China has rolled out a series of measures to simplify real estate registration procedures, aiming to cut red tape, reduce costs and improve the business environment across the country.

The measures, issued in late May by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Taxation Administration, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Financial Regulatory Administration, consolidate what were previously separate procedures — property transfer registration, mortgage registration, mortgage cancellation registration, loan approval, tax filing, and identity verification — into a single streamlined process to improve efficiency.

"Through this reform, multiple tasks are integrated into 'one matter', which is not simply process optimization but a strategic move to serve high-quality development," said Hu Shanshun, director-general of the department of natural resources registration of the Ministry of Natural Resources, at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

The initiative is part of the first batch of priority items for 2026 issued by the State Council, or China's Cabinet, under the "efficiently completing one matter" program announced in January.

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The package includes seven measures covering service integration, tax coordination, financial collaboration, the transfer of mortgaged properties without prior repayment of loans, information sharing, online processing across provincial boundaries, and improved query services for due diligence.

Under the new rules, enterprises can complete property purchases at a single service window, submit common documents such as business licenses and transaction contracts only once, and complete registration within one working day for standard transactions.

The reforms build on China's nationwide real estate registration infrastructure, which now operates more than 40,000 service windows staffed by over 100,000 workers. Cities and counties have largely achieved integrated processing of registration, transactions and tax payments. More than 2,200 cities and counties offer online registration services, and over 2,300 have introduced reforms allowing the transfer of mortgaged properties without prior loan repayment.

Local governments across China have explored and developed a range of replicable and scalable practices in property registration reform.

In Beijing, 265 comprehensive service windows across 17 registration centers provide one-stop services, with fully online processing accounting for 45.4 percent of all registration transactions.

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The city has established data-sharing mechanisms with 10 government departments covering 16 categories of information, enabling online verification and eliminating the need for duplicate document submissions. Registration services have also been extended to cover the full life cycle of real estate projects, from land delivery and construction to completion and handover.

Qingdao in Shandong province has connected nearly 800 bank branches to its remote registration platform, allowing enterprises to complete mortgage registration and property transfer registration simultaneously at financial institutions. More than 70 percent of mortgage registrations and over 90 percent of mortgage cancellations are now processed through the platform.

Qingdao has also introduced electronic signatures through digital business licenses, enabling enterprises — particularly those based in other cities — to complete transactions entirely online without paper documents.

In Shenzhen, Guangdong province, which processed around 22,000 enterprise property transfers and more than 6,300 mortgage registrations last year, standard enterprise transfers can be completed within 30 minutes when all required documents are in order.

Shenzhen has also pioneered an online assistance model in which bank managers, real estate agents and notaries help enterprises complete online applications. Enterprises need only verify information and confirm their intent through facial recognition and electronic signatures.

The Ministry of Natural Resources said it will establish a standing coordination mechanism with the other four authorities to ensure consistent implementation of the reforms and facilitate the sharing of successful local practices nationwide.