For foreigners who are currently working in China, or who have previously worked here, transferring their income earned in China to an overseas account generally requires the following documentation:
Bank Statements – These usually reflect the monthly salary income. By bringing the bank card to the bank, statements can typically be printed directly from the self-service machine.
Employment Contract – This serves as proof that the income is derived from lawful employment. If the individual still retains the original employment contract, it can be provided directly to the bank. If the contract has been lost for any reason, the former employer should be contacted to issue a relevant certification.
Tax Payment Certificate – This verifies that individual income tax has been duly paid in China. Tax payment records can typically be downloaded via the tax authority’s mobile application. However, my client was not familiar with Chinese and was unable to obtain the records himself, so I had to retrieve the tax information in person from the local tax bureau.
For other types of legitimate income, banks will also require documentation demonstrating the source of income, as well as proof of tax payment, before approving the remittance.
