Criteria for obtaining an English teacher work permit in China

  • Legal environment for English teachers in China
  • Specific requirements for obtaining work permits as an English teacher in China
  • What are the recognised certificates for the obtention of a work permit in China?
  • Latest legal updates concerning visas and work permits

Legal environment for English teachers in China
For English teacher positions, China has recently relaxed its rules for obtaining work permits. These new regulations require English teachers to notarize and legalize their documents prior to arrival.

These documents are: original degree, original copy of a 120-hour TEFL or equivalent, and an original copy of a police background check.

These documents must be notarized by the Home Affairs Department of your home country, and then legalized by the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in your home country.

Specific requirements for obtaining work permits as an English teacher in China

  • Must be citizens (passport) of countries whose native language is English: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, Ireland, USA and, more recently, the Philippines;
  • Must hold a diploma, at least a Bachelor’s degree;
  • Must hold an international TEFL / TESOL / TESL English Teaching Certificate;
  • Or must have a teacher’s qualification in their home country: a Bachelor’s or Higher degree in Education, Language or Teacher-training;
  • Certificate of a non-criminal record from the country of origin or from the country where the candidate has been residing during the last 5 years;
  • Age: from 23 to 40 years old.

What are the recognized certificates to obtain a work permit in China?

  • TEFL: Teaching English as Foreign Language;
  • TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages;
  • TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language.
  • Must have achieved 120 hours in class studies in China (on-line studies will not be accepted) or,
  • Must have a certificate obtained in their home country, certified by the Consulate of China or certified by the consulate of their country in China.
  • If candidates have over 2 years’ education experience, TEFL, TESOL, TESL are not required to apply for work permits.

Latest legal updates concerning visas and work permits:
To teach in China, you will need to ensure that you have the correct Application Form and have understood the procedures to obtain your legal work visa. At first, this may seem cumbersome, but it is actually quite simple once you have broken-down the required procedures into different steps.

There are different visas to enter China. The visa you will require is a Z WORK VISA. Our recruitment team and our partner agencies (specialising in visas and work permits) will guide you through the application process.