The China Z-Visa Guide: Requirements, Red Flags, and What Actually Matters
China has no government placement scheme — the Z-visa is the entire game. Here’s exactly what it requires, and the specific red flags that separate a legitimate offer from a risky one.
Unlike Korea, Japan or Taiwan, China runs no centralized government English-teaching programme. What actually governs whether you can legally work here is the Z (work) visa — understanding its requirements precisely, and recognizing when an employer is cutting corners on them, matters more in China than in almost any other TEFL market.
The core requirements
- A bachelor's degree in any subject
- Either a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate or two years' documented teaching experience — you only need one, not both
- A criminal background check, authenticated and typically required within about six months of applying
- Informally enforced age limits, commonly 18–60, with some provinces capping around 55 and kindergartens often preferring younger candidates
Red flags to walk away from
The single biggest risk in the Chinese teaching market isn't pay — it's legitimacy. Specific warning signs worth naming directly:
- An employer who won't confirm Z-visa sponsorship in writing before you commit
- Any request for pre-placement fees or payment before a contract is signed
- Any suggestion that an M (business) or L (tourist) visa is an acceptable stand-in for a Z visa — this is illegal, full stop, no matter how it's framed
Multiple TEFL-industry sources report tightening Z-visa enforcement around salary thresholds and age checks through early 2026, though we couldn't independently verify this against a primary government source — treat it as a signal to double-check current specifics with your employer or a China-based visa agent, not a confirmed policy change.
What the market actually pays
Training centres and language schools sit at the lower end (¥12,000–18,000/month), kindergartens and bilingual schools in the middle (¥12,000–28,000/month), and international schools at the top (¥30,000–45,000/month) — treat the higher end of any range as optimistic and aggregator-sourced rather than a guaranteed average.
A 120-hour certificate is one of the two ways to satisfy the Z-visa's teaching-qualification requirement. Our Level 3, 120-Hour TEFL/TESOL Course (£169.50) gets you exactly to that threshold.
Researched July 2026 from official program pages and named recruiters where cited above. Government programs, visa rules and salary bands change — always confirm current details on the official site before applying.
FAQs
No — working on an M (business) or L (tourist) visa instead of a proper Z (work) visa is illegal, and any employer suggesting otherwise is a serious red flag.
No — you need either a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate or two years of documented teaching experience, not both.
Legitimacy, more than pay. Never accept a role where the employer won’t confirm Z-visa sponsorship in writing or asks for money before a contract is signed.