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[How To]: Claim Pension Funds When Leaving China

Paying social security (housing funds, social security, pension, health insurance) became mandatory for foreign employees in 2021, but in reality, it's not actually enforced, and very few companies do...
2024-01-02 12:00:00

Paying social security (housing funds, social security, pension, health insurance) became mandatory for foreign employees in 2021, but in reality, it's not actually enforced, and very few companies do it. We got a pretty good insightful article into that here.

Anyway, if your company does payyours (ask your HR if they pay 社会保险 for you), then you are entitled to receive back a portion of those funds. You won't get all of it, but in many cases, you'll get enough to make it worthwhile.

Here's a guide on how to do that:

(We're new to this, so our guide is built on the information we gathered from the Shanghai Social Security Hotline, just to give you some context.)

1
Key Considerations Before Starting the Process

Please ensure that the employment separation certificate (解聘证明) you submit is in Chinese and has the necessary official stamps to validate it. If the original documents are not in Chinese, be sure to have them professionally translated by an authorized translation organization, and don't forget to include their stamp as well.

Here are two authorized translation agencies for your consideration:

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2
Insights from the Shanghai Social Security Hotline

We contacted the Shanghai Social Security Hotline (Tel: 12345), and they provided us with a link to a guide on the process. In the document, it was mentioned that initially, all you need is your employment separation certificate (解聘证明). However, it's possible they may request additional documentation when you actually go through the process. The hotline also informed us that you can withdraw all the funds in your account, but in order to claim your pension, you must have contributed for a minimum of 15 years.

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3
Where Can You Complete the Entire Process?

Take your documents and visit the Social Security Center (上海市社会保险事业管理中心) in your local district.

Here's a partial list of locations to consider, as each district has its own Social Security Center branch:

Shanghai Social Security Hotline mentions that the entire process takes around 30 days.

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This How-To guide is work in progress, we are constantly updating it as we receive new information. We rely on readers like you (yes YOU). If you find this guide useful please help us improve it by adding comments in each step or by clicking the "Verify" link if you find the information provided to be correct.

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