Moving abroad is an expensive decision. A single outdated visa requirement can mean a wasted trip to an embassy, a lost air ticket or problems with later applications. That is why every guide on ExitChina.org follows the same editorial policy: find the official source first, explain it in language Chinese readers can follow, and tell you clearly where the information comes from and when it was checked.
This page explains which sources we use, how we verify them, how often we review our guides, how we use AI tools, how we handle mistakes, and how we keep editorial content separate from advertising and partnerships. If you think we have fallen short of these standards, please tell us.
Our order of sources
- Destination governments: immigration authorities, foreign ministries or official visa portals, tax authorities, labour ministries and national statistics offices. For visa and residence rules, the country’s official website and legal texts prevail.
- Chinese official sources: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its consular service website, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, the National Immigration Administration, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the Ministry of Commerce country guides for overseas investment and cooperation, and legal texts in the National Database of Laws and Regulations.
- International organisations: statistics and research from the OECD, the United Nations, the World Bank and others, for population, economic and migration data.
- Supplementary sources: established media, published material from law firms, cost-of-living databases and similar. We use them only where official material is lacking, and we say in the text that they are not official.
Reader experiences and community discussions help us spot problems, but they are never the only basis for stating a rule.
How we research
- Define the questionStart from what a Chinese citizen with an ordinary passport actually needs to know
- Read the sourceGo to official websites and legal texts, checking the local-language version where needed
- Cross-checkCheck figures and dates in at least two places; where sources conflict, use the latest official version and explain the difference
- Editorial reviewA second editor checks the facts, the source links and the wording
- Publish with sourcesList the sources and add the verification date
A verification date on every page
Every guide shows a verification date: the date an editor last checked the content against its sources. It is not the date a law took effect, and it does not guarantee that nothing has changed since. Wherever possible we give the year or month and the source for figures such as population, fees, financial thresholds and exchange rates.
If we cannot verify something, we would rather leave it out. Where it must be mentioned, we say it is “unconfirmed” or “according to media reports” instead of presenting it as fact.
Regular reviews
Every guide is reviewed at least every six months. When a major rule changes, such as a change to visa-free entry, the closure of an immigration programme, or new visa fees or financial thresholds, we update the affected pages as soon as we have confirmed the official announcement, and explain the change in our news section.
AI-assisted research, human editorial review
We use AI tools to help search for material, organise first drafts and translate; the English versions are also produced with AI assistance. The Traditional Chinese version is converted automatically from Simplified Chinese, so some terms may differ from usage in Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan.
AI tools are not a source of information. Everything we publish is reviewed by a human editor, and every fact and figure must be traceable to a specific source. AI-generated content that cannot be verified is not published. Responsibility for the final text lies with the editorial team.
Corrections policy
If you find a mistake or something out of date, write to info@exitchina.org with the page link and an official source. Once we have verified it, we correct the page promptly and update the verification date. Where a correction could materially affect a reader’s decision (for example visa requirements, fees or deadlines), we add a note with the date at the end of the page instead of changing it silently. Contact details and response times are on our Contact Us page.
Independence from advertisers
The site is funded by advertising and affiliate partnerships, but editorial and commercial work are kept separate:
- Advertisers and affiliate partners cannot buy guide content, rankings or assessments, and cannot review articles before publication.
- Whether we mention a provider depends on whether it is useful to readers, not on whether it pays a commission.
- Advertising and affiliate links are clearly labelled.
- Pages about local gambling laws are based on the law, do not encourage gambling, and are not aimed at minors or at readers in mainland China.
Our funding is described in full on About Us, and the limits of our content in our Disclaimer.
Our position
We neither encourage nor discourage anyone from emigrating. Every country has advantages and challenges, and we set out both so readers can judge what fits their own situation. We focus on practical rules and information about daily life, and do not comment on political issues.