Q: I am a French citizen currently preparing to undertake a six-month internship in Shanghai.

I have already completed my master's degree in France, but I need to be enrolled at an educational institution to obtain the documents required for an internship in China.

I have found a French distance-learning training institution that can provide me with an official enrollment certificate and an internship agreement. However, this institution is a private training organization and is not officially recognized by the French State as a higher education institution.

Before enrolling, I would like to know whether this could pose a problem for my internship or the visa and residence permit procedures in Shanghai.

Could you please confirm:

• Does the educational institution providing the enrollment certificate and internship agreement need to be officially recognized/accredited by the French State?
• Would an enrollment certificate and internship agreement issued by a legitimate French private training organization be accepted?
• Are there any specific requirements regarding the educational institution's status or the documents it must provide?
• Would such documents allow me to apply for the required internship annotation on my Shanghai residence permit?

A: For internship applications by students enrolled at overseas higher education institutions, please refer to "S2 (short-term private affairs) visas (A009)" issued by the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Please also note that the overseas higher education institution where you are currently enrolled must be included in the relevant institution list available on the official website of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.

For your reference, you may visit the official CSCSE website for detailed information.

Source: Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau