According to the Social Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China and Peoples Republic China's Interim Measures on Participation in Social Insurance by Foreigners Working in China, foreigners employed in Beijing should participate in social insurance. The approach to handle this matter is as follows.

1. An employer who lawfully recruits and employs foreigners shall process their social insurance registration at the local social insurance fund management center and social insurance agency, which are hereinafter referred to as the social insurance center (agency), within 30 days from the date of  processing their employment permits.

For foreigners dispatched by an overseas employer to work for an employer in Beijing, their employer in Beijing shall process their social insurance registration.

2. Prior to processing social insurance registration for foreigners, the employer shall collect software patches on "Enterprise Management Subsystem of Beijing Social Insurance Information System: For Ordinary Institutions" (V4.3.7 and above), hereinafter referred to as the enterprise version software, and enter the passport number of foreigners to derive the social insurance number.

3. After entering information through the enterprise version software as well as generating the application file, the employer shall print the Beijing Social Insurance Personal Information Registration Form (in triplicate) and Beijing Social Insurance Enrolment Form (in duplicate).

4. Employers shall process social insurance registration for foreigners at the local social insurance center (agency) between the 5th and 25th of every month, bringing with them both the original and photocopy of the following documents. The social insurance center (agency) shall verify the originals and the photocopies shall be archived for future inspection:

A. Passport of the applicant;

B. Alien Employment Permit, Foreign Experts Certificate, or Resident Foreign Journalist's Press Card the person in question;

C. Residence permits of the person in question;

D. The Beijing Social Insurance Personal Information Registration Form (in triplicate and stamped);

E. Beijing Social Insurance Enrolment Form (in duplicate and stamped);

F. Photo of the person in question (two 2.5X3.5cm colored, bareheaded photos with a white background that have been taken recently and developed);

G. Other relevant certificates and documents.

Foreigners holding the Work and Residence Permit for Overseas High-level Talents in Beijing or the Foreigner’s Permanent Residence Card only need to provide documents specified by the above paragraphs A, D, E and F for social insurance registration.

5. When the type and number of foreigners' certificates change, social insurance centers (agencies) only need to change the information in the system accordingly and the social security number derived from the first social insurance participation registration will be kept and shall remain unchanged for the rest of his or her life.

6. A foreigner working in China with his or her nationality of a country that has signed a bilateral or multilateral social insurance agreement with China shall be governed by the said agreement with regard to his or her social insurance affairs.

7. Social insurance centers (agencies) shall meticulously verify both the employment and residence certificates of foreigners submitted by their employers, including the foreigners' passport, Alien Employment Permit, Foreign Experts Certificate, or Resident Foreign Journalist's Press Card. If they have doubt about any document, they shall give it back to the employer and ask them to fill in the document in question again.