Writing a teaching CV for China
Include a photo. It is expected for China. Nationality is required because it decides visa eligibility, the CV should run to 2 pages, and it should be laid out for A4 paper.
The visa
Z visa (work visa), converted to a residence permit after arrival
Bachelor's degree in any subject, plus either a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL or two years of post-graduation teaching experience. Non-native speakers are sometimes accepted where the degree was taught in English.
Open to these passports: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. If you hold a different passport, the standard teaching route is closed to you and it is worth confirming an alternative before you spend money on document attestation.
Work permits are usually issued to applicants aged roughly 22-60, with the upper limit applied more strictly for first-time applicants.
What goes on the CV for China
- Photo
- expected
- Nationality
- required
- Date of birth
- expected
- Marital status
- optional
- Length
- 2 pages
- Paper size
- A4
Include a friendly, professional headshot. Recruiters forward CVs to schools that expect a face, and being asked for one later slows your application down.
Documents you will need
- •Degree certificate, notarised and authenticated (apostille where the Hague Convention applies)
- •Criminal background check, authenticated the same way
- •120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate
- •Medical examination after arrival
Attestation and apostille take weeks and cost money. Confirm the exact list with the employer and the nearest consulate before starting.
What China employers look for
- •Nationality and which passport you hold — it decides visa eligibility before anything else
- •TEFL/TESOL certificate and its hour count
- •Age groups you have taught (kindergarten, primary, middle school, adult)
- •Whether you are currently in China and your visa status if so
Leave out
- •Political commentary, or anything about Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong or Xinjiang
- •Referring to Taiwan as a country in a country list
Tone
Warm and straightforward. Enthusiasm for working with children reads well; irony does not translate.
Build it with the rules applied
The builder applies everything on this page automatically — the A4 layout, the 2-page target, the fields China expects — and checks your passport against the visa before you apply. Free to use, with nothing held back and no watermark.
Open the CV Builder
Other destinations
These are prevailing hiring and document norms, not legal advice, and immigration rules change. Confirm anything that costs you money with the employer and the nearest consulate.