If you’re relocating to China or have just started a job there, this guide breaks down what China’s social insurance system means for you, who needs to enroll, and where to go for help in China’s popular expat destinations: Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu.
China’s social insurance system consists of five separate types of coverage, often referred to as the "five insurances":
Basic pension (endowment) insurance
Basic medical insurance
Work-related injury insurance
Unemployment insurance
Maternity insurance
Under the Social Insurance Law of the People’s Republic of China, along with the Interim Measures for the Participation in Social Insurance by Foreigners Employed in China, most foreign employees working legally in China are required to participate in this system.
This generally applies if you fall into one of the following groups:
You’ve legally obtained a Foreigner’s Work Permit (or similar employment document, such as a Foreign Resident Correspondent's Card) and hold a valid residence permit
You hold a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card and are legally employed in China
You’ve signed an employment contract with an employer based outside China and have been sent to work at a branch or representative office within China
Your Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card can serve as your identification for social insurance registration. If you're employed, you'll be enrolled under the employee scheme; if you're not employed but meet local requirements, you may be able to join the resident medical and pension schemes instead.
Employers are responsible for registering their foreign employees for social insurance within 30 days from the date the employee obtains the employment permit.
In other words, this isn't something you typically need to chase up yourself, but it is worth confirming with your HR department that it has been done, since the responsibility and any penalties for late registration usually fall on the employer.
Requirements can vary slightly between cities and processing channels, but employees are commonly asked to provide:
Passport or Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card (original, for verification)
Valid work permit or equivalent employment document, plus a valid residence permit
Employment contract or, for employees dispatched from an overseas entity, a dispatch letter and certificate from the domestic employer
A Certificate of Coverage, if you're applying for an exemption under a bilateral or multilateral social insurance agreement
Note: Since December 1, 2024, China no longer issues a separate physical work permit card for foreign nationals. Work permit information is instead integrated into the “Join In Card” (来华人员一码通), which functions as a combined electronic social security card for foreign nationals living and working in China.
Practical tip: The electronic Join In Card is accepted for most everyday purposes, including medical visits and employer verification. That said, some hospitals and government offices still ask for a physical card, so it's worth applying for one soon after you arrive.
Employers typically need to submit an official registration or alteration application, along with their company seal, when applying through service counters. Online applications generally don't require this employer form.
In some cities, if your registration is processed through an integrated "one-stop" service for foreigners, you may not need to separately submit your work permit, since the relevant government systems can share this data automatically.
If you're enrolled and meet the relevant conditions, you're entitled to pension, work-related injury, and unemployment benefits under the law, on similar terms to local employees.
If you retire in China as a foreign national, note that you'll typically need to complete an annual eligibility verification to keep receiving pension payments, and this verification is valid for one year at a time.
If you're living outside China at that point, many local social insurance authorities recommend completing this remotely through the "China Consular Affairs" app, using its facial recognition feature, or by obtaining a "Proof of Life" certificate from your local Chinese embassy or consulate and mailing the original to the relevant social insurance office.
If you leave China before reaching the statutory retirement age, you generally have two options for your basic pension insurance:
Apply to terminate your account and withdraw the balance. You can submit a written application, and the balance in your individual pension account will be refunded to you in a lump sum.
Keep your account open. If you return to work in China later on, your contribution years can be added together with your earlier record. Once you reach the statutory retirement age, you'll be entitled to the corresponding pension benefits under national rules.
For final settlement upon departure, documentation commonly required includes
A declaration form for pension benefits
An application and notice for terminating the pension insurance relationship
Your passport
Your bank card or passbook (in some cities, an activated financial social security card issued in that province is also required).
China has signed bilateral or multilateral social insurance exemption agreements with a number of countries, which may allow eligible individuals to avoid double contributions to two countries' systems at once.
As of the source material for this guide, agreements with the following countries have entered into force:
Germany
South Korea
Denmark
Canada
Finland
Switzerland
the Netherlands
Spain
Luxembourg
Japan
Serbia
Kyrgyzstan
An agreement with France has been signed but had not yet entered into force at the time of writing. If you think you may qualify for an exemption, check with your employer or a local social insurance office, and be prepared to provide a Certificate of Coverage from your home country.
Note: This list changes as new agreements are signed and take effect. Always confirm the current status directly with the relevant social insurance authority or local social insurance office.
Procedures are generally handled at the municipal level in China, so the exact online portal and office you'll use depends on where you're based. Here's a general overview for a few common expat hubs.
Since portals and requirements are updated from time to time, it's worth confirming current details with your employer's HR team or the relevant local bureau before you go.
Shenzhen
Online: Shenzhen Social Insurance Online Service System for Employers, and the Shenzhen Foreigner Integrated Service Management Platform, which supports the city's "one-stop" service for foreign nationals.
Offline: Social insurance service centers located throughout the city.
Shanghai
Online: The "一网通办" (Government Online-Offline Shanghai) platform handles a range of government services, including social insurance matters, while the International Services Shanghai portal is designed specifically to help foreign nationals navigate local procedures, including work permits and related registration.
Offline: District-level community affairs service centers and social security centers, where you can also apply for a medical insurance card once enrolled.
Beijing
Online: Applications can generally be submitted through the National Social Insurance Public Service Platform, the electronic Social Security Card system, or the "掌上12333 (Palm 12333)" mobile app.
Offline: Local social security offices in your district; the municipal human resources and social security bureau's hotline (12333) can also help direct enquiries.
Chengdu
Online: The Chengdu Human Resources and Social Security Bureau's online service platform, sometimes referred to locally as "蓉e人社," offers services such as insurance registration, contribution payments, and certificate lookups.
Offline: District branches of the Chengdu Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.
In each city, a local "one-stop" foreigner service channel may reduce document requirements, since relevant government systems can share information behind the scenes.
China's basic social insurance covers a share of medical costs, but many expats and employers add private health insurance on top, for reasons such as wider hospital access, outpatient coverage, or benefits like traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Sorting out how social insurance, employer coverage, and private plans fit together is where working with an insurance intermediary likePacific Prime can help.
As a locally regulated insurance intermediary in China, Pacific Prime can help you compare plans from a range of insurers, understand what's included, and find coverage suited to your circumstances, whether you're an individual, a family, or a business looking at group options.
Explore ourplans page to get started, orcontact our team directly for personalized guidance.
Disclaimer: Pacific Prime solely represents, operates and manages locally regulated insurance products and services in the territory of PR China. Any references to Pacific Prime Global Company or Group, the international services, insurance products or otherwise stated written or verbally, is for introduction purposes about our overseas network only as each entity is fully independent.
