Documents you need to get a Work Permit Notice

Documents you need to get a Work Permit Notice

Dear candidates,
Once you open this page you are considering coming to China for work. We would like to give you a warm welcome!
As we mentioned in the earlier pages, in order to legally work in China the first step is to achieve the work permit. Usually, the application shall be initiated by the employer, applying online for a Foreigner’s Work Permit Notice (FWPN).
Below is a checklist of the documents you shall provide to apply the FWPN.

Now, let’s have a look at the details.

Passport

Please double check the expiry. Make sure that you have at least 12months of validity.

Curriculum Vitae, for official template please check from a TiC representative.

Degree Certificate (the highest)

Make a good scan of your degree documents under high solution. If your certificate is not in Chinese, it has to be translated and authenticated by the Embassy of China in your country.

> Take US for example,
The Chinese Embassy is responsible for legalizing notarial deeds and other documents that have been duly authenticated by the U.S. Department of State; the Chinese Consulate-General is responsible for legalizing notarial deeds and other documents that have been duly authenticated by the Secretary of State of the State over which it holds consular jurisdiction.
In general, you will need to do Notarization, Legalization and Chinese Authentication before you can use your US degree in China.
You shall check with your nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate for the Authentication Procedures. More details can be found from the website of Embassy of China in US.

TEFL/TESOL Certificate

"TEFL" is the acronym for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
"TESOL" is the acronym for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Both of the certificates are considered as a job qualification for ESL teaching position. If your certificate is not in Chinese, please find an Embassy of China in your country to translate and authenticate the certificate.

Physical Examination Report

All foreigners who come to China for work are required to undergo a medical examination either before or after they enter China. You will have to submit the relevant documents confirming that you have passed the physical examination when you apply for a Work Permit Notice. For new expats to China, we highly recommend you to do the physical examination before you come to China.
Below is an example of Foreigner Physical Exam Form. PDF is available upon request.

Take the form to a public hospital, undergo a physical examination and have a doctor complete the form. On the last page of the form, the hospital must affix its official seal along with your photograph. Please check with your nearest Embassy of China for a list of accepted hospitals.
If the report is not in Chinese, a translation and authentication issued by an Embassy of China in your country will be necessary.

If you are already in China, some of the health centers are qualified to do physical examination for foreigners. Take Shanghai for example, you can go to Shanghai International Travel Medical Center and ask for a health administration. Details can be found from the below link.

Reference Letter

In some cases, the candidate would be requested for a qualification reference.
The letter shall be issued by the ex-employer(s) with a seal and accessible contacts (telephone-number or E-mail); the letter can be written in either English or Chinese. Authentication is not required.

Bareheaded Photo

The photo shall be taken within the last six months. For the application of FWPN, you will need the digital photo only; while you will need both of the digital and paper photos for your other applications. Please follow the example below to make your photo qualified.

Detailed guidelines (PDF) is available upon request.

Non-Criminal Record

According to the current regulations, you need to provide an official Non-Criminal Record (NCR) from your home country issued within 6 month to apply a FWPN. After you get your NCR in your country, it must be authenticated by any of following authorities.
By Chinese Consulate or Embassy in your country or by your country Embassy or Consulate in China
Take American candidates for example. If you are in US:
1. Police Check:
you will need to contact your local, state or Federal authority to obtain the police check.
2. Notarization:
once you get the police check, you need to find a notary/solicitor/lawyer’s office and do the notarization with them.
3. Legalization:
with your police check and the notarization ready, contact the right department of your government (The Secretary of the State for US) and find a way of legalization. Although most of the countries have this step, there are countries like Ireland that don’t. So, candidates from Ireland, you can skip this step!
4. Chinese Authentication:
at last, your NCR needs to be further authenticated by the respective Chinese Consulate or Embassy before it can be used in China. Please contact the local accessible Chinese consulate or embassy for help.
Luckily, if you are in China, and have already worked in China for over 6month, you will be an exception. The non-criminal record can be renewed from a Chinese local Police Office; please check with TiC representative for more instructions.