Congratulations on getting this far!

As well as sorting out your visa, you must get your Degree certificate, TEFL (if applicable) and Criminal Police check confirmed that they are genuine. This is done in a three-step process.

• Notarisation – this is the confirmation by a Notary Public that the signature appearing on the document is true and genuine. This is usually completed in the country where the document originates. This may also be in the form of a certification which is made by a solicitor as to the signatures made on a document. This part of the process can be done by a solicitor, or alternatively by your bank.
• Apostille – a Government Official in the country of origin has to declare the signature of the Notary Public or the Solicitor as true and genuine. This is completed by a Home Office, e.g the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, or Department of State.
• Legalisation – the Chinese Embassy can now declare and accept the signature, seal or stamp appearing on the document as genuine. This process will require you to send your documents to your local Chinese embassy.

Police Check
In order to work in China you will need to have need to complete a DBS No Criminal Record check. The police check will cost you around £25. You can access the service here.

Note – although this service says ‘Disclosure Scotland’ it can be used for an UK resident.

University Bachelor’s Degree
All of our teachers will need to have a complete university degree, achieving a 2:2 or higher.

TEFL Course
Not all of our positions require you to have a TEFL, however, if you do it will certainly benefit you. We’ll advise of this depending on the offer you are made.

The easiest way to get started with your TEFL qualification is to do a 50-hour online course. For more information go to: https://www.tefl.org.uk/courses/online-only-tefl-courses/50-hour-online-tefl-course/

Certifying your documents is a three-step process. The process is the same whatever country you are from, however, the links below apply only to UK residents.

If you’re short on time, or just want to take the hassle out of the process, then there are companies that can do this for you. We would recommend Edward Young Notaries. Their Gold package (£250) will cover everything you need. You just need to send off your documents and they will return them within 7-10 working days. Click here for more information.

Checklist – before you get started you will need
 – Original University Certificate
– Criminal Police Check
– TEFL (If applicable)

Part A – Notarisation

You’ll need to get your police check and University certificate notarised to confirm it is genuine. This can be done by a solicitor, or alternatively, you can take this to your bank (a small fee may be charged).

Part B – Legalisation (home country)

Once your documents have been natarised they will then need to be legalised. This needs to be done by the government or home office. In the UK this costs £30 per document. For UK residents go to https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised

Once completed you will receive your documents and apostilles, ready for the next step.

Part C – Legalisation (Chinese Embassy)

You should not have notarised and legalised copies of your two or three documents (police check, university degree, TEFL (if applicable)).

These are now ready to go to the Chinese embassy to have the final step done – legalisation. The cost of this service is £15. For more information visit: http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/lsfw/legalization/

Before you start your visa application please speak to us about which type of visa you will need. Please allow 7-10 working days for your visa.

You’ll also need to ensure you take:

• A passport picture attached to your application (glue)
• A colour photocopy of your passport
• Your working / accommodation details

To get started please visit http://www.visaforchina.org/

The very last step of the process is to book your flights! Speak to use before you do this so we can advise on the best day to land. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to your accommodation to settle in, which will be provided for you on top of your salary.