Internship during a master's in China: the residence-permit endorsement you need first

You may do an off-campus internship during a master's in mainland China, but only after your residence permit carries the endorsement. Under Article 22 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, a foreigner holding a residence permit for study who intends to engage in off-campus work-study or an internship must, with the school's approval, apply to the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ to have the location and duration noted in the permit, and must not do either without that notation.

How to get the endorsement

The endorsement is added to your existing study residence permit; it is not a separate visa. The steps run in order:

1. Obtain your school's approval for the off-campus internship.
2. Obtain a letter from your school agreeing to the off-campus internship.
3. Obtain a letter from the host organisation agreeing to the internship.
4. Apply to the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ.
5. Have the location and duration of the internship noted in your residence permit.

Article 22 of the Entry and Exit Regulations sets the school-approval and application steps. The National Immigration Administration's Service Guide on residence permits for foreigners states the same path in its own wording: a foreigner holding a student-type residence permit who intends to work part-time or take an internship outside the school shall, with the school's approval, apply to the exit and entry department of the public security organ for remarks showing the location and duration, and a permit without those remarks must not be used to work or intern outside the school (Student-type Residence Permit section). The Chinese-language residence-permit service guide requires the applicant to submit agreeing letters from both the school and the internship unit, then apply for an annotation (加注) on the residence permit (section 6.2, item 2). The English wording for the Chinese-language measures quoted in this article is this site's translation of the published Chinese text.

University teaching internships are a different activity

A teaching internship or social practice that your university organises under its teaching plan is not the same as an internship you arrange yourself. Order No. 42, Article 20, provides that higher education institutions may organise international students to take part in teaching internships and social practice in accordance with the teaching plan. The 2021 Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions, Article 3, defines "work-study" as activities a student does under the school's organisation and management in spare time for lawful remuneration, and states that this does not include teaching internships and social practice organised by the school under the teaching plan. Where you arrange an off-campus internship yourself, Article 22 is the rule that applies.

Work-study, employment and business

During study at a higher education institution you may take part in work-study activities. Order No. 42, Article 30, also states that you must not take employment, do business, or engage in other business-operating activities. The specific management rules for work-study are to be formulated separately by the State Council education administrative department together with relevant departments (Order No. 42, Article 30).

Questions people ask

Does the endorsement apply to an internship my university arranges?

The Article 22 endorsement applies to off-campus work-study or an internship you intend to engage in. A teaching internship or social practice that the university organises under its teaching plan is described separately in Order No. 42, Article 20, and is outside the definition of "work-study" under the 2021 Measures, Article 3.

Can I take a part-time job off campus?

Off-campus work-study is treated the same as an off-campus internship: with the school's approval you must apply to have the location and duration noted in your residence permit, and you must not do it without that notation (Entry and Exit Regulations, Article 22; Service Guide on residence permits for foreigners, Student-type Residence Permit section).

May I work full time or start a business?

No. Order No. 42, Article 30, states that international students must not take employment, do business, or engage in other business-operating activities.

Sources

• Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners — National Immigration Administration
• National Immigration Administration — service guide for issuing, extending, replacing and reissuing foreigners' residence permits (Chinese) — National Immigration Administration
• National Immigration Administration — Service Guide on residence permits for foreigners — National Immigration Administration
• Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
• Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions (notice 教外厅〔2021〕2号) — Ministry of Education of the PRC

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary; it is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university, is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail if they differ.