Teaching English in China is a popular job for recent graduates and for those wanting to travel before starting their careers. You might be wondering what to expect when preparing to work in China. Applying for visas and permits can be a long process, especially post-Covid-19. Fortunately, your employer should help to guide you through it. In this article, we will cover some of the documentation you may need to provide at each step. We will also explain the process of Chinese Embassy Legalisation.
British nationals must obtain a visa in order to enter China. If you are intending to work, you will generally require a Z visa. To apply, you will need your passport and a photocopy of your passport. You will also need several documents issued by Chinese authorities, which your employer should help you to obtain.
Once you have your Z visa, you can enter China. From there, you must apply for the necessary permits within 30 days. For work purposes, this means two further steps. You will need to obtain a Foreigner’s Work Permit as a prerequisite, followed by a Residence Permit. There are certain public documents you will want to have prepared before you leave to facilitate this process:
- Police certificate
- International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) or DBS check
- Degree certificate
A Police certificate is a statement of your criminal records in the UK. ACRO issues police cetifcates in the UK. If you have recently resided outside of the UK for an extended period, you may also need criminal records checks from the other countries. This is a basic requirement for Chinese residence permits.
Depending on the group you intend to teach, you may also require an ICPC or DBS check for your employer. These certificates are generally for roles which involve working with children or vulnerable people. Although a DBS check discloses much of the same information as an ACRO Police certificate, the amount of information varies. Their purposes also differ. DBS checks are for employment, while police certificates are generally for other applications, such as visas. The ICPC is another form of criminal records disclosure, but is longer, more detailed, and discloses all information relevant to child safety. Depending on your employer, a DBS check may be sufficient, but some employers will ask for an ICPC.
Finally, in order to teach in China, it is necessary to have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree. For this reason, your employer will need your degree certificate to verify that you are suitably qualified before they can sponsor your work permit.
Because these documents are from the UK, they will need to undergo legalisation. China is not part of the Hague Convention on the Apostille, which means that a process of double-certification is necessary. All British documents to be used in China must be:
- Notarised or certified as required by a British solicitor or notary public,
- Apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO),
- Legalised by the Chinese Embassy in London.
Note that DBS checks and degree certificates, which are not signed by public officials in the UK, will always require certification before apostilles. Provided you have your original Police certificate issued by ACRO, this will not require certification, as it should have an original signature from an official.
There are a limited number of Chinese Embassy Legalisation appointments each week and your documents must be prepared strictly according to guidelines to avoid any rejections or delays. At Pardus Bloom, we have experience putting documents through the Chinese Embassy and know what to expect – we are happy to arrange the notarisation, certification, and Apostilles for your documents, and we can even submit documents for legalisation at the Embassy on your behalf, saving you the hassle and enabling you to get on with your applications as soon as possible. If you would like to know more about our services, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
[1] http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/visa/qzxz/t1021833.htm
[2] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-china#entry-and-residence-requirements