Housing Provident Fund

According to the Regulations on Management of Housing Provident Fund the housing provident fund refers to the long-term housing funds deposited by state agencies, state-owned enterprises, urban collective enterprises, foreign-invested enterprises, urban private enterprises and other urban enterprises, public institutions, private non-enterprise entities, social organisations (hereinafter collectively referred to as employers) and their incumbent employees.

The housing provident fund deposited by individual employees and those by the employers on their behalf shall be owned by the employees themselves. The housing provident fund is used by employees for buying, building, rebuilding or overhauling their own residence, and must not be misappropriated by any employer or individual for other purposes.

The housing provident fund deposited by individual employees should be withheld from their salaries and deposit by the employers on the employees’ behalf each month. The obligations and contribution ratios of both parties are shown in the table below:

	Employer’s Contribution	Employee’s Contribution
Housing Provident Fund
Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan and Jiangmen	5-12%	5-12%
Zhaoqing	10%	10%

According to the Opinions on Issues Related to the Housing Provident Fund Treatment for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents Working on the Mainland issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on 28 November 2017, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents who are employed on the mainland may contribute to the housing provident fund as stipulated by the Regulations on Management of Housing Provident Fund and relevant policies. The contribution base, contribution ratios and application procedures shall be consistent with those of mainland employees.

Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents who have deposited the housing provident fund have the same rights as mainland residents in terms of withdrawal of funds and application for individual housing loans. Those who work across cities on the mainland can apply for the inter-city transfer of housing provident fund. Those who have terminated labour (employment) relationship with their employers and have returned to Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan can also withdraw the balance of their housing provident fund account in accordance with relevant regulations.

Moreover, the Opinion requires all housing provident fund management centres to take local conditions into account and promptly introduce implementation measures for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents working on the mainland to contribute and use the housing provident fund. The centres should simplify the handling requirements, streamline the application procedures, and enhance their services to provide Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents with efficient and convenient housing provident fund services, and implement policies effectively to assist more of those residents working on the mainland in settling in their own apartments by contributing to and using the housing provident fund.

Source: Official websites of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, ‘Central People’s Government Policy Announcement: Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents Working in the Mainland to Enjoy Housing Provident Fund Treatment’; contribution ratios provided by the advisory labour service company