Find Out How to Get a Job and Work in Tianjin

Employment in Tianjin

Local Economy

Tianjin is one of the country’s major ports, and the largest man-made port in northern China, with over 10 million containers passing through it every year. In addition to the port and its associated logistics industry, other key industries in the Tianjin area include aerospace, mobile phone technology, car manufacturing, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and alternative energy.

TEDA has become a place where blue chip companies choose to have a presence. Corporations such as Motorola, Samsung, John Deere, Toyota and Kraft Foods have all invested in enterprises in the area in recent years.

If you are interested in establishing your own business in Tianjin, it is worth considering enlisting the help of a local specialist investment consultant, who can support you through the process and liaise with the relevant authorities on your behalf. Various incentives are offered to companies investing in certain sectors in Tianjin.

Job Hunting in Tianjin

In China, social networking or “guanxi” plays a huge part in the sphere of recruitment. Having contacts in companies based in, or with offices in, Tianjin is the ideal way to find a job in the city. If you have contacts, do not hesitate to make use of them as this type of networking is the traditional way of finding employment and is completely acceptable.

If you are looking for work in Tianjin and don’t have local contacts, recruitment websites are a good place to start. China’s leading jobs website is 51job. Try this and sites such as Matchdragon, which is used by both locals and expatriates. International job search websites such as TipTopJob.com also have listings for job vacancies in Tianjin.

When applying for a job, and particularly if you are invited for an interview, you should be prepared to explain why your skills and experience make you better suited to the position than local applicants.

Work Permits for Tianjin

Foreign nationals wishing to work in Tianjin need to apply to the relevant embassy to obtain a work visa. Any accompanying family members moving to Tianjin will require a visa for dependents (category S). A spouse is not permitted to work on a dependents visa and would also need to apply for a work visa.

The Chinese visa system is divided into many categories and it is category Z that is required for a work permit. The business visa (category M) is suitable only for short, commercial visits. For more information on the different visa categories and the application process, take a look at our dedicated article on How to Get a Chinese Visa.

Your employer or relocation agent will usually help to prepare the pre-arrival documentation and you will go through the remaining registration process yourself once you arrive in Tianjin.