Foreign experts holding valid passports or other identification documents are allowed to stay in the P.R. China - and also to leave the country. The experts should make sure they have made adequate preparations before the end of their period of employment.
1. Foreign experts should discuss their preferred itinerary with their employer when booking plane tickets – and they must determine which party is responsible for the total costs.
2. Imported duty-free personal belongings cannot be sold to individuals or organizations without permission, according to China Customs regulations.
Any such transaction requires an application to local Customs authorities, who will process the application and also collect taxes.
Donations also require an application and approval from local Customs authorities. Foreign experts can also send their belongings using a shipment service provided by local companies.
3. Consumer durables imported by foreign experts should be taken out of China when the experts leave the country at the end of their period of employment. They should also obtain receipts – from state-regulated institutions - concerning any items they may have sold. And they should have legal documents – issued by China Customs - concerning donated items.
4. Legal documents - including their Residence Permit, Foreign Expert Certificate, Company Pass, and medical certificate - should be returned to the issuing unit, which will cancel them. (They may be kept as souvenirs after they are cancelled.) Foreign experts who hold valid Chinese residence permit are required to apply to local public security organizations for visa if they intend to return to China after departure. The organizations that foreign experts work for should assist them with those procedures.
