Foreigners coming to China are required to obtain one of several visa types, including the tourist visa (L), the exchange/visit/inspection visa (F), and the business/trade visa (M).
This comprehensive guide provides a step‑by‑step walkthrough on how Japanese employees can apply for the work visa (Z visa) they need when assigned to work in China.
Table of Contents
The work visa (Z visa) is the entry visa for those coming to China for employment.
However, keep in mind that to work legally in China, you will also need to apply for and obtain the Foreigner’s Work Permit and the Foreigner’s Residence Permit, which are issued by the Chinese authorities after you enter the country.
* Working without the proper permits or with incomplete paperwork will be deemed illegal employment. In such cases, both the foreign employee and the employer will face legal consequences, including administrative detention and fines.
Applying for a Z visa requires gathering a substantial amount of documentation, which can be quite time‑consuming. Therefore, once your assignment to China is confirmed, it is advisable to start the preparation process as early as possible.
| Required Documents | Overview |
| ① Passport (original and copy) | At least 2 blank visa pages and 6+ months of validity remaining |
| ② Passport Photo Taken Within the Last 6 Months | Color photo against a white background (4.8cm × 3.3cm) |
| ③ China Visa Application Form | Online visa application form |
| ④ Any One Document from the Right Column | ・Foreigner’s Work Permit Notification ・Foreign Expert Work Permit ・Resident Representative Office Registration Certificate ・Commercial Performance Approval (For Applicants Entering China for Commercial Performances) ・Confirmation Letter for Staff of Foreign Cultural Centers ・Letter of Invitation for Offshore Petroleum Operations (Issued by CNOOC) |
* Among these, Item ④ is by far the most time- and labor-intensive.
The Foreigner’s Work Permit Notification (Item ④ mentioned above) serves as a pre‑approval for Z‑visa applications filed outside China, and is also one of the documents required for foreigners to enter the country.
* By contrast, the Foreigner’s Work Permit—which you apply for after entering China—is the official work permit that legally allows you to work in the country.
The Foreigner’s Work Permit Notification is divided into three categories: Category A (high‑level talent), Category B (professional talent), and Category C (general talent).
This article focuses on the application process for Category B.
Category B (professional talent) includes six specific types of application requirements.
① Under 60, bachelor’s degree or above, with at least 2 years of relevant work experience.
② Holders of globally recognized vocational qualifications, or skilled talent in critical short supply.
③ Foreign language teaching professionals.
④ Average salary income at least 4 times the previous year’s local average social wage.
⑤ Specialized personnel and project implementation staff approved by relevant national authorities.
⑥ Score 60 or above in the points‑based system.
When applying for the Foreigner’s Work Permit Notification in Shenzhen, you will need to log in to the “Foreigner Integrated Service Management Platform“，fill out the following online: your personal information, work permit application details, educational background (starting from tertiary education), work experience, and family member information (if any dependents will accompany you).
You will also need to upload the corresponding supporting documents.
Once all required documents are submitted through the system, your application will be reviewed by the Foreign Experts Bureau.
Upon approval, you will receive the Foreigner’s Work Permit Notification and be able to download it.
Simply enter your personal details and upload a digital passport photo, and this step of the application is complete.
● Required Document: Digital Passport Photo for Upload
* Unlike the visa center’s requirements, the photo here must be at least 354 × 472 pixels in resolution, have a file size between 20 KB and 120 KB, and feature a white background.
After filling in your work details in China on the system, simply check the appropriate boxes for any bonus points (such as professional qualifications) that you may have.
* If you select “Yes” for any of the bonus points, you will need to submit the relevant supporting documents at a later stage.
Fill in educational background starting from tertiary education.
* Note that although the system provides a prompt saying “fill in your highest degree if you have no tertiary education,” this prompt only applies if you do not meet the criteria for Category ①: Under 60, bachelor’s degree or above, with at least 2 years of relevant work experience.
● Required Document: Highest Academic Credential (with Consular Legalization by the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Japan Apostille by the Japanese MOFA)
● How to Obtain: Diploma (from school) → Apostille (Japanese MOFA) Official Seal Certification (Japanese MOFA) → Consular Legalization (China Visa Application Service Center)
* Since November 7, 2023, following the entry into force of China’s accession to the Hague Apostille Convention, consular legalization at the China Visa Application Service Center is no longer required.
The process has been simplified to require only an Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan, eliminating the need for MOFA’s separate official seal certification.
Fill in your work experience over the past 10 years here (excluding internships).
● Required Document: Work Experience Certificate
● How to Obtain: The Work Experience Certificate must clearly state the applicant’s job title, period of employment, and the projects they participated in, among other relevant details. In addition, the certificate must bear the official seal of the company or be signed by an authorized representative, and include that person’s contact information.
* Note: If you choose Category ① (under 60, with a bachelor’s degree or above and at least 2 years of relevant work experience) as your application criteria, you must strictly meet the 2‑year work experience requirement. Any relaxation of this work experience requirement applies only to other application pathways, such as the points‑based system.
* Since the information needs to be verified and confirmed by your previous employer, you should double-check all supporting documents carefully when preparing them.
If your family members are not accompanying you to China, simply skip this section and proceed to the next step.
● Required Document ①: Highest Academic Credential
● Required Document ②: Work Experience Certificate
● Required Document ③: Certificate of No Criminal Record
* The Certificate of No Criminal Record must be applied for at the police headquarters of each prefecture or at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in Japan.
After obtaining the certificate, be sure to keep it unopened and apply directly to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an apostille.Obtain the official seal certification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the consular legalization from the China Visa Application Service Center.
* Since November 7, 2023, following the entry into force of China’s accession to the Hague Apostille Convention, consular legalization at the China Visa Application Service Center is no longer required.
The process has been simplified to require only an Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan, eliminating the need for MOFA’s separate official seal certification.
● Required Documents ④: Labor Contract (with a Chinese employer)
* Labor contract written in Chinese, with the applicant as a contracting party, and bearing the employer’s official seal.
● Required Document ⑤: Medical Examination Certificate
Medical Examination Certificate issued by an overseas medical institution accredited by China’s inspection and quarantine authorities, and issued within the last 6 months.
For the list of designated medical institutions, please consult the Chinese Embassy or Consulates General in Japan.
The Foreigner Physical Examination Record contains supporting materials such as X-ray reports, ECG results, and blood test reports. Please scan all of these documents into electronic files and upload them.
* By the way, this medical examination was conducted at the “Japan-China Friendship Hospital” in Tokyo.
● Required Document ⑥: Passport
Passport cover and personal information page (scan or photo) required.
● Required Document ⑦: Foreigner’s Work Permit Application Form
After completing Steps 1 to 5 above, click the “Download Application Form” button at the bottom of the “Attachment Information” page to download the Application Form for Foreigner’s Work Permit containing all your pre-filled information.
After confirming that the application form is correct, you must sign it to confirm that the information you have provided is true and accurate.
Upload the signed application form to the system.
● Required Document ⑧: Other Supporting Documents
Upload any additional supporting documents here.
Once all required documents have been submitted, all that’s left is to wait patiently.
Although the official pre-review timeline is 7 working days, in our actual experience, we received feedback with revision requests from the system on day 3. After making the revisions and resubmitting, we received approval on day 5.
After final approval, you will receive two bilingual copies of the Foreigner’s Work Permit Notification (as shown in the image).
At this point, all the required documents for the Z visa application are ready, and you can proceed to the China Visa Application Service Center.
From document preparation to actually receiving the Z visa, the entire process took us over four months.
Therefore, once your assignment to China is confirmed, we strongly recommend that you allow sufficient time and start preparing your documents and visa application as early as possible.
Additionally, please note that specific Z visa application procedures and policies are subject to change. Be sure to rely on the official announcements issued by the China Visa Application Service Center in Japan for the most up‑to‑date information.
This article is intended solely as a general reference on the Z visa and does not constitute legal or compliance advice.
For specific procedures and formalities, please consult a qualified professional based on your actual needs.
| Chinese Visa Application Service Center | URL |
| Tokyo | https://www.visaforchina.cn/TYO3_EN/qianzhengyewu/jichuzhishi/banliliucheng |
| Osaka | https://www.visaforchina.cn/OSA3_EN/qianzhengyewu/jichuzhishi/banliliucheng |
| Nagoya | https://www.visaforchina.cn/NGO3_EN/qianzhengyewu/jichuzhishi/banliliucheng |
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