Work in China? Get Your Docs in Order!

A How-To Guide to Get You Psychologically Prepared for Endless Procedures

WORK IN CHINA?

Those readers who know me will remember I lived and worked in China for several years. The city I lived in was Shanghai, located on China¡¦s central eastern coast. Living in that city of 20 million was among some of the most fun times I ever had - and I strongly recommend that you go there, either as a tourist or even to work.

While there is plenty written about touring and living in China, there is relatively little information about working there, specifically what kind of formalities you would need to go through to legally work in China. For those of you interested in working in China, I have assembled some information about getting registered for your Work and Residence Permits with the assistance of a true friend and former work colleague, Ms. Robyn Shi.

GET REGISTERED FOR RESIDENCE & WORK

The information I provide here is specific to Shanghai and is subject to change at any time. If you plan on working in another city in China, you should expect to find drastically different procedures. I suggest you contact a relocation company that can assist you with the formalities for that city.

Also, this info is for foreign citizens - not Chinese nationals returning to work for a foreign enterprise under the guise of a foreigner. While there are several business formats that a foreigner may work under, most of them fall under the joint venture (JV) and wholly-owned foreign enterprise (WOFE) categories. These instructions apply mainly to folks working under these umbrellas. Also assume that you will be assisted by a competent relocation company - don¡¦t try it alone.

If you wish to speak with me about my hands-on experience working in China, feel free to contact me by clicking on the ¡§Contact This CP¡¨ button on this page or the main content page.

Now, info as follows...

ROUND ONE: HEALTH CHECK

The applicant and accompanying family members (age 18 years and above), must all undergo a health check. There are two options for this procedure.