Visa Information

Notarisation process

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Firstly, you will need to organise your documents. These documents are your passport, background check (DBS check), copy of Degree certificate and copy of TEFL certificate/CELTA.

 

NB: You might need to get your passport renewed, make sure to have at least two years left until it expires. The DBS check is available on the “Gov website” and after filling out the information they will post it to you within three days.
 

Here is a breakdown of the costs:

DBS Check: £25

Passport renewal: £75

TEFL Online course: £120

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Next, you will need to get the DBS, Degree and TEFL documents signed/notarised by a solicitor, Make sure the solicitor signs, dates, writes their roll number and stamps all of these documents as the foreign office may reject them if this is not done. The DBS check will need to be the original copy, but the others can be scanned copies.

*Most solicitors will charge around £5 per document to sign.

 

Once these have been signed you will need to send them off to the Foreign Office in Milton Keynes. Once again you will need to use the “Gov website” in order to fill out a form which you send with your documents to the foreign office. This usually takes around three working days to arrive. You might want to pay for your post to be “Signed for” so that you know that they have arrived at the foreign office. Furthermore, it's highly recommended that you send all your documents at the same time as it will take longer if you do them individually.

 

When you have had your Visa approved, you'll be all ready to jump on the plane and head to China! Here is some useful additional information that we recommend reading before you pack and get ready to leave your home country.

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The costs:

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Certification of documents by the foreign office - £30 per document (+ £5 service charge)

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Visiting the embassy

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Once you have these documents you will need to go to the Chinese embassy in London. There are also embassies in Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast. You will need to pick one that is easy to travel to as you will have to drop off documents for them to legalise which takes a few days, then you will need to go and collect them. The address for the London embassy is shown below:

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31 Portland Pl, Marylebone, London W1B 1QD, United Kingdom

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There is a form that you will need to fill out online on the Chinese embassy site, make sure to fill in the form online as they will not accept a handwritten form ONLY typed. Take this form as well as your certified documents and a photocopy of your passport to the embassy and they will legalise them for you. (If you forget to photocopy your passport they have photocopies at the embassy). Note that the embassy is only open between 9am and 12pm during the week and closed on weekends.

 

The costs:

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Legalisation of documents- £17 per document

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Once you have collected these documents they will now have the apostilles from the foreign office and a Chinese legalisation on each. Scan these documents in colour to make sure they are clear- front and back-ensuring each stamp is clear, with no part of any of the stamps covered. Next, email them over to the relevant person (Starr in most cases). These documents are required for the work permit and this will take approximately 5-20 days, after which you will receive a PDF which is the official “Work permit”.

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Congratulations! The first step is complete!

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Visa acquisition process

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Now you have your work permit, you’re ready to apply for the visa. You will need to apply for a “Z” visa, which is a visa for foreigners who intend to work in china.

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Firstly, you need to go onto the visa application website: type into google “Chinese visa application centre”. There is step by step guidance on the website that takes you through important information needed to fill out the form. If you click on “Quick access” this will take you to the page where you can start your application. Once you have filled out the form, you will be required to book an appointment at the visa centre. Once again, the application centre in London is open from 9-4 so its recommended that you select the earliest possible appointment. Bear in mind it’s suggested you arrive at least 10 minutes before your appointment.

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NB: Print out your reservation form as proof of appointment and the visa application. In addition, bring a photocopy of your passport and passport photos and a printout of the application itself.

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When you go to the application centre, you will need to queue for the front desk, and they will give you an appointment number. Then you just sit in the waiting area for your appointment number to be called. I f you are confused as to where to go staff at the visa office will help you.

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The costs:

 

• Standard visa application- £151 (This will take 3 days)

• Express visa application- £182 (This will take 2 days)

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After your appointment you will be given a receipt. Hold onto this until your documents are ready to collect, then refer back to the visa office and once again. If you show a member of staff your receipt, they will usher you downstairs where you will collect your documents. You will not need to queue for this.

The address for the embassy is shown below:

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12 Old Jewry, London EC2R 8DU, United Kingdom

 

NB: the application form requires you to enter your flight details; this isn’t totally necessary and can be problematic if you book a flight and find you can’t book an appointment at the visa centre in time for the flight. We suggest leaving that blank, so it gives you freedom to book your flight once the visa is confirmed.

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Once you have collected your visa documents, you will have 30 days upon entry into China in order to get a resident’s visa.

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This is what it will look like.
 

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Vaccinations:

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If you go to your GP or local pharmacy and tell them your intended destination, they will administer the relevant immunisations. For China the standard three are:

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1. Hepatitis A

2. Diphtheria, Tetanus and poliomyelitis

3. Typhoid

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There are a few more you can get depending on the region you are visiting and how cautious you are but these three are sufficient. They recommend you get these vaccinations 4 -6 weeks before you travel. If you book in advance there will be no charge on the NHS, if not they cost £20-30 per vaccination.

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Once you have completed all these steps you are ready to begin your new journey! Good luck and welcome to the team.

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