Notes: 1. For operations requiring retention of photocopies of identity documents, the handling staff at the housing provident fund service outlet will scan, print, or photocopy such documents on behalf of the applicant.

2. Employees who are expatriates or Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan residents working in Shanghai cannot, for now, apply for housing provident fund online withdrawals for rental payments; employees who are not expatriates or Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan residents working in Shanghai but with such spouses also cannot file such applications.

I. Scope of Application:

Employees renting housing in the lease market with rental agreements registered and filed through the housing rental public service platform may withdraw from the housing provident fund for rental payment.

Employees (hereinafter referred to as applicants) renting housing must meet the following conditions to apply for withdrawal from their own and their spouse’s housing provident fund accounts to pay for housing rental expenses:

(I) The applicant has continuously made contributions to the housing provident fund in this Municipality for three months;

(II) The applicant and his or her spouse currently do not own housing in this Municipality and are renting housing;

(III) The applicant currently has no housing provident fund loans, nor any agreements for entrusted withdrawals from the housing provident fund to repay housing loans;

(IV) The applicant and his or her spouse may only withdraw from their housing provident fund accounts to pay for the rental of one apartment;

(V) The applicant’s rental behavior shall comply with the relevant regulations of this Municipality regarding housing rental, and the lease agreement shall be registered and filed through the housing rental public service platform;

(VI) In case two or more individuals who are not married with each other jointly rent housing, only one applicant and his or her spouse may withdraw the housing provident fund for rental payment during the same period.

The spouse of the applicant shall also meet the withdrawal conditions to participate in the withdrawal.

II. Application Materials:

1. Online Application by the Applicant

Employees shall follow the online application process, providing such information as identity document information, housing provident fund account information,marital information, agreement registration and filing information, withdrawal time, withdrawal amount, information of a ClassI debit card under the applicant’s name issued by a Chinese-funded bank, and mobile phone number.

2. Application by the Applicant at a Service Outlet of the Shanghai Provident Fund Management Center (SPFMC)

The applicant shall truthfully provide such information as marital information, agreement registration and filing information, time of withdrawal for rental payment, withdrawal amount for rental payment, and mobile phone number, and filled-out copy of the Housing Condition Information Inquiry Application Form, and bring the following application materials:

①The applicant’s original identity document;

②A debit card under the applicant’s name issued by a Chinese-funded bank(it is recommended to bring a bank’s Class I debit card);

③In case the applicant’s spouse is also participating in the withdrawal, the spouse shall also provide the above-mentioned materials and the original copies of proof materials of relationship with the applicant.

III. Service Methods:

Offline:

Service outlets of the SPFMC.

Online:

“Shanghai Provident Fund” app and “Suishenban” service platform. 

IV. Processing Period:

In case the applicant provides complete application materials or information, the SPFMC shall make a decision on approval or rejection within three working days from the date of receiving the application (the time required for verifying the applicant’s housing status, housing rental information, and marital information is not counted), and shall notify the applicant of the result. Should there be any doubt about the application materials provided by the applicant, the applicant may be required to further provide valid proof materials.

V. Notes:

1. In case the spouse of the applicant also participates in applying for the housing provident fund withdrawal for rental payment, the withdrawal formalities shall be handled collectively at one time;

2. Where the housing which employees rent falls within the scope of online registration and filing of lease agreements and employees withdraw from the housing provident fund for rental payment after completing online registration and filing via the housing rental public service platform, the monthly withdrawal amount for each household (applicant and spouse) for rental payment shall neither exceed the actual rent expenditure of the month, with a maximum monthly withdrawal  limit of RMB 3,000, nor exceed the balance of the applicant’s housing provident fund account (with a balance of at least RMB 0.01). The single withdrawal amount shall not exceed three times the maximum monthly withdrawal limit;

3. The applicant shall apply for the housing provident fund withdrawal for rental payment during the rental period, and the application period shall fall within the rental period.

4. In case a withdrawal transfer is initiated and the balance in the applicant’s housing provident fund account is insufficient, the withdrawal transfer shall be suspended.