Working in China
Employment Verification and Reference Letters in China: A Guide for Foreign Employees
How foreign employees in China can request employment certificates, reference letters, background verification, translations, seals, and consistent records for future jobs and applications.
Rules and procedures can change. Check the linked official sources before acting on time-sensitive information.
Quick answer
What you need to know
Prepare a reusable work-history file by agreeing on names, dates, titles, duties, signatory, company seal, verification contact, translation, and release permissions before you leave an employer.
- Ask the receiving organization what document, language, format, seal, and verification method it will accept.
- Make passport name, employer entity, title, dates, and duties consistent with contracts and official records.
- Request documents and confirm a future verification contact before your company access ends.
- Treat notarization, translation, apostille, and authentication as separate requirements that must be confirmed case by case.
An employment document is useful only when the receiving organization can match it to you and verify it. A polished letter with a shortened name, wrong entity, or unreachable contact can create more questions than it answers.
This guide is general administrative information, not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the exact requirement with the recipient, HR, competent authority, and a qualified adviser where necessary.
Ask what the recipient accepts
Clarify whether the recipient wants an employment certificate, experience letter, recommendation, separation certificate, salary confirmation, job description, or direct background-check response. Record the required language, issue date, original or digital format, company letterhead, seal, signature, contact details, and submission route.
Do not order notarization or translation until the recipient confirms it. The notarization and apostille guide explains why these are distinct steps rather than interchangeable labels.
Align the identity and employer record
Use your passport name and identify the legal employer entity shown in the contract. Check employment dates, location, department, official title, duties, employee number where appropriate, and whether the document describes current or completed employment.
Compare the draft with the employment contract guide and your payslips, permit records, tax records, and social insurance records. Ask HR to explain genuine differences; do not edit official evidence yourself.
Establish a verification route
Request the name or team that can answer future verification requests, its durable company email or phone number, expected response time, supported languages, and consent procedure. Ask what information the employer is authorized to release and whether a third-party screening platform is used.
Before losing company access, save permitted copies to secure personal storage. Do not retain confidential employer or customer material.
Plan for departure
Include document delivery in the exit handover. Confirm your personal email and mailing address, then check the final version immediately for spelling, dates, title, entity, signature, and seal. The leaving a job guide provides a broader exit checklist.
Employment-record checklist
- Recipient’s exact document and submission requirements are written down.
- Passport name and legal employer entity match supporting records.
- Dates, location, department, title, and duties are accurate.
- Letterhead, signatory, company seal, and issue date meet the request.
- Any translation identifies the translator and source document clearly.
- Future verification contact and consent process are recorded.
- Permitted originals and scans are stored securely outside company systems.
- Conflicts are explained by HR rather than hidden or self-corrected.
Official reference points
Requirements differ by employer, authority, school, bank, landlord, and overseas recipient. Ask each receiving organization to confirm its current rules in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
Is an employment certificate the same as a recommendation letter?
Usually not. A certificate typically confirms factual employment details, while a recommendation may evaluate performance. Ask the recipient which document it requires.
Does a Chinese company seal make a letter acceptable everywhere?
No. A seal may support authenticity, but the recipient may also require a named signatory, direct verification, translation, notarization, apostille, or another process.
What if my English job title differs from company records?
Do not silently substitute a more familiar title. Ask HR to record the official title and, if appropriate, an explanatory English equivalent without creating a contradiction.
When should I request the documents?
Start before departure or transfer, while HR contacts and records remain easy to reach. Build in time for corrections, signatures, seals, and translation.
