Z visa (China work visa)
is China’s entry visa for employment — one step in a chain: work-permit notification letter first, Z visa at the consulate, then the work permit card and residence permit within 30 days of arrival. Applicants are graded A/B/C by points (talent, professionals, others), which drives documentation and approvals.
Running the chain without stalls
- Pre-arrival: employer obtains the notification letter (degree, experience, clean record, legalised documents); consulate issues the Z visa.
- Entry window: work may start only with the permit card; the 30-day conversion clock starts at entry.
- Category strategy: B-category standard professionals face degree-plus-experience tests; A-category talent enjoys fast tracks.
- Local variation: cities differ in documents and processing — Shanghai and Shenzhen practice is not national practice.
Employment must sit with a China-registered entity or licensed structure; social insurance follows — see social insurance in China.
FAQ
How long does the China work visa process take?
Six to twelve weeks end-to-end in typical cases: document legalisation (often the longest step), notification letter, consular visa, then in-country conversion. Rushing rarely compresses legalisation — start document collection at offer stage.
Can someone work in China on a business (M) visa?
No — M visas cover trade and meetings; employment requires the Z-chain. Enforcement includes site checks and exit-entry data matching, and violations bring fines, detention in serious cases and bans. The rule is absolute enough that no serious employer tests it.