Step 1: Obtaining the necessary documents for your Chinese work permit
Before receiving a Z visa, your Chinese school/employer must first apply for your work permit and official invitation letter. For them to do so, you must provide them with the following documents:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher (must be notarized*, authenticated*, and legalized*)
-
Criminal background check* (must be notarized, authenticated, legalized, and issued within 6 months of your visa application)
- Physical health check form with doctor’s signature and office stamp.
- Scanned copy of your passport photo page (with at least 6-months remaining before it expires and two blank visa pages)
- Signed Chinese employment contract
- A clear, in color passport sized head-shot photo on white background
- ONE of the following documents:
–TEFL*/TESOL/CELTA certification with a course duration of at least 120 hours (must be notarized)
-A degree majoring in English, Education, English Linguistics, TEFL, TESOL, or some other related subjects.
-At least 2 years of post-graduate full time teaching experience with confirming reference letters
-A teaching license from your home country
Once scanned COLOUR COPIES of these documents have been sent to your Chinese school/employer, they will apply for your notification of work permit letter at their local city’s visa office which will take 10-15 business days (note: different schools and cities may require slightly different documents or have slightly different visa procedure so please contact us for more details).
*Notarization: Documents may be notarized by a notary public or solicitor.
*Authentication: AFTER notarization, go to the Foreign Commonwealth Office to get the documents authenticated.
*Legalization: AFTER notarization and authentication, take your documents to the Chinese embassy (please send documents to your SDE recruiter beforehand so they may double check everything) for consulate legalization.
*Background Check: The background check/no criminal record can be issued by a local police station or the national government website.
If you do not live near a Chinese consulate, it may be more cost-effective to use an agent to complete this process for you.
Step 2: Applying for and Receiving your Chinese Z work visa
This next step depends on how and when you will be receiving your Z visa. If working in or near Shenzhen, China, then there are two possible legitimate ways to go about this. The first is to apply for and receive your Z visa back in your home country at your nearest Chinese embassy/consulate before coming to China. The second is to fly into Hong Kong with your papers and apply for and receive your Z visa at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border. The first option takes significantly longer and can be a hassle with having to travel to your nearest Chinese embassy/consulate multiple times. The second option is much quicker (usually finished in less than an hour at the border) and you will most likely be able to find a cheaper flight by flying into Hong Kong instead of Shenzhen. The situation you choose will just depend on your unique situation and the tentative start date of your Chinese school/employer.
Option 2A: Getting your Chinese Z work visa in your home country
If obtaining your Z visa in your home country, you will need to return to the nearest Chinese embassy/consulate with the following documents:
- Passport with one photocopy of the information page
- Completed (typed then signed) visa application form
- One recent passport sized color photo
- Notification of work permit (previously received from your Chinese school/employer)
- Application fee (151 GBP)
Option 2B: Getting your Chinese Z work visa upon arrival at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border
If obtaining your Z visa upon arrival in Hong Kong, you will simply wait until your Chinese school/employer has received you Notification of Work Permit letter, fly to Hong Kong, and proceed to the Shenzhen border with the following documents:
- Passport
- Two recent passport sized colour photos
A representative from your Chinese school/employer (in this case your specialist from UREC) will meet you at the border and provide you with the following documents:
- Photocopy of your passport information page.
- Official Chinese employer visa invitation letter.
- Notification of work permit letter.
- Company Chinese operating license.
- Completed Z visa application form.
After receiving these documents, you will simply walk over to the visa office at the border, apply for your Z visa, and receive in usually less than one hour. You may then proceed across the border with your new Z visa and your specialist from UREC will guide you the rest of the way. The visa process will be completed once you have entered China.
Step 3: Yay you’re legal! Arrive in China, begin teaching, and enjoy the experience!
