The short answer
A China work visa is a three-stage filing, and the documents differ at each stage:
- The employer files a Foreign Work Permit Notification inside China. This package proves the job, the candidate’s qualifications, and the employer’s eligibility.
- The candidate files a Z visa at a Chinese embassy or visa center abroad. This package is thin: passport, form, photo, and the notification.
- After entry, the employer and candidate complete the work permit and the work-type residence permit inside China. This is where the medical check and local registration documents are used.
Treating these as one checklist is the most common planning mistake. A document that belongs to stage one cannot be fixed at the embassy counter, and a document that belongs to stage three is not needed before departure.
Stage one: the employer’s work-permit notification
The notification is the document that makes the Z visa possible. It is issued through the national Foreigner’s Work Management Service System, which since December 1, 2024 has also been integrating the work permit into the electronic social security card.
| Document | Provided by | Typical format | Common failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business license and legal representative ID | Employer | Copy with official seal | Employer not registered in the work-permit system |
| Employment contract | Employer + candidate | Signed, stamped, term stated | Contract term shorter than the requested permit |
| Job description and recruitment justification | Employer | Chinese, stamped | Role does not match the candidate’s degree or experience |
| Passport information page | Candidate | Scan, at least 6 months validity | Less than two blank pages; name order inconsistent |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | Candidate | Apostille or consular legalization, plus Chinese translation | Unauthenticated degree; translation not sealed |
| Two years of relevant experience | Candidate | Reference letters on letterhead, dated | Letters do not state the role, dates, and duties |
| Criminal record certificate | Candidate | Issued within 6 months, authenticated | Certificate older than the local cutoff |
| Category evidence (A/B/C) | Candidate + employer | Points worksheet, salary proof, awards, or quota approval | Category claimed without the evidence that supports it |
| Medical examination | Candidate | Designated hospital or accepted overseas exam | Exam not accepted by the local authority |
| Photo | Candidate | White background, 33×48 mm | Digital photo rejected at upload |
Some cities require the medical examination at the notification stage; others accept it later, for the residence permit. The table lists it under stage one because it is easier to complete early, but the local guide controls the order.
Two documents cause most of the delay. The first is the degree: a scan is not enough. The certificate normally needs an apostille for Hague Convention countries, or consular legalization for non-Hague countries, followed by a Chinese translation. The second is the criminal record certificate. It has a short shelf life — usually six months, sometimes three — and it must be issued before the application, not before the move.
Since 2026, the system also requires a continuous education and employment timeline with no unexplained gaps. If there is a gap, prepare a short explanation and supporting evidence before filing; leaving it to the case officer to ask costs a review cycle.
Stage two: the Z visa at the embassy or visa center
The Z visa package is deliberately narrow. Under the Shanghai municipal guide updated in August 2026, the basic documents are:
- Original passport, valid for at least six months, with blank visa pages.
- Completed, printed, and signed China visa application form.
- Recent color passport photo.
- Proof of legal residence if you are applying outside your country of nationality.
- For former Chinese citizens, the previous Chinese passport or visa information.
- One supporting document: the Foreign Work Permit Notification, or the equivalent document for a representative office, commercial performance, or offshore petroleum operation.
Some posts also ask for an employer invitation letter, even though it is not on the national basic list. Check the specific post’s page before booking an appointment. Standard processing is four working days; express service is two to three working days where available.
The notification is generally valid for three months for long-term employment, and 30 days for short-term work of 90 days or less. If the visa appointment slips past that window, the employer must reapply for the notification. Build the visa appointment into the plan as soon as the notification is issued, not after it arrives by courier.
Stage three: work permit and residence permit after entry
The Z visa gets you into China. It does not authorize work.
- Within 15 days of entry, the employer applies for the Foreign Work Permit. Since December 1, 2024, the permit is issued as an electronic record linked to the social security card; a physical card is optional.
- Within 30 days of entry, the foreign national applies for a work-type residence permit at the local exit-entry administration. The residence permit is the document that authorizes the stay and ties it to the employer.
For the residence permit, the National Immigration Administration requires the passport, application form and photo, the work permit, an employer certification letter, and a health certificate for permits valid for more than one year. The health certificate must confirm the absence of serious mental illness, tuberculosis, and other dangerous infectious diseases. Foreign-language documents must be translated into Chinese.
The residence permit is issued for up to five years for high-end talent, urgently needed professionals, and investors; up to two years for employees of reputable registered entities; and up to one year for others. The fee is RMB 400 for one year or less, RMB 800 for one to three years, and RMB 1,000 for three to five years. Processing is up to 15 working days.
The documents that are easy to get wrong
The degree and the criminal record certificate are date-sensitive. Start both first. Authentication can take one to two weeks for an apostille and two to four weeks for consular legalization, before translation is added.
The contract term drives the permit term. A one-year contract usually produces a one-year residence permit. If the employer wants a two- or three-year permit, the contract should say so before filing.
The job title must match the evidence. A candidate with a marketing degree applying for a “technical director” role invites a request for more documents. The role, the degree, and the experience letters should tell one coherent story.
Category A does not mean “no documents.” It means different documents. The salary route needs tax and payroll evidence; the points route needs a completed points worksheet; the achievement route needs awards, publications, or institutional proof.
The 2026 salary enforcement changed the math. In February 2026, the national system began blocking applications below six times (Category A) or four times (Category B) the local average monthly wage when the salary channel is used. In Beijing, that was RMB 71,622 and RMB 47,748 per month based on the 2024 average wage; in Shanghai, RMB 74,604 and RMB 49,736. The wage base is updated annually, usually around July, so confirm the current figure with the local bureau before the offer letter is signed.
A practical order of work
- Confirm the category and the salary or points route.
- Start the degree authentication and the criminal record certificate.
- Draft the contract and job description to match the candidate’s evidence.
- File the notification; book the visa appointment when it issues.
- Enter, complete the work permit within 15 days, and the residence permit within 30 days.
If any of those steps is uncertain, the cheapest time to fix it is before the notification is filed. Once the file is in the system, every correction is a new review cycle.
For the service scope behind this checklist, see China Z Work Visa and Foreign Work Permit. If you are still deciding which document does what, read Z Visa vs Work Permit next.