SOURCE: https://eslwatch.info/en/eslwatch-forum/china/1131-official-2018-china-foreign-teacher-requirements-to-teach-tefl-esl-in-china/1834.html

2018 brings ESL & TEFL Teachers even stricter credential requirements from the Chinese government to teach English in China. This is due to a growing number of arrests and “incidents” by fake teachers caught using fake diplomas and/or TEFL certificates. So the Public Security Bureau of China and SAFEA have decided upon adding some more restrictions in their foreign teacher requirements as follows:

1) Applicants must now be native English speakers holding passports from America, Canada, U.K. Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa.

2) Applicants must be 22-55 at time of application (you can teach up to age 60 in China)

3) Applicants must have a verifiable bachelor degree from an accredited university (and yes they do check now)

4) Applicants must have 2 years of previous teaching experience OR a post-graduate degree

5) Applicants must submit a certified hard copy original police certificate proving they have no criminal record

6) You must be disease-free and obtain a health certificate

7) You must have a legitimate Z visa (work visa) in your passport before working a single day in China

Do not believe any recruiter BS that the law has been amended or they have an “exemption certificates” or “you do not need a Z visa or any degree for your first 90 day probationary period” or any of these other common lies: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChinaScamCentral/comments/7bk1n4/who_and_what_to_believe_about_tefl_teaching_in/?st=jemvgyqw&sh=b8e001e5

If you have questions read this forum thoroughly and visit http://reddit.com/r/chinateachers or http://www.chinascambusters.com , or http://chinascamwatch.org .

If you are a qualified teacher, by all means welcome to China. If you think you can sneak in and work without a degree or Z visa, you had better read this here: http://opnlttr.com/letter/china-foreign-expats-now-earning-3000-week-without-teaching-tefl-nor-esl-and-making-many-new