinese "Green Card". From my understanding, there are 3 ways to get the Green Card. Foreign investor with more than 1 million USD invested in China, Spouse of a Chinese National, Special persons. The qualifications for spouse is that you have to reside in China for more than 6 months per year for 5 years straight and you have to married to your spouse for at least 3 years. Other than that I believe your only option is to get a Tourist Visa and leave and come back in every time it runs out. Hope this helps.