What are the requirements for singles from out of town who want to buy an apartment with no purchase restrictions or ordinary housing in Shanghai?

If you are purchasing a house in the name of your family, you can provide proof that you have paid personal tax or social security for at least two years in Shanghai in the past three years before the signing of the house purchase contract.

Shanghai still implements a purchase restriction policy in 2015. For non-Shanghai household registration residents, if they can provide a tax certificate or social security certificate that meets the regulations, they are limited to purchasing one house. If they already own one or more houses, they will be suspended from purchasing. The city sells houses to them.

For single foreigners, purchasing a house with a 70-year property right in Shanghai is restricted. They can buy a house as a family unit if both parties are married and one of the two has accumulated two years of social security or tax receipts in the past three years. However, singles from out of town can purchase commercial properties with 50-year property rights, such as serviced apartments, without purchase or loan restrictions.

Extended information:

Notes:

Determine the ownership period of the single apartment with the real estate company. Generally, there are two types of residential (70 years) and commercial and residential (40 years). I have encountered many single apartments with 40 years. The life span mainly involves many school district housing, commercial utility bills, property fees, etc.

Determine with the real estate company whether the three certificates for the single apartment property can be completed and whether it can be handled by yourself or entrusted to handle it. This is extremely important, so do your research before buying a house.

On-the-spot observation to see if the facilities outside the community surrounding the single apartment you intend to purchase are complete (school district, hospital, square, business district, supermarket, convenient transportation, etc.). The general area should have a long-term perspective and have potential for value-added space.

People's Daily Online - Shanghai: Serviced apartments are subject to purchase restrictions

Baidu Encyclopedia - Buying a House