Can international students do an internship in China?
Unofficial answer · Sources checked
Yes. An internship outside the school requires two approvals: first the school's, then an annotation on your residence permit by the exit and entry administration authority that states the internship's location and duration. An internship the school arranges as part of the teaching plan is a separate category under Order No. 42.
What the rules say
The Regulations on the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, Article 22, state the core rule. A foreigner holding a student residence permit who wants to do off-campus work-study or an internship must first get the school's approval, then apply to the exit and entry administration authority for the placement's location and duration to be specified in the residence permit. Without that specification, the student may not do the off-campus internship at all.
The residence permit service guide published by the National Immigration Administration says the same thing in its student-type residence permit section (item b). It adds that students holding permits without the required remarks are not allowed to work or take an internship outside the school.
If the internship is paid and counts as off-campus work-study, the Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions also apply. Under Article 9, a student must be at least 18, hold a valid study residence permit with more than six months remaining, and meet the school's academic progress and attendance requirements. Undergraduate, master's and doctoral students, along with visiting students and research scholars, must also have studied continuously at the current school for more than one year. Article 10 requires a copy of the signed agreement to be filed with the school, together with a unilateral letter of commitment covering risk. Under Article 11, the residence permit must be endorsed within ten days. Article 12 limits the work area to the prefecture-level city where the school is located, and no single application may run longer than the residence permit's validity or one year.
Order No. 42, Article 30, allows international students to take part in work-study during their studies, but says they may not take up employment, run a business or engage in other business activities. Article 6 of the work-study measures bars placements involving toxic, hazardous or dangerous production work and requires students to hold insurance covering their work-study.
The Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 43(3), classes it as unlawful employment when a foreign student works outside the prescribed scope of jobs or time limits.
Internships the school arranges
Order No. 42, Article 20, says that schools organise international students to take part in teaching internships and social practice under the teaching plan, and that the choice of placement must follow national rules. Article 3 of the work-study measures excludes these school-organised teaching internships and social practice from the definition of work-study. Article 20 of Order No. 42 does not set out a residence permit annotation requirement for them. Ask the international student office which procedure applies to your placement.
Interns from overseas universities
Item g of the National Immigration Administration's facilitation measures covers a different group. It applies to foreign students studying at overseas colleges and universities who are invited to intern in China by well-known Chinese enterprises and public institutions. Such a student may apply for a one-year visa at the exit and entry administration authority, with an invitation letter from the placement entity and proof of study at the overseas university. Students who enter for internships under intergovernmental agreements may apply for residence permits under the relevant provisions. Item g does not define "well-known", so do not assume that a given placement qualifies.
Who decides
The school decides whether it approves an off-campus internship. Under Order No. 42, Article 22, the school must name an office responsible for coordinating the management of international students. Article 22 of the Regulations has the student apply to the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ, upon the school's approval, for the internship's location and duration to be specified in the residence permit. For work-study endorsements, Article 11 of the measures names the one at the school's location.
Where to check the rest
The Chinese texts of Order No. 42 and the work-study measures are the authoritative versions. The English wording here is this site's own translation. Under Article 4 of the work-study measures, each school must issue its own implementing rules, and Article 15 of the same measures makes provincial education and public security departments responsible for coordinating and supervising work-study. Ask the school for its implementing rules and the exit and entry office for the current procedure.
Related questions
Do I need to file my internship agreement with the school?
For paid off-campus work-study, Article 10 of the work-study measures requires a copy of the signed agreement to be filed with the school. The same article requires a unilateral letter of commitment covering risk.
Can I start the internship before my residence permit shows the placement?
No. Article 11 of the work-study measures says a residence permit without the work-study endorsement may not be used for off-campus work-study. Article 22 of the Regulations says the same for any off-campus internship.
How long can one off-campus placement last?
Under Article 12 of the work-study measures, one application may not run longer than the residence permit's validity, and in any case not longer than one year.
Sources
- Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (English text) — National Immigration Administration
- Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions (Chinese text) — Ministry of Education, with the General Offices of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the General Department of the National Immigration Administration
- National Immigration Administration Service Guide on residence permits for foreigners (English page) — National Immigration Administration
- Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (English text) — National Immigration Administration
- Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools (Order No. 42, Chinese text) — Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by or affiliated with the bodies named, and does not accept or process applications. If the official text differs, the official text and the instructions of the university, embassy or exit and entry office handling your case prevail.