Foreigners who want to work in China usually need to prepare the following documents:
1. Foreigner work permit application form: the applicant shall sign and affix the official seal of the employer;
2. Proof of work experience: including working hours, position, signature of the verifier, and valid contact information;
3. Highest degree (education) certificate or relevant approval document, professional qualification certificate: Education certificates obtained overseas must be authenticated by Chinese consulates or academic certification institutions abroad;
4. Certificate of no criminal record: It needs to be authenticated by a Chinese consulate abroad and issued within 6 months (in some countries it is 3 months). The certificate of no criminal record must be issued by the police, security, court, notary public and other departments of the applicant’s country of nationality or habitual residence (the country or region where the applicant has resided continuously for more than one year after leaving the country of nationality). The certificate of no criminal record issued in the Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan should be notarized by the notary public in the region where it is located;
5. Medical examination certificate: valid for six months from the date of issuance. Foreigners can only carry out physical examination at the designated institutions in China. If the commitment system is adopted before entry, they must provide a letter of commitment to supplement the health examination certificate issued by the domestic inspection and quarantine institutions after entry and bear the risks. When applying for the Work Permit for Foreigners of the People’s Republic of China after entry, the health examination certificate issued by the inspection and quarantine institution in China must be supplemented;
6. Employment contract or employment certificate (including multinational company dispatch letter): The employment contract should include necessary information such as job content, salary, working hours in China, position, and stamped signature page;
7. Applicant’s passport or international travel document: The passport must be valid for at least 6 months;
8. The applicant’s front bareheaded photo taken within 6 months;
9. Relevant supporting documents for accompanying family members (if any): such as passports or international travel documents of accompanying family members, proof of family relationship, medical examination certificate, etc;
10. Other materials: according to the specific situation, it may be necessary to provide such supporting materials as the qualified foreign high-end talents, the obtained Foreigner’s Work Permit (if any), industry license documents, etc.
In addition, employers also need to meet certain conditions, such as being established in accordance with the law and having no serious record of illegal or dishonest behavior; The positions for foreigners should be those with special needs, suitable candidates are temporarily unavailable in China, and do not violate the relevant national regulations; The wages and salaries paid to foreigners employed shall not be lower than the local minimum wage standards. If laws and regulations require pre-approval from industry regulatory authorities, approval must be obtained.
It should be noted that the specific requirements may vary depending on the region, industry and the category of foreigners (such as foreign high-end talents, foreign professionals, etc.). It is suggested to consult the local foreign work management department or relevant institutions in advance about the detailed requirements and procedures to ensure the smooth application.
If the applicant has applied for work in China for less than 90 days (including 90 days), the supporting materials to be submitted include the application form for the foreigner’s work permit or the letter of invitation for foreign experts to come to China (the fee arrangement for inviting foreigners should be noted, and the applicant should promise that he/she has no criminal record), as well as the work contract, project contract, cooperation agreement or invitation statement of the inviting unit (the fee arrangement for inviting foreigners should be noted, the authenticity of the invitation should be promised, and the payment of fees for invited foreigners in China should be guaranteed).
The entire process is handled online, without the need to submit paper materials for verification. The accepting institution shall conduct preliminary review and acceptance of the materials submitted online within 5 working days from the date of submission (excluding the day of submission). If the materials are complete and meet the requirements, they should be accepted and an acceptance notice should be generated online. After the accepting institution accepts the application online, the deciding institution shall conduct a review and make a decision within 5 working days from the date of acceptance. If an applicant applies for a foreigner’s work permit in China (work in China for less than 90 days, including 90 days) and meets the conditions and standards, a decision on granting an administrative permit will be made and the Notice of Foreigner’s Work Permit will be generated online; For those who apply for an invitation letter for foreign experts to come to China, they should collect a paper invitation letter from the issuing institution.
