Foreigner Work Permits in China: 2026 Salary Floors and the Z Visa Path
Stricter salary thresholds took effect in February 2026 after the National Immigration Administration ended pandemic-era flexibility. Beijing now requires ¥71,622 monthly salary for Category A and ¥47,748 for Category B; Shanghai requires ¥74,604 and ¥49,736. The portal blocks any application that falls even ¥1 short. Most foreign teachers, engineers, and corporate staff still qualify for Category B through the points track, scoring 60+ from age, education, and experience. Working in China still demands three documents: a Z visa stamped abroad, a Foreigner's Work Permit issued onshore, and a Residence Permit applied for within 30 days of entry. Tourist L visas and business M visas cannot be converted into work status; doing paid work on either risks deportation and a 5-year ban. Teaching English remains the easiest entry, but the role now requires a TEFL certificate from an approved provider, a clean police check, and a bachelor's degree authenticated through CDGDC. Tech and marketing hires face heavier scrutiny because employers must prove no qualified Chinese candidate exists. Budget around ¥20,000 for landing costs before your first paycheck. Confirm city-specific rules at the local Exit-Entry Bureau before signing the contract.
- Beijing Category A salary floor is ¥71,622 monthly and Category B is ¥47,748, enforced through the work permit portal since February 2026.
- Shanghai requires ¥74,604 for Category A and ¥49,736 for Category B; applications even ¥1 short are auto-rejected with no appeal.
- Most teachers and engineers still pass via the points track, needing 60+ points from age, degree, experience, and salary combined.
- Working on a tourist L or business M visa risks deportation plus a 5-year re-entry ban; only a Z visa converts to a work permit.
- Authenticate your bachelor's degree through CDGDC and obtain a clean police certificate before signing any China employment contract.
How this works
Confirm your category and points
Open the visainchina.com Category A/B/C calculator or the official points table from the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. Score 60+ on the points track if your salary sits below the salary-only threshold. Common categories: bachelor's plus 2 years of relevant experience scores about 65 points.
Authenticate your degree through CDGDC
Submit your bachelor's diploma to the China Degree and Graduate Education Development Center at cdgdc.edu.cn. Processing takes 15–20 working days and costs around ¥360. Without authentication the work permit portal blocks submission, even if the original degree is from Oxford or Harvard.
Get a country-of-citizenship police check
Order a police certificate from your home country's federal authority within the past 6 months. Have it apostilled or notarized at the Chinese embassy. UK applicants use ACRO Criminal Records Office; US applicants use the FBI Identity History Summary, both accept fingerprints submitted by mail.
Sign the contract and apply for Z visa
Receive the Notification Letter from your employer's Foreign Expert Bureau. Submit the letter, contract, degree authentication, police check, and a medical exam to the Chinese consulate covering your residence. Single-entry Z visa fees range from ¥1,300 to ¥2,000 depending on nationality. Processing takes 4–10 working days.
Apply for Residence Permit within 30 days
Land in China on the Z visa, then visit the local Exit-Entry Bureau within 30 days. Bring your contract, work permit, lease registration, and a passport photo. The Residence Permit converts your single-entry visa into a multi-entry stay matching your contract length, usually 1 year.
Why this is different for foreign visitors
Unlike most countries that issue a single work visa, China splits the process into a Z visa stamped at a Chinese embassy abroad, a paper Foreigner's Work Permit issued by the local Foreign Expert Bureau, and a Residence Permit obtained at the city Public Security Bureau within 30 days of entry. For foreign workers this means three windows of risk: a denied embassy stamp, a portal salary check, and a Residence Permit cap. By Western standards the points-based screen feels mechanical, but it removes officer discretion and produces faster decisions when paperwork is clean. Cities such as Beijing and Shanghai also enforce age caps near 60 for renewals.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Accepting a contract that pays exactly the threshold. Add a 5% buffer; mid-year tax adjustments can drag the average below the floor and trigger renewal rejection.
- Flying in on an L tourist visa to start work. The Foreign Expert Bureau cannot convert L to a work permit onshore; you must exit and re-enter on a Z visa.
- Forgetting the 30-day Residence Permit deadline. Late filing carries fines of ¥500 per day plus a black mark that complicates future renewals.
- Skipping CDGDC degree authentication because the diploma looks official. The portal validates against CDGDC records, not paper certificates.
- Booking flights before the police certificate arrives. Apostille and consular legalization can take 4–6 weeks combined; build that into your timeline.
Frequently asked
No. The L visa bans paid employment, including remote freelance work for Chinese clients. Enforcement tightened in 2026 and offenders face deportation, a fine of up to ¥20,000, and a 5-year re-entry ban. Sign the contract from your home country, then apply for the Z visa at the Chinese consulate before you fly.
No. Renewals must meet the February 2026 thresholds. If your salary now sits below ¥71,622 in Beijing or ¥74,604 in Shanghai, expect a downgrade to Category B and extra documents like CDGDC degree authentication and a fresh police check. Budget 6–8 weeks for the recategorization decision.
Yes, but with stricter checks. You need a bachelor's degree, a 120-hour TEFL or CELTA certificate from an approved provider, and a clean police certificate from your country of citizenship. Recruiters now verify each document with the issuing body. Average teaching salaries run ¥18,000–28,000 monthly in tier-1 cities, enough for the points track.
Yes, plan for about ¥20,000. Expect rent deposits of 1+3 months, a Z visa fee around ¥2,000, ¥600 for the residence permit, and ¥5,000 for setup costs like a mattress, SIM card, and Chinese bank account. Many employers reimburse one-way flights only after you complete probation, typically 3 months in.
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