Students who wish to apply for an internship visa in China fall into two categories: foreign students studying in overseas universities and international students studying in China. This application guide will assist you on how to apply for either.

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Part 1: Foreign students studying in overseas universities

Click the link below to view the guidance:

https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-application-2/20231215/724079013bf749b5a6127a49241e426b.html

Part 2: Foreign students studying in China

International students in China must meet the following requirements before starting an off-campus internship. Failure to do so will be considered as illegal employment and will be subject to fines and other disciplinary action from the Chinese government and Exit-Entry Administration Bureau.

Who can apply?

1. Students with an X1 student visa

* Students with an X2 visa are not eligible to apply for a student internship visa. However, if they wish to intern in China, they may convert their X2 visa to a S2 visa (S2 visa application guide https://en.shanghai.gov.cn/nw48096/index.html).

Requirements

1. The international student should be enrolled in a degree or exchange program at a school that has received qualifications to recruit foreign students in Shanghai.

2. The international student has obtained permission from their university and submitted an internship application to their university.

3. The international student has obtained a study resident permit from the Shanghai Exit-Entry Bureau.

4. The student has received an official memo from the Exit-Entry Bureau on their resident permit.

5. The student may not hold more than one off-campus internship at any given time.

6. The off-campus internship must be relevant to the student's majors.

7. The internship period should be less than 180 days. If a student procures an internship that lasts longer than the prescribed time, then they must re-register for the internship visa every 180 days.

Contact:

Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau

Address: No 1500 Mingsheng Road, Pudong New Area

Office Hours: 9 am - 5 pm, Monday to Saturday (except national holidays)

Tel: 021-12367