How do you get a social security number or card in China in 2026?

Under the Interim Measures for foreigners working in China and MOFCOM expatriate guidance, eligible employees with a Foreigner's Work Permit and residence permit (or permanent resident ID) are brought into social insurance. Employers are expected to process social insurance registration within local deadlines after employment or work-permit steps, commonly framed as within 30 days in city guidance: Get a work permit and Enrol public health / social insurance.

MOHRSS published a national notice integrating Foreigner's Work Permit information onto the social security card from 1 December 2024. New work-permit filings move through the online foreigners-working system without a separate legacy plastic work-permit card in the old style. After entry, foreigners can download the electronic social security card app, complete real-name checks, and view work-permit information loaded onto the card record. When the entity card is issued, electronic services expand. Ask HR which local human-resources and social-security bureau window serves your Shanghai, Beijing, or Shenzhen employer address.

Keep the social security number consistent across payroll, medical insurance claims, and tax records: Get a tax number. Medical insurance is one pillar inside the wider social insurance stack; private international cover is a separate decision: Choose health insurance. Some bilateral social security agreements listed by MOHRSS can exempt certain nationalities from specific pillars; HR should confirm your passport country’s status rather than assuming a full Chinese package.

Banks and hospitals may ask to see the physical card or the electronic QR. Report loss through the issuing city’s social security card channels. Fold this into the wider settling list: Paperwork after moving and Apply for a residence permit.