Employing a foreign national in Hainan can involve several government procedures. Depending on the circumstances, the employer and employee may need to deal separately with the work-permit authority, public security authorities, the social insurance system and professional-qualification regulators.

Hainan’s integrated one-stop service brings these procedures together through a coordinated application route. It covers nine related services, from the initial work-permit application through to residence-permit handling, social insurance registration and certain professional-qualification procedures.

The service is available in Haikou, Sanya and Danzhou, including the Yangpu Economic Development Zone. This guide explains the Haikou process.

What the integrated service covers

The nine services included in the Haikou process are:

1. Changing a Foreigner’s Work Permit
2. Cancelling a Foreigner’s Work Permit
3. Applying from within China for a Foreigner’s Work Permit for work exceeding 90 days
4. Applying from overseas for a Work Permit Notice for work exceeding 90 days
5. Extending a Foreigner’s Work Permit
6. Registering a foreign employee for social insurance
7. Applying for a work-type residence permit
8. Professional-title evaluation for foreign nationals
9. Recognition of an overseas professional qualification

Not every applicant needs to complete all nine. The services included in an individual application depend on whether the foreign employee is applying for the first time, extending or changing an existing permit, ending their employment, or adding related services.

How the application works

The employer or applicant begins by signing in to the Hainan Government Services portal and opening the integrated service for foreign nationals working in Hainan.

The portal then asks which work-permit procedure is required. The available routes include:

• A first application submitted from within China
• An overseas application for a Work Permit Notice
• Extension of an existing work permit
• Change to an existing work permit
• Cancellation of an existing work permit

After the appropriate work-permit procedure has been selected, the application moves to the corresponding work-type residence-permit procedure.

The applicant can then add any other services that are required, including social insurance registration, recognition of an overseas professional qualification and professional-title evaluation.

Each participating department processes its own part of the application and issues the relevant permit, registration, certificate or administrative decision.

Hainan’s integrated application process: applicants first select the relevant work-permit procedure, complete the corresponding residence-permit formalities and then add any other services required.

Who can use the service?

The integrated service is intended for foreign nationals coming to work in Hainan and the organisations employing them.

Participating employers and organisations may include:

• Companies and other enterprise legal persons
• Public institutions
• Social organisations
• Unincorporated enterprises
• Government and administrative bodies

Most employment-related applications are submitted by the employer. The foreign employee must participate personally where identity verification, original-document inspection or biometric collection is required.

Basic eligibility requirements

The employer must be legally established and must not have a serious record of unlawful conduct or dishonesty.

The position offered to the foreign national must meet a genuine employment need, comply with national regulations and pay no less than the applicable local minimum wage. Where approval from an industry regulator is required, that approval must be obtained.

The foreign applicant must normally:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be in good health
• Have no criminal record
• Have a confirmed employer in China
• Possess the professional skills or knowledge required for the position
• Meet the applicable requirements for foreign nationals working in China

Additional requirements may apply according to the applicant’s profession, work-permit category and personal circumstances.

Documents required

The portal does not use one universal document list for every applicant. It asks questions about the employer, foreign employee and application type before displaying the materials required for that case.

Depending on the application, the required documents may include:

• The employer’s business licence or registration documents
• An employment contract or employment agreement
• The foreign employee’s passport
• Work-permit application forms
• Academic and professional qualifications
• Evidence of relevant work experience
• A certificate of no criminal record
• Health-examination documents
• Existing visa or residence-permit information
• Social insurance registration materials

An applicant applying from overseas will not necessarily submit the same documents as someone already living in China. Requirements also differ between first applications, extensions, changes and cancellations.

Employers should therefore complete the portal questionnaire before finalising their application documents.

Processing time

The Haikou integrated service has a committed processing time of 16 working days.

This is the processing commitment for the coordinated service as a whole. Some of the individual procedures included in the application have shorter published processing times.

The stated period may not include time required for supplementary documents, certificate production, delivery or any special review procedure.

Is personal attendance required?

The integrated process requires one visit to the service centre.

Personal attendance is necessary for the work-type residence-permit procedure, which requires facial biometric collection and verification of original documents.

Some parts of the application can be handled online, but applicants should not assume that the entire process can be completed without attending the service centre.

Application location in Haikou

Applications can be handled at:

Talent Comprehensive Service Window
Windows 01–15, Area B, first floor
Haikou Citizens and Visitors Centre Government Service Hall
No. 1 Binhai Park Road, Longhua District, Haikou

Chinese address:

海口市龙华区滨海公园路1号海口市民游客中心政务服务大厅1楼B区01-15号人才和工程建设综合服务窗口

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday: 08:30–12:00 and 14:00–17:30
Closed on weekends and public holidays.

Enquiries:

• 0898-66750650
• 0898-12367

Government-service supervision and complaints:

• 0898-12345

Which departments are involved?

The Haikou Municipal Bureau of Science, Technology and Industrial Information leads the integrated service.

Other participating departments are:

• Haikou Municipal Social Insurance Service Centre
• Haikou Municipal Public Security Bureau
• Haikou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau
• Talent Development Bureau of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee

Although applicants enter through one coordinated service, each department remains responsible for the procedure within its own area of authority.

Fees

Most of the employment and registration procedures included in the integrated service are listed as free. The charge arises from the foreigner’s residence permit.

The portal displays the following residence-permit fee schedule:

• Residence permit valid for up to one year: RMB 400
• Residence permit valid from one year to three years: RMB 800
• Residence permit valid from three years to five years: RMB 1,000

The period granted is determined by the responsible authority. Paying a particular fee does not guarantee that the corresponding maximum period of residence will be approved.

Online payment is not supported for the integrated service. Advance appointments and courier delivery are also not listed as available for the process as a whole.

What applicants receive

The integrated service is a coordinated application channel rather than a separate type of permit.

Depending on the services selected, the employer and foreign employee may receive:

• A Foreigner’s Work Permit Notice
• A Foreigner’s Work Permit or an administrative decision concerning it
• A work-permit change, extension or cancellation decision
• A work-type residence permit
• Confirmation of social insurance registration
• A professional-title evaluation decision
• A professional-qualification recognition or skills-assessment result

This structure allows the connected procedures to be handled together while preserving the legal responsibility of each government department.

Before starting an application

Employers should first determine whether the foreign employee will apply from overseas or from within China and whether the application concerns a new permit, extension, change or cancellation.

They should also establish whether the employee needs social insurance registration, professional-title evaluation or recognition of an overseas professional qualification.

The portal’s questions should then be completed carefully so that the correct application route and document requirements are displayed.

Employers applying outside Haikou should check the corresponding Sanya or Danzhou/Yangpu service record because local application locations and handling arrangements may differ.

Official source:

Hainan Government Services, Haikou integrated-service record
Accessed 1 September 2026.

Requirements and handling arrangements may change. Employers and foreign employees should confirm the current requirements with the responsible authority before applying.

If you have used Hainan’s integrated one-stop service or have questions about employing a foreign national in Hainan, you are welcome to post below.