🏛City hall

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Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province and a sub-provincial city. It is divided into 11 districts (including Yuexiu, Liwan, Haizhu, Tianhe, Baiyun, Huangpu, Panyu, Huadu, Nansha, Conghua, Zengcheng).

City Government

Guangzhou Municipal Government: 1 Fuqian Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou Website: gz.gov.cn (English version: english.gz.gov.cn)

District Offices

Each district has its own government office handling:

• Residence registration (hukou-related matters)
• Social insurance (shebao)
• Business licences
• Marriage registration

The main districts for visitors:

• Yuexiu — historic centre, Beijing Road, Shamian Island
• Tianhe — CBD, Canton Tower, Zhujiang New Town
• Liwan — Chen Clan Academy, Shangxiajiu
• Haizhu — Canton Fair Complex, Pazhou

Key Documents

• Residence permit (juliu zheng) — for foreigners staying > 6 months, handled by the Public Security Bureau (PSB)
• Social Security — for employment, handled through employers
• Health code — for medical services
• Driving licence — handled by the local Traffic Management Bureau

Digital Services

Guangzhou’s government services are largely digitised:

• Suiyue (穗好办) app — one-stop government service platform
• Yue Shengshi (粤省事) — Guangdong provincial digital services
• Most documents can be applied for online

Tips

• For visa extensions, visit the Guangzhou Exit-Entry Administration (next to the PSB)
• The Foreign Affairs Office helps with international matters
• Most government offices have limited English — bring a local interpreter
• Many services require the Chinese national ID (shenfenzheng) or passport for foreigners
• Guangzhou’s 12345 hotline offers English-language government information