# Can foreigner own an apartment in Beijing?



## HPF (Feb 3, 2014)

My chinese wife owns an apartment in Beijing. In 2013 she renounced her chinese citizenship.

I know foreigners are not allowed to buy apartments unless they have worked in Beijing, but do you have to sell if you already own an apartment and leave China?


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## SebastianBeijing (Sep 24, 2013)

Yes, you do. Foreigners can buy one residential apartment across China for dwelling purposes only. So if your wife is planning on leaving China and she wants to do things the legal way she will have to sell it. 

There are certainly ways around this, but these are a legal grey area.


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## Sizzling (Aug 29, 2013)

SebastianBeijing said:


> Yes, you do. Foreigners can buy one residential apartment across China for dwelling purposes only. So if your wife is planning on leaving China and she wants to do things the legal way she will have to sell it.
> 
> There are certainly ways around this, but these are a legal grey area.


Does that mean that legally a foreigner would have to sell his/her apartment when he moves away from China? I was not aware of that rule, has there ever been a case where someone was forced to do this or even worse, lost the place?


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## SebastianBeijing (Sep 24, 2013)

Sizzling said:


> Does that mean that legally a foreigner would have to sell his/her apartment when he moves away from China? I was not aware of that rule, has there ever been a case where someone was forced to do this or even worse, lost the place?


Yup, that's what it entails. Most foreigners I know in China who own property have a Chinese spouse and bought the property through him/her so they don't have that risk. 

Haven't heard of such a case. There are always ways to extend your Visa in China somehow and in my experience foreigners who buy property here usually run their own business so they don't run into Visa trouble anyway.


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