When a foreign employee leaves a company or their employment relationship ends, the employer may need to apply for cancellation of the Foreigner’s Work Permit. This guide explains the cancellation procedure handled through the Hainan government service system, including required materials, processing stages and the result issued.

The procedure is mainly relevant to employers handling the departure of foreign employees. The service record also specifies limited circumstances where the foreign employee may submit the application personally.

At a glance

Service: Cancellation of a Foreigner’s Work Permit in China
Who it is for: Employers and other legal entities responsible for handling work permit cancellation
Processing time: 7 working days (statutory completion time and committed completion time listed in the service record)
Fee: No charge
Application methods: Online processing, window processing, express application
Application location: Approval Office of the Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Hainan Provincial Government Service Centre
Result issued: Certificate of Cancellation of Work Permit for Foreigners in China (English service record wording: “Certificate of Revocation of Work Permit for Foreigners in China”)
Responsible authority: Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology

Who can apply

The service record lists the service targets as:

• Corporate legal persons;
• Social organisation legal persons.

The procedure is generally handled by the employer. The requirements state that when the employment relationship ends in relevant circumstances, the employer should submit the cancellation application within 10 working days.

Where the employing organisation has ceased to exist, the foreign national may submit the cancellation application personally.

The requirements also state that:

• If a work permit expires and is not renewed, it is cancelled automatically.
• If a permit is revoked or withdrawn, cancellation is handled by the relevant deciding authority.

When cancellation is required

According to the service record, cancellation applies in situations including:

• The foreign employee dies;
• The foreign employee loses the ability to work;
• The employment relationship or contract is ended before its agreed expiry;
• Other relevant circumstances.

Required documents

The service record lists two required materials.

1. Application form for cancellation of a Foreigner’s Work Permit in China

Format: Electronic
Type: Original
Requirement: Necessary

The requirements state that the applicant should complete the form through the foreigner work management service system, print it, sign it and affix the employer’s official seal before uploading it.

The requirements also state that uploaded materials should be colour scans in PDF format, with handwritten signatures and dates where required, and that the information should be clear and complete.

2. Proof of termination of employment relationship, contract termination or other cancellation-related materials

Format: Electronic
Type: Original
Requirement: Necessary

The requirements state that applicants should provide proof related to the reason for cancellation, including employment termination documents or other relevant supporting materials.

Where the foreign employee leaves voluntarily and the employer cannot contact them, the employer should submit a supplementary explanation regarding the cancellation situation.

For termination documents, the notes state that both parties’ signatures are required.

How to apply

The service record lists the following application methods:

1. Prepare the required electronic documents.
2. Complete the cancellation application form through the foreigner work management service system.
3. Upload the required materials.
4. The application is accepted, reviewed and processed by the relevant department.
5. After approval, the cancellation certificate is issued.

The available processing methods listed in the requirements are:

• Window processing;
• Online processing;
• Express application.

Processing time

The service record states:

Statutory completion time: 7 working days
Committed completion time: 7 working days

The detailed workflow lists the following stages:

Applicants with time-sensitive cases should confirm the expected timeline with the processing authority.

Fees

The service record states that there are no fees for this service.

Result issued

The service record lists the result as:

Certificate of Cancellation of Work Permit for Foreigners in China

The English-language government service record displays the result name as “Certificate of Revocation of Work Permit for Foreigners in China”.

The record states that logistics and express delivery services are supported.

Where and how to apply

Processing location

Approval Office of the Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology
Window 24, 2nd Floor
Hainan Provincial Government Service Centre
No. 3 Wuzhishan South Road
Meilan District
Haikou City, Hainan Province

Opening hours

Monday to Friday:

• 08:00–12:00
• 14:30–17:30

The service record states that these hours exclude weekends and statutory holidays and that Hainan does not use separate seasonal opening hours.

Consultation telephone: 0898-65326830
Complaint supervision telephone: 0898-12345

The service record states that appointment processing is not supported.

Important points to confirm

The service record contains two points that applicants should confirm before submission:

Processing time difference

The summary section states 7 working days, while the detailed workflow lists stages totalling 9 working days. The procedure does not explain the difference.

Online submission and original document verification

The record states that the application is processed online and that the number of required service visits is zero. However, the material notes also state that uploaded documents should be scans of originals and that originals will be verified and copies collected. The document does not explain how this verification is handled in practice. Applicants should confirm the current requirement with the service authority.

Legal basis

The service record cites the following documents as the basis for the procedure:

• Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China (2012), Article 41;
• Decision of the State Council on Establishing Administrative Licensing for Administrative Examination and Approval Items that Require Administrative Approval;
• Related provisions on foreigner work permits and foreign expert work permits;
• Letter of the State Council Administrative Examination and Approval Reform Office on integrating the two administrative licensing items for foreign experts and foreigners working in China (审改办函〔2015〕78号).

Official source

Authority: Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology
Service item: Apply for cancellation of foreigners’ work permits in China
Source: Hainan Government Service Network service record supplied for this guide.

If you have questions about this procedure or practical experience completing it in Hainan, you are welcome to post below.