---
title: "China Hiring Guide 2026 | Written Contract in 30 Days"
description: "Hire in China 2026: written labour contract within 30 days, work permit check, social-insurance registration, probation up to 6 months."
canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/china/hiring-guide
---

China · Hiring guide child

Served by Teamed vetted partner-entity network in China

# How do you *hire an employee in China* in 2026?

China requires a written labour contract to be signed within 30 days of the employee starting work. Miss that deadline and the employee is entitled to double pay for every month without a written contract. Probation can last up to 6 months depending on contract length, with just 3 days notice to exit on either side.

Last reviewed 13 Jun 2026 · China guide

![A modern business district skyline in Shanghai with towers and a wide pedestrian boulevard.](/images/country-guides/china-hiring-guide.webp)

Illustration · Shanghai, China

Answer.cite this

The China hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written labour contract, social-insurance registration, first payday.

The written labour contract must be signed within 30 days of the start date. Miss this and the employee earns double pay for each month without a signed contract.

Probation can last up to 6 months for contracts of three years or longer. Either side can exit with just 3 days notice during probation.

![Hands reviewing a printed labour contract at a desk in a bright Beijing office.](/images/country-guides/china-hiring-guide-polaroid-1.webp)

Sign within 30 days

## What does the end-to-end China hire process look like?

Five steps take you from accepted offer to first payslip. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written labour contract, social-insurance registration, first payday.

The 30-day contract deadline is the critical path. Everything else can run in parallel but that window starts on day one.

| Step | What happens | Owner | Timing |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, salary, start date, and key terms | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept |
| 2. Work-authorisation check | Confirm Chinese nationals have valid ID; verify foreign nationals hold a valid Work Permit for Foreigners and Residence Permit before the start date | Teamed | Before the employee starts |
| 3. Written labour contract | Bilingual labour contract signed by both parties; must cover all required terms under the Labour Contract Law | Teamed (legal employer) | Within 30 days of start date |
| 4. Social-insurance registration | Register the employee for pension, medical, unemployment, work injury, and maternity insurance; collect tax ID (Sh税号 / TIN) and housing provident fund details | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| 5. First payday | First payslip issued; IIT withholding return filed with the tax authority by the 15th of the following month | Teamed | End of first calendar month |

1. Issue the offer letter Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, salary, start date, probation of up to 6 months, probation notice of 3 days, and a condition requiring valid work-permit approval for any foreign national hires.
2. Complete the work-authorisation check Verify the national identity card for Chinese nationals. For foreign nationals, confirm the Work Permit for Foreigners and the Residence Permit with employment purpose are in hand before the employee starts. Retain copies of all documents.
3. Sign the written labour contract The bilingual labour contract must be signed by both employer and employee within 30 days of the start date. Teamed's standard China contract meets all requirements under the Labour Contract Law. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer.
4. Complete social-insurance registration Register the employee for all five mandatory social insurance types (pension, medical, unemployment, work injury, maternity) and the housing provident fund. Collect the tax ID and bank account details. This runs across days one to seven.
5. Issue the first payslip and file IIT withholding Run the first payroll at the end of the first calendar month. File the IIT withholding return with the local tax authority by the 15th of the following month. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record.

## What must a China offer letter include?

An offer letter sets out the commercial terms the candidate decides on. It is not the legally binding contract.

Include role title, reporting line, start date, gross monthly salary, working hours, work location, probation period of up to 6 months, probation notice of 3 days, and any conditions such as work-permit approval for foreign nationals.

Three traps to avoid in Chinese offer letters:

- **Quoting net salary.** Individual income tax in China is progressive and withholding rates change with cumulative income across the year. Committing to a net figure in writing creates problems. Quote gross monthly salary only.
- **Overpromising probation terms.** China law links the maximum probation period to the contract term. A one-year fixed-term contract carries a maximum one-month probation. A three-year-plus or open-ended contract can carry up to 6 months. State the correct term in the offer letter. If the later contract contradicts it, the contract governs.
- **Omitting the work-permit condition for foreign nationals.** An offer letter issued to a foreign national before the Work Permit for Foreigners is approved creates complications if the permit is refused. Build a clear condition into the offer: employment is conditional on obtaining a valid work permit and residence permit before the start date.

Teamed's standard China offer letter covers all required ground. It is available in English and Mandarin. Clients choose commercial elements; Teamed holds the legal-employer position and manages the subsequent contract process.

## China work-authorisation checks

Chinese nationals have the right to work in China without any separate permit. The employer checks their national identity card (Ju Min Shen Fen Zheng) before the start date.

Foreign nationals must hold a valid Work Permit for Foreigners (Wai Guo Ren Gong Zuo Xu Ke Zheng) and a Residence Permit with employment purpose before they can legally start work.

### Chinese nationals

For employees who are Chinese citizens, the work-authorisation check is straightforward. The employer verifies the national identity card, retains a copy, and confirms the details match the labour contract. No online portal or government check system is required for this verification.

### Foreign nationals

Foreign nationals must complete a two-document process before starting work. First, a Work Permit for Foreigners (Wai Guo Ren Gong Zuo Xu Ke Zheng) issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Second, a Residence Permit for China (Wai Guo Ren Ju Liu Xu Ke Zheng) issued by the Public Security Bureau, with the employment purpose endorsed on it.

The Work Permit application requires the employer to hold a Foreign Employment Licence and to sponsor the individual. The process typically takes several weeks. Employment cannot begin until both documents are in hand. Teamed manages the permit timeline alongside the offer process so the start date is not missed.

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security · Work Permit for Foreigners in China

Foreign nationals working in China must hold a valid Work Permit for Foreigners issued by the relevant human resources and social security authority. Employment without a valid permit is an administrative offence under the Regulations on Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China.

Source: [Labour Contract Law of the People's Republic of China (Supreme People's Court English version)](https://english.court.gov.cn/2015-08/17/c_761484_10.htm)

### Ongoing checks for time-limited permits

Foreign employees on time-limited work and residence permits must renew before expiry. Teamed tracks each permit expiry date and triggers a renewal reminder ahead of the deadline. A permit lapse while employment continues is a compliance breach for both the employer and the employee.

## The China written labour contract: what must it contain?

The Labour Contract Law of the PRC requires a written labour contract for every employee.

The contract must be signed within 30 days of the employee starting work. If no contract is signed within one year, the law deems an open-ended contract to exist from month two onward.

What a China written labour contract must include under the Labour Contract Law:

- Full legal names and registered addresses of both employer and employee
- Term of the contract: fixed-term, open-ended, or project-based
- Job description and place of work
- Working hours: standard system (40 hours per week), or extended or flexible hours system if separately approved
- Gross salary and payment frequency (monthly is standard)
- Social insurance: confirmation that the employer will register the employee for the five mandatory insurance types
- Labour protections applicable to the role (health and safety, production conditions)
- Probation period, if any, and the applicable notice during probation of 3 days
- Annual leave entitlement: 5 days for employees with one to under ten years of total service
- Confidentiality and non-compete obligations, if the role requires them (must be written into the contract or a separate agreement to be binding)

China contracts are typically bilingual (Mandarin and English). Where there is a conflict between the two versions, the Mandarin text prevails in Chinese courts and arbitration proceedings. Teamed issues both language versions as standard and retains the originals.

Key source: [Labour Contract Law of the People's Republic of China (English translation)](https://www.registrationchina.com/articles/law/labor-contract-law-of-china/) via Registration China.

## Onboarding admin in the first week

Days 1 to 7 cover social-insurance registration across five funds, tax ID collection, housing provident fund setup, bank details, and benefits.

Teamed manages the employer-side compliance. The client manages the operational and cultural welcome.

| Onboarding task | Who does it | Day |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Labour contract signed (both parties) | Employee and Teamed | Day 1 (within 30 days of start) |
| Work-authorisation check completed | Teamed | Day 0 (before start) |
| National ID card or work permit verified and copied | Teamed | Day 1 |
| Social-insurance registration (pension, medical, unemployment, work injury, maternity) | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Housing provident fund (Gongjijin) setup | Teamed, with employee bank account details | Days 1 to 7 |
| Individual income tax ID registered with local tax authority | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Bank account details (for CNY payroll transfer) collected | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Benefits enrolment (supplemental medical, commercial insurance) | Teamed (admin) and Client (decision) | Days 1 to 7 |
| Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 |
| Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 |
| 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 |

## How does Teamed handle China employment for you?

Teamed becomes your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in China for [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency.

The labour contract, social-insurance registration across all five funds, housing provident fund, IIT withholding, and the full China employment law stack run on **one platform**.

**Real HR and legal experts** handle your China hires, from the first bilingual offer letter through every monthly IIT withholding return. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice.

EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on **one platform**. A China contractor who converts to direct employment keeps their record. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see the month your China hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the China hiring overview; each guide takes one layer of Chinese employment law.

Key sources: [Labour Contract Law of the PRC](https://www.registrationchina.com/articles/law/labor-contract-law-of-china/), [PwC China social security rates](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/peoples-republic-of-china/individual/other-taxes), and [Supreme People's Court English text of the Labour Contract Law](https://english.court.gov.cn/2015-08/17/c_761484_10.htm).

## Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to hire someone in China through Teamed?

For Chinese nationals, Teamed can onboard an employee within a few business days. The critical path is the written labour contract, which must be signed within 30 days of the start date. Social-insurance registration runs across the first week. For foreign nationals, the work permit and residence permit must be in place before the start date, which adds several weeks to the timeline. Teamed manages the permit process alongside the offer to avoid delays.

What happens if the written labour contract is not signed within 30 days?

Under the Labour Contract Law of the PRC, if no written labour contract is signed within 30 days of the start date, the employee is entitled to double pay for every month they work without a signed contract. If no contract is signed within one year, the law deems an open-ended contract to be in place from the second month of employment. Teamed issues and signs the contract before or on day one to remove this risk entirely.

What is the probation period and notice during probation in China?

The maximum probation period in China depends on the length of the employment contract. Contracts of three years or longer, including open-ended contracts, can carry a probation of up to 6 months. During probation, either party can end the employment with just 3 days notice. After probation ends, the minimum employer notice for a non-fault termination is 4.286 weeks under Article 40 of the Labour Contract Law.

What is the minimum annual leave entitlement for an employee in China?

Minimum paid annual leave in China depends on total cumulative service across all employers. Employees with one to under ten years of total service are entitled to 5 days per year. Leave rises to 10 days for ten to under twenty years of service, and to 15 days for twenty years or more. China also has 7 statutory national holidays per year, which sit outside the annual leave entitlement.

Do foreign nationals need a visa or work permit to be hired in China?

Yes. Foreign nationals must hold a Work Permit for Foreigners and a Residence Permit with the employment purpose endorsed on it before they can legally start work in China. The employer must hold a Foreign Employment Licence and must sponsor the work permit application. The process typically takes several weeks. Employment before these documents are in place is a breach of the Regulations on Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China. Teamed manages the permit application timeline as part of the onboarding process.

Teamed Legal Operations

The 30-day contract window in China is not just a formality. Miss it and the employee earns double pay for every month without a signed contract. We run the bilingual contract preparation in parallel with the offer process, so there is no gap between start date and signature date.

A note from Tom Price-Daniel

China gives you 30 days to put a written labour contract in front of your new hire. The clock starts on day one.  
Social-insurance registration covers five separate funds. All must be set up before the first payroll runs.  
Get both right from the start and your China hire stays clean.

Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed

## Related China guides

- Hiring in China, overviewparent
- [China termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/china/termination-and-severance)sibling
- [China tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/china/tax-and-payroll)sibling
- [China employer cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/china/cost-breakdown)sibling
- [Germany hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/germany/hiring-guide)sibling
- [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core
- [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator)tool
- [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA

A note on this page.

This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. China employment law also varies by province and municipality for matters such as minimum wage, social insurance rates, and paternity leave. Verify current requirements with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS) and the State Taxation Administration for China, or speak to a qualified professional, before relying on any specific framework.