China Work Permit from India: Eligibility and Process

In other words, the work permit is not something you apply for from India. Your employer starts it in China, you collect the visa in India, and the permit itself is finished after you land. The steps below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For tourist and business visas, see our China visa guide for Indian travellers.

Can you go to China first and look for a job?

Not on a work basis. The Embassy's list of ordinary visa types (C, D, F, G, J1, J2, L, M, Q1, Q2, R, S1, S2, X1, X2 and Z) contains no job-seeker category. The only work visa, Z, requires the employer's work permit notice before you apply.

Visa-free entry is not a shortcut either. India is not on China's unilateral 30-day visa-exemption list (as of 17 February 2026) or the 240-hour visa-free transit list (August 2026). Indians can use only the 24-hour visa-free transit to a third country, staying inside the port's restricted area.

What does your employer file in China?

The employer applies online through the Management and Service System for Foreigners Working in China, on the National Human Resources and Social Security Government Affairs Service Platform (Ministry of Commerce guide, via the Beijing Municipal Government). You supply most of the paperwork from India:

• The work permit application form and proof of your work qualifications.
• Your highest degree certificate and professional qualification certificates, authenticated by apostille or by a Chinese embassy or consulate.
• A certificate of no criminal record.
• A health examination certificate.
• The job contract or a letter of dispatch.
• A valid passport and a bareheaded, full-face photo taken within 6 months.
• Documents for any family members who will accompany you.

Start the degree authentication and police certificate early. Neither has an official processing time in our sources, and China publishes none for the work permit itself.

How do the Category A, B and C grades work?

Chinese work permits are graded Category A, B or C. Under the points route described by the Shanghai Municipal Government (August 2026), Category A needs at least 85 points and Category B needs 60 to 85 points. The main factors are:

Age also scores points. This is the national system as explained by Shanghai; other provinces may add local bonus points, so your employer's HR team will know the exact rules in its city.

How much does the Z visa cost from India?

The Embassy's fee notice of 4 January 2026 sets one fee table for Indian passport holders, based on the number of entries rather than the visa type. A Z visa therefore costs the same as any ordinary visa with the same entries, and the Embassy decides how many entries you get.

The reduced visa fees are valid until 31 December 2026. The service fee is paid online before you submit; the visa fee is paid at the centre.

Where do you apply in India, and is there an interview?

You fill the form and upload documents online on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website, then walk in with your passport once the status shows 'online review completed'. The centre depends on your state: Mumbai for Maharashtra and Karnataka; Kolkata for Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal; New Delhi for everywhere else.

Z applicants in the New Delhi district attend an interview at the Embassy. Mumbai and Kolkata applicants attend at the Consulate General if the centre tells them to. Fingerprints are collected for Z visas. No separate Z visa timeline is published: the Embassy's usual period for qualified applications is 4 working days regular or 3 working days express, but the interview can add time.

What must you do after landing in China?

• Work of 90 days or less: work within the period shown on your Z visa.
• Work of more than 90 days: apply for a residence permit for work within 30 days of entry, and work only within the work permit's validity.
• Residence permit file: passport, Foreigner Visa Application Form, a 33x48mm bareheaded colour photo on a white background, and documents supporting the purpose.
• Later: request extensions 30 days before the permit expires, and update a new passport on the permit within 10 days.

Mistakes that stall a China work file

• Applying for the Z visa before the employer's work permit notice has been issued.
• Sending unauthenticated degree certificates to the employer.
• Travelling on a tourist (L) visa to start work; the Z visa is the work visa.
• Missing the 30-day residence permit window after arrival.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares cover letters, flight reservations, hotel bookings and itineraries for visa files, including family visits once you are settled. Packages range from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can my spouse and children join me while I work in China?

Yes, through the S1 visa for stays over 180 days (S2 for shorter visits). You need an invitation letter from the family member working in China, a copy of their passport and residence permit, and original and copy of relationship proof such as a marriage or birth certificate.

How long does a Chinese work permit take?

China publishes no official processing time for the Foreigner's Work Permit or for the Z visa interview stage. Only the Embassy's general visa period is published: 4 working days regular or 3 working days express for qualified applications.

Do I need a Chinese work permit for a short business trip?

A short trip for commercial and trade activity uses the M visa, which needs documents from a trade partner in China and the inviter's business licence. The Z visa and work permit are for being employed in China.

How do I extend my stay if my Z visa period runs out?

China's Ministry of Commerce guide says to apply to the local public security exit and entry authority at least 7 days before the visa's permitted stay ends. Anyone working more than 90 days should already have a residence permit for work.