Document checklist
Saudi Arabia → China: Z Visa (work visa) and Foreigner's Work Permit residence registration
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Not yet checked. This page was drafted from the sources listed below but hasn't passed verification yet. Double-check anything critical directly with the official source before you rely on it.
Required documents
6 itemsIdentity
Passport photo
RequiredA recent colour photo, bare head, full face, against a light background, the same one uploaded in your online application.
Valid passport
RequiredYour passport, with at least 6 months of remaining validity and at least 2 blank visa pages, plus a photocopy of the biographical page.
Visa application form
RequiredThe visa application form, completed online and printed, matching the passport signature.
Employment
Foreigner's Work Permit and employer certification letter
RequiredAfter you enter China on the Z visa, you must apply within 30 days for a residence permit. For this you submit the Foreigner's Work Permit, issued by the local human resources and social security department, or the local foreign-expert administration authority, along with a certification letter from the entity that hired you.
Source: National Immigration Administration (China), Entry-Exit and Stay (Residence) of Foreigners
Notice for the Work Permit for Foreigners
RequiredYour Chinese employer arranges this notification letter through China's work permit system before you apply for the Z visa, it confirms you've been approved to work in China.
Other
Health certificate
Needed if the work residence permit you're applying for is valid for more than 1 year. It must be issued by a local health quarantine agency, or a health care department at or above the county level, showing you don't have a serious mental disorder, infectious tuberculosis, or other infectious disease that could seriously threaten public health.
Source: National Immigration Administration (China), Entry-Exit and Stay (Residence) of Foreigners
Why applications on this route get refused
Missing Notice for the Work Permit for Foreigners
A Z visa application without the work permit notification letter from your Chinese employer doesn't meet the requirement.
How to avoid it: Wait for your employer to complete the work permit notification process before applying for the Z visa.
Residence permit not applied for within 30 days of entry
Z visa holders must apply for their residence permit within 30 days of entering China.
How to avoid it: Book your residence permit appointment with the local exit-entry office as soon as you arrive.
Sources
Check your documents against this list before you pay the China application fee.
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