China Legal Guides - Page 2

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• Updated June 15, 2026China Employment Visa BasicsA foreigner generally needs the correct work permit and residence permit to work legally in mainland China. Nationality can affect consular documents and processing history, but the core mainland rule is that the employer, job and permit should line up.
• Updated June 15, 2026Changing Jobs in China Without Getting TrappedChanging employers can turn into a paperwork fight if the old employer delays cancellation materials, release documents or salary settlement. Build the paper trail before resigning and keep messages, contracts, payslips and permit screenshots.
• Updated June 15, 2026China Overtime, Holidays and Working HoursStandard working-hour, comprehensive-hour and flexible-hour systems are treated differently. Expats should not assume that a Western salary contract automatically waives overtime or holiday pay under Chinese labor rules.
• Updated June 15, 2026China Employment Tax for ForeignersForeign workers may be taxed as China tax residents or non-residents depending on days, domicile concepts and income source. Payroll withholding is not the same as final annual compliance, especially with bonuses, housing benefits or overseas pay.
• Updated June 15, 2026China Employment Data and Job MarketChina's employment data is published through surveyed urban unemployment, new urban jobs, migrant worker counts and sectoral employment. For jobseekers, national data is background; the real market still depends on city, industry, visa category and language ability.
• Updated June 15, 2026China Employment by Sector and IndustryServices employ the largest share of China's workforce, while manufacturing, education, tech, trade and hospitality vary sharply by city. Foreign workers should read sector data alongside local demand and work-permit category expectations.
• Updated June 15, 2026Legal Working Age in ChinaThe general minimum employment age in mainland China is 16, with special protections for juvenile workers and restrictions on hazardous work. Student internships, entertainment work and family help should not be confused with ordinary employment.
• Updated June 15, 2026China Retirement Age in 2026China began gradually raising statutory retirement ages from January 2025. The end targets are 63 for men, 58 for women in white-collar roles and 55 for women in blue-collar roles, phased in over 15 years with birth-month rules.
• Updated June 15, 2026Retirement Age for Foreigners in ChinaForeigners face both labor/social insurance rules and immigration/work-permit age practice. Even where a contract can continue, the work permit and residence permit may be the real gatekeepers.
• Updated June 15, 2026Legal Adult Age in ChinaCivil adulthood in mainland China is generally 18. That affects capacity, guardianship, contracting, liability and many everyday assumptions, but separate rules apply for marriage, work, driving, criminal responsibility and alcohol sales.
• Updated June 15, 2026Legal Marriage Age in ChinaUnder the Civil Code, mainland China's marriage age is 22 for men and 20 for women. Marriage registration is an administrative process, and foreigners need document legalization or apostille-style preparation depending on their home country and current rules.
• Updated June 15, 2026Age of Consent in ChinaChina does not frame the issue exactly like many Western 'age of consent' statutes. The practical risk point is sexual conduct involving minors, especially children under 14, plus coercion, trafficking, prostitution-related conduct and online exploitation.