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Policy Basis
Notice on Issuing the Service Guide to the Foreigner’s Work Permit in China (Trial) (No. 36 [2017] State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs)
1. What are the documents needed for an application?
2. How to fill the application form?
The application form is generated online after filling in relevant information in the system. It should be signed by the applicant and stamped by the employer, and then the original should be scanned and uploaded to the application system. There is no need to manually fill out the form.
3. Who issues the work reference letter?
The employer that the applicant previously worked for should issue a work reference letter related to the current position, including the position, working duration, or projects that have been participated in. It should be stamped by the employer or signed by the person in charge, and the contact person’s valid phone number or e-mail address should be provided. Note that the original scanned copy should be uploaded.
4. Do degrees obtained abroad need to be certified, and where to certify them?
Yes, they need to be certified. For certificates obtained in countries that are part of the Hague Convention, a Hague certification can be applied for. For non-Hague Convention countries, the certificate should be certified by the Chinese embassy or consulate abroad, or by the embassy or consulate of the country where the degree (academic) was obtained, or by the academic certification institution in China. Additionally, it can also be certified by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange under the Ministry of Education.
5. How to obtain a certificate of no criminal conviction?
It should be issued by the police, security, court, or other relevant departments of the applicant’s nationality or habitual residence and certified by the Chinese embassy or consulate abroad or by the embassy or consulate of the foreign country in China. For countries that are part of the Hague Convention, Hague certification is sufficient. For certificates issued in China’s Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and China’s Taiwan region, they should be notarized by the notary office in the respective regions.
6. What does “habitual residence” in the context of the certificate of no criminal conviction refer to?
Habitual residence refers to the country or region where the applicant has continuously resided for more than one year after leaving their home country, excluding China. The certificate of no criminal conviction should be issued within the last six months.
7. Is it mandatory to have a medical examination abroad?
Before entering the country, a commitment system can be adopted (the employer uploads the health commitment letter), and after entering the country, the applicant should go to the Chinese inspection and quarantine institution to obtain a health check record verification certificate or a health check certificate for personnel.
8. Is there a standard template for the health examination form, and where can an applicant download it?
Yes, there is a standard template. It can be downloaded from:
9. Do supporting documents of accompanying family members need to be certified?
Accompanying family members include a spouse, children under 18 years old, parents, and parents-in-law (except for Chinese nationals). Documents proving family relationships (marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificate or adoption certificate for children, birth certificate, marriage certificate or notarized proof for parents or parents-in-law) do not need to be certified. Upload scanned copies of the original and their corresponding translated texts.
10. Do foreign high-end talents (Category A) also need to upload all the above materials?
For foreign high-end talents (Category A), some materials such as work experience certificates (except for those recognized for talent based on work experience), highest degree (academic) certificate (except for those recognized for talent based on degree), and certificate of no criminal conviction are subject to a commitment system.
11. Which documents need to be translated?
All foreign language documents except the passport should be translated into Chinese. The translation should be stamped by the applying employer.
Source: Beijing Overseas Talents Center