Short answer
Sample and required contents
A useful employment-exit certificate should identify the employer and employee and accurately record the contract period, the date of revocation or termination, the employee’s position, and the employee’s years of service. Those four items come from Article 24 of the Labor Contract Law Implementing Regulations as quoted by Shanghai’s human-resources authority.
A bilingual template can help HR understand the request, but it is not a universal government form. The receiving work-permit office, new employer, or other authority may require additional details, an official company seal, an original, or a specific local form.
Search questions bundled here
Questions this guide answers
- What does a China release letter look like?
- What information must it contain?
- Can I use a Chinese-English release letter template?
- Does the certificate need to state the reason for leaving?
- Does it need the employer’s official seal?
- Do I need an original, hard copy, scan, or email?
The four nationally stated content items
The official Shanghai HRSS explanation of Article 24 lists four particulars: the labor-contract period, the date the contract was revoked or terminated, the position, and the years worked for the employing unit.
Add identifying details carefully so the document can be matched to the right worker and employer. Names, passport numbers, dates, and the registered employer name should agree with the underlying records.
- Employee’s full name and a reliable identifier, commonly the passport number for a foreign worker.
- Employer’s full registered name.
- Labor-contract start and end dates or contract period.
- Actual revocation or termination date.
- Position or job title.
- Length of service with the employing unit.
- Issue date and employer contact details, where useful.
- Official company seal when required by the receiving process; Beijing’s published work-permit cancellation procedure is one example that expressly calls for a sealed employment termination certificate.
Bilingual sample
This is a drafting aid, not a substitute for a local authority’s form or advice on disputed wording. Delete any line that is not true and do not add a resignation reason merely to make processing easier.
Does the reason for leaving have to appear?
The four particulars listed in the official Article 24 explanation do not include the reason for termination. That does not mean wording is unimportant. If a reason is included, it should match what actually happened and the separate resignation, termination, non-renewal, or settlement record.
Do not accept “voluntary resignation,” “no dispute,” “all money paid,” or “poor performance” as boilerplate if it is inaccurate. Those statements go beyond a basic exit certificate and may affect a later dispute.
Original, scan, or email?
The national rules cited here do not create one universal answer for every receiving office. Keep a clear color scan immediately, preserve the sealed original, and ask the new employer or competent authority whether it needs the original, a copy, a translation, or a system-generated cancellation record.
If HR sends only an email, reply with the exact document checklist and ask whether a sealed certificate will follow. An email may prove the conversation without satisfying a separate filing requirement.
Direct answers
Frequently asked questions
What information must the certificate contain?
The official Article 24 explanation lists the contract period, exit date, position, and years of service. Identifying details should also match the employee and registered employer.
Does it need to say why I left?
The reason is not one of the four particulars in the official Article 24 explanation. If a reason is included, it should be accurate and consistent with the real exit route.
Does it need a company chop?
A sealed original is commonly requested, and Beijing’s official work-permit cancellation procedure expressly requires a sealed employment termination certificate. Confirm the rule used by your receiving office.
Is a bilingual certificate acceptable?
It can be useful, but acceptance depends on the recipient. Keep the Chinese text clear and ask whether a particular local form or translation is required.
Can I use this sample as a downloadable official form?
No. It is a drafting checklist. It should be matched to the facts and to the current requirements of the employer and receiving authority.
Should I accept an email instead of the original?
Keep the email as evidence, but ask whether a sealed original or other filing record is still required for the intended use.
Primary authorities
Official sources
- Shanghai HRSS: required contents of an employment-exit certificate ↗Official local HRSS explanation quoting Article 24 of the Labor Contract Law Implementing Regulations.
- Labor Contract Law, Article 50 ↗Official court-hosted English reference on the exit certificate, handover, compensation payment, and file or social-insurance transfer.
- Beijing: cancelling a Foreigner’s Work Permit ↗Official Beijing procedure showing that an employment termination certificate and a work-permit cancellation certificate are distinct records.
Source limit: National rules establish the core employment duties. Work-permit, residence, filing, document, and timing practices can differ by city and case. Confirm the current local process before acting.