Work permits are issued by the Chinese government to allow foreign nationals to work in the country. Here is a guide to obtaining a foreigner’s work permit. Foreigners employed in Hainan must obtain a work permit regardless of their nationality, visa type, or the length of their employment. 

I. Apply for the foreigner's work permit notice before entering China

Before entering China, the application for the “Foreigner's Work Permit Notice” can be processed entirely online by the employer or entrusted service agency.

Please select a processing location and click to view the required documents for the procedure：

Province level

Haikou City

Sanya City

Danzhou City (Yangpu Economic Development Zone)

For more details, please refer to the Guide to overseas application for Foreigner's Work Permit Notice.

If your application is approved, you will receive a Work Permit Notification Letter, which you can use to apply for a work visa at a Chinese Visa Application Center in your home country or country of ordinary residence.

II. Apply for the foreigner's work permit

Work permit applications and the initial stage of residence permit applications are completed online by your intended employer through the Service System for Foreigners Working in China website.

To apply for a work permit, you need to submit clear, full-color scans of application materials to your intended employer.

Please select a processing location and click to view the required documents for the procedure：

Haikou City

Sanya City

Danzhou City (Yangpu Economic Development Zone)

For more details, please refer to the Guide to domestic application for Foreigner's Work Permit.

Notes:

In Hainan, procedures have been streamlined, and you or your employer need to make only two visits to the foreigner comprehensive service window for your applications for work and residence permits. Once your work permit application has received provisional approval, you or your employer (or a representative thereof) can proceed to the window to submit the originals and photocopies of the application materials for both your work and residence permits. Once your application materials have been verified, your photo taken by the Entry-Exit Administration, and you have been interviewed, your work and residence permits will be processed at the same time and issued within 7 working days. If you request for your passport and work permit to be sent to you by post, you only need to make one trip. If not, you or your employer’s designated representative can collect them in person once notified to do so by the SMS.

hicn.com contributed to the story.