Changing Jobs in China as a Foreigner: Resignation, Cancellation, Changes, and Reapplication
You cannot keep using your former employer's work permit after changing jobs. Once you have proof of departure and the old permit has been canceled, the new employer must determine whether to apply for a change or submit a new application, while also handling your work-type residence documents.
Which permits change with a new job
Changing employers alters at least three relationships at the same time: your employment contract, work permit, and work-type residence documents. Compare the old and new employers, cities, and occupations. If you remain in the original issuing jurisdiction and your occupation is unchanged, a change or in-country application may be possible; moving between jurisdictions or changing occupations usually requires a new application. The authorities where the former and new employers are located will determine the final route from the documents submitted.
The new employer's legal name and actual workplace.
The occupation listed for the new position and the actual duties.
Your last working day under the old contract.
The expiry dates of the old work permit and residence document.
Whether the new employer can submit the application while the existing documents remain valid.
Whether there will be a period between departure and approval of the new permit when you cannot work.
Agree on the timeline before leaving
A verbal assurance from the new employer that the permit can be transferred is not enough. Ask its staff handling the application to conduct a preliminary review based on your passport, current permit, residence document, position, and city, and to list the documents required from the former employer. Then confirm the departure date, cancellation-submission date, wording of the departure certificate, and method of delivering documents with the former employer. Put the dates promised by both employers on the same handover sheet.
The dates of the work permit, residence document, and employment relationship do not necessarily align automatically. Canceling too early may immediately leave you without support from the original permit, while a delayed cancellation may prevent the new employer from applying. Base the schedule on the competent authority's submission requirements, rather than working backward from the preferred start date toward an overly optimistic outcome.
Keep these documents before leaving
The employment contract and any supplementary agreements signed by both parties.
A written resignation, mutual termination agreement, or employer termination notice.
A departure or employment certificate stating the employer, position, and period of employment.
Work permit information, application number, and proof of cancellation.
The current work-type residence document and any application receipts.
Payslips and records of individual income tax, social insurance, and unsettled amounts.
Documents concerning noncompete restrictions, confidentiality, bonuses, annual leave, and equipment handover.
If the employer refuses to issue a document, use email or another method that leaves a record to state the document's exact name, purpose, and deadline. Handle labor disputes and administrative permit matters separately. Do not sign a certificate that misstates the actual reason or date of departure or the position merely to speed up the new application.
What the former and new employers each need to do
The former employer completes the formalities for ending or terminating the employment relationship.
The former employer submits the cancellation as required by the work permit authority and provides proof.
The applicant asks the public security exit-entry authority how the existing residence document will be handled.
The new employer chooses between a change and a new application based on the city, occupation, and current status.
Submit the new contract, proof of departure and cancellation, and required academic, professional, and other documents.
After the new work permit is approved, apply for or replace the work-type residence document.
Start actually working for the new employer in the new position only after all permits are in place.
The Provisions on the Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China require the actual employer to match the employer named on the employment permit. Shanghai's current page for in-country work permit applications also lists a cancellation notice or departure certificate among the required documents. Local procedures may differ, but a new company cannot inherit and use the old permit.
Planning the gap between jobs
Between leaving the old job and approval of the new permit, do not perform a trial shift, begin on-the-job training, meet clients, or carry out actual duties for the new employer under the title of consultant. Whether you may remain in China depends on how the public security exit-entry authority handles your existing residence document. Permission to stay does not itself grant permission to work.
If the new application cannot be accepted in time or is returned, ask the employer to obtain written details of the additional documents required as soon as possible, and explain the true situation to the exit-entry authority. Do not wait until the residence document expires. If you must leave China and reapply, include visa-processing time and your personal travel plans in the schedule.
Final salary, tax, social insurance, and departure settlement
Check your final salary, bonus, unused annual leave, and reimbursements.
Keep individual income tax withholding records and confirm any change in annual tax status.
Check the month when social insurance contributions stop and when the new employer will resume them.
Return equipment and accounts as required by the contract, but do not surrender personal identity documents or passwords.
If a noncompete restriction applies, check who it covers, its duration, and the compensation.
If you need an employment certificate, arrange it as part of the departure handover.
A smooth administrative permit transition does not mean the employment settlement is complete. Conversely, termination of the employment contract does not automatically cancel the work permit or change the residence document. List these three tracks separately and obtain evidence for each step.
Moving to another city, changing occupations, and internal group transfers
Changing employers while remaining in the same jurisdiction and occupation follows a different review route from moving to another city or changing occupations. An internal group transfer must still reflect the actual employer in China, the contract, and the information stated on the permit; affiliation within the same group does not remove the formalities. Local talent policies may allow some applicants to apply from within China, but they should obtain confirmation from the receiving authority while the old documents remain valid.
Even if the title of the new position changes very little, compare the actual duties. The permit authority assesses the position and experience stated in the application, so a vague job title should not be used to conceal a change in the work performed.
Official basis and review date
Requirements concerning consistency of the employer, changes of employer or occupation, and responsibilities after termination of a contract are based on the Provisions on the Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China. Examples of in-country applications and required documents refer to Shanghai's current government work permit page, verified through 2026-8-4. Job changes depend heavily on local practice. Before proceeding, confirm separately with the permit authorities and public security exit-entry administrations for both the former and new workplaces.