China · Work
China Z work visa
First stay: 5 yrs
Z Visa and Work-Type Residence Permit (work permit classes A, B, C)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Z work visa is a work route for China. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
- Government fees
- CNY 400 ≈ $60 · +2 more
- Processing
- 15 working days
- First stay
- 5 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 3 government fees listed below; decision: 15 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesCNY 400 ≈ $60 · +2 more
- CNY 400 (≈ $60)Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year.
- CNY 800 (≈ $120)Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years.
- CNY 1,000 (≈ $150)Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years.
RenewalRenewable
Residence permits can be extended through the exit-entry department. They can be issued for up to 5 years for talent, 2 years for registered entities with a good record, and 1 year for other personnel.
Permanent residenceAfter 4 years of residence
Senior managers, employees with associate senior professional titles or above, or those on equivalent pay can apply after 4 consecutive years in the role, if they resided in China for a total of at least 3 years within those 4 years and have good tax records.
Processing15 working days
The receipt of acceptance for a residence permit application is valid for no more than 15 working days from acceptance, within which the decision is made.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Apply for the Z visa abroad; after entry, apply for the work-type residence permit at the exit-entry department within 30 days.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside China, not after arriving
- Needs a job offer from an employer in China
- Work rights are limited
- Some ways in have an age limit
What you'll need
Who can apply5
- The applicant is aged 18 or older, healthy, and has no criminal record.
- The applicant has a confirmed employer in China and professional skills or knowledge needed for the job.
- Class A: high-end talent without age, degree or experience limits, including 85 or more points.
- Class B: professionals with a bachelor's degree, 2 or more years of experience and age up to 60, or other listed groups, including 60 or more points.
- Class C: other personnel and short-term work of up to 90 days, under quota.
What you must show and pay3
- A fee of CNY 400 (≈ $60) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year.
- A fee of CNY 800 (≈ $120) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years.
- A fee of CNY 1,000 (≈ $150) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years.
Documents2
- Z visa applicants submit the work permit and other certification documents.
- The work-type residence permit application includes the work permit and employer certification.
Steps1
- After entry, apply for the work-type residence permit within 30 days.
After you arrive4
- Class A work permits can be granted for up to 5 years.
- Work-type residence permits run up to 5 years for high-level talent, urgently needed professionals and investors.
- They run up to 2 years for people working in registered entities with good records, and up to 1 year for other personnel.
- A holder with two consecutive permits of more than 1 year and no violations can obtain up to 5 years at the third application.
When you become tax resident
How China decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 5 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a calendar tax year (and each of the six preceding years)Non-domiciled individual is resident for a year with 183 days or more of residence; foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt unless each of the six preceding years had 183 days or more with no single departure above 30 days.
- More than 30 days in a single departure in any of the six preceding yearsA single departure from China longer than 30 days breaks the six-year chain.
- Foreign-source income
Non-dom (six-year rule)
A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption · Tax relief
All tax rules for China Tax records checked
Full official text
Z visa for persons seeking work in China; work needs a Foreigners Work Permit in class A (high-end talent), B (professional talent) or C (other), followed by a work-type residence permit. 1 2 3 4 5
What you must show and pay
- A fee of CNY 400 (≈ $60) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year. 5
- A fee of CNY 800 (≈ $120) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years. 5
- A fee of CNY 1,000 (≈ $150) · Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years. 5
Requirements
- The applicant is aged 18 or older, healthy, and has no criminal record. 4
- The applicant has a confirmed employer in China and professional skills or knowledge needed for the job. 4
- Class A: high-end talent without age, degree or experience limits, including 85 or more points. 3 4
- Class B: professionals with a bachelor's degree, 2 or more years of experience and age up to 60, or other listed groups, including 60 or more points. 3 4
- Class C: other personnel and short-term work of up to 90 days, under quota. 3 4
- Z visa applicants submit the work permit and other certification documents. 1 2
- The work-type residence permit application includes the work permit and employer certification. 1 2
- After entry, apply for the work-type residence permit within 30 days. 1 2
- Class A work permits can be granted for up to 5 years. 4
- Work-type residence permits run up to 5 years for high-level talent, urgently needed professionals and investors. 2 6
- They run up to 2 years for people working in registered entities with good records, and up to 1 year for other personnel. 2 6
- A holder with two consecutive permits of more than 1 year and no violations can obtain up to 5 years at the third application. 2 6
Stay
- Work-type residence permit up to 5 years (talent, urgently needed professionals), up to 2 years (reputable registered entities) or up to 1 year (other personnel); Z visa entry validity and stay as endorsed.
- First stay: up to 60 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Employment limited to the employer and scope authorised by the work permit and work-type residence permit.
Family
Relatives apply under S visa categories; family visas carry no work authorisation.
Official sources
- Regulations on the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, visa types, short/long stay and admission rules · National Immigration Administration / State Council of China · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2013-07-12; current NIA legal text
- NIA service guide for foreign residence permits: work, study, family, investors and 30-day application rule · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2021-04-01
- Notice on fully implementing the Foreigners Work Permit system, with classification standard and points table (SAFEA, MOHRSS, MFA, MPS, 外专发〔2017〕40号) · SAFEA / MOHRSS / MFA / MPS · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2017
- Service guide for Foreigners Work Permits (SAFEA, 2024) · SAFEA · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2024-05-27
- Residence permit: charge standard · Beijing Municipal People’s Government · checked 2026-10-11
- Entry-Exit and Stay (Residence) of Foreigners · National Immigration Administration of the People’s Republic of China · checked 2026-10-12
- NIA guide for visa changes/extensions and category-specific stay limits · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2021-04-01
- Guidelines for Approval of Foreign Nationals’ Eligibility for Permanent Residence in China · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2023-03-27
Z work visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z work visa | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| R visa · High-level talent | – | 5 yr | – |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden Visa · Parent rep $25M Indonesia | Needs an investment from $25M | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Z work visa?
A fee of CNY 400 (≈ $60). Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for less than 1 year. A fee of CNY 800 (≈ $120). Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 1 year up to (not including) 3 years. A fee of CNY 1,000 (≈ $150). Residence permit fee per applicant, permit valid for 3 to 5 years.
How long can I stay on the Z work visa?
Work-type residence permit up to 5 years (talent, urgently needed professionals), up to 2 years (reputable registered entities) or up to 1 year (other personnel); Z visa entry validity and stay as endorsed.
How long does the Z work visa take to process?
The receipt of acceptance for a residence permit application is valid for no more than 15 working days from acceptance, within which the decision is made.
Can I work on the Z work visa?
Limited. Employment limited to the employer and scope authorised by the work permit and work-type residence permit.
Can I bring my family on the Z work visa?
Relatives apply under S visa categories; family visas carry no work authorisation.
Does the Z work visa lead to permanent residence in China?
Time on the Z work visa counts toward permanent residence in China, which the rules allow after 4 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Z work visa holders in China?
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption for non-domiciled residents before six consecutive 183-day years: A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption for non-domiciled residents before six consecutive 183-day years
Tax relief
Details
- Who: Tax year is the calendar year
A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income paid by overseas entities or individuals to a non-domiciled resident, at the progressive rates of 3% to 45% when taxable; China-source income is always taxable.
Who it applies to
- Tax year is the calendar year. A person domiciled in China is a resident individual; a non-domiciled person is resident after 183 or more days of residence in the tax year.
- For a non-domiciled resident, foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt on filing if any of the six preceding years has fewer than 183 residence days, or there was a single departure of more than 30 days in any of those years.
- If the current year is resident (183 or more days) and each of the six preceding years had 183 or more days with no single departure above 30 days, domestic- and foreign-source income are both taxable in China. The six-year count began no earlier than 2019.
Exclusions
- The exemption covers only income from outside China paid by an overseas unit or person, and requires filing with the tax authority.
- China-source income stays taxable when the payer or client is abroad; services physically performed in China are China-source.
- Individuals domiciled in China are outside this rule.
Days in the country
- At least 183 days in calendar tax year (and each of the six preceding years) · Non-domiciled individual is resident for a year with 183 days or more of residence; foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt unless each of the six preceding years had 183 days or more with no single departure above 30 days.
- More than 30 days in single departure in any of the six preceding years · A single departure from China longer than 30 days breaks the six-year chain.
Tax residence
Domicile covers habitual residence through household registration, family or economic interests. For non-domiciled individuals the 183-day test uses full days of residence in the calendar tax year. A day counts as a day of residence only if the person is in China for the full 24 hours of that day.
Visas
Immigration visa or residence permit does not automatically make a person tax-resident or confer tax exemption; these are tax-statute tests.
Other taxes
Individual income tax scope only. VAT, social insurance contributions, employer withholding and treaty relief apply separately; resident individuals credit foreign tax paid up to the Chinese tax payable on that income and declare foreign-source income between 1 March and 30 June of the following year.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in China
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 8 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Regulations on the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, visa types, short/long stay and admission rules · National Immigration Administration / State Council of China · checked 2026-10-10
- NIA service guide for foreign residence permits: work, study, family, investors and 30-day application rule · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12
- Notice on fully implementing the Foreigners Work Permit system, with classification standard and points table (SAFEA, MOHRSS, MFA, MPS, 外专发〔2017〕40号) · SAFEA / MOHRSS / MFA / MPS · checked 2026-10-10
- Service guide for Foreigners Work Permits (SAFEA, 2024) · SAFEA · checked 2026-10-10
- Residence permit: charge standard · Beijing Municipal People’s Government · checked 2026-10-11
- Entry-Exit and Stay (Residence) of Foreigners · National Immigration Administration of the People’s Republic of China · checked 2026-10-12
- NIA guide for visa changes/extensions and category-specific stay limits · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-12
- Guidelines for Approval of Foreign Nationals’ Eligibility for Permanent Residence in China · National Immigration Administration of China · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.