This section deals with money and time, while the option of avoiding military service also affects personal freedom. It serves as a roadmap of possible paths, not a step‑by‑step guide for any single one. First, we list the legal requirements for each path. Then we describe the details that become relevant only after you decide to pursue them: what benefits military service provides, other ways to enter the civil service besides the civil service exam, which college majors directly lead to government positions, how to later upgrade your education, what kind of employers to seek for overseas work, how to handle social insurance without a formal job, and whether there are government loans that cover part of the interest for those lacking startup capital. Let us be clear: after turning 18 there are many more options than those covered here. We only include paths for which nationwide official documents specify eligibility criteria, requirements, and benefits. Paths such as joining state‑owned enterprises, working in factories, becoming a seafarer, pursuing freelance work, or continuing high school or university lack such uniform documentation. They are certainly possible, but without verifiable legal references we cannot describe their conditions in this book. Choosing a path is entirely up to you. This section provides two things only: the official documents that set the eligibility rules, and the deadlines and qualifications that expire once you start down a particular route. How to weigh the decision between studying and working, and how to pick relevant skills, is explained in Section 23. Overtime pay, workplace injuries, and severance after joining a job are covered in Section 19. Starting or closing a business is discussed in Section 12. Studying abroad is the topic of Section 32, while safety nets for the unemployed are outlined in Section 7. None of those topics are repeated here.
English text comes from the independent translation maintained by dlgrv. New entries without a translation appear in Chinese. The author's Chinese original is authoritative for the latest content. Translation snapshot: dlgrv/HowToLiveBetter · 11818c6
First, check the eligibility criteria: the age and education requirements for all twelve pathways are clearly stated in official documents.
The age and education requirements for all twelve pathways are explicitly listed in official documents. You must be at least 16 years old to work. For military service, men must be 18 years old; university graduates may be eligible up to age 24. To become a civil servant, you must be between 18 and 35 years old with at least an associate degree. The self-study exam and self-employment pathways have no age or education restrictions.
Cost
No cost at all. It only takes ten minutes to review whethe…
Benefit
Military service rules state: “All male citizens who reach 18 years of age must be drafted into active service…
02Evidence A
Men who turn 18 must complete military service registration by October 31; mandatory active duty lasts two years.
Military service registration is a legal obligation, not an application to join the army. Completing it does not mean you must enlist. All men who turn 18 must register online by October 31. Failure to do so can result in a government order to register within a set period; if ignored, you may be forced into service and fined. Once enlisted, you serve as a conscript for exactly two years.
Cost
There is no cost. The online registration takes just a few…
Benefit
The rules governing military service registration state: “By October 31 each year, local civil affairs bureaus…
03Evidence A
Refusing military service after enlistment: no travel abroad, no further education, and barred from civil service and state-owned enterprises for two years
Choosing to enlist and then backing out carries serious consequences. You cannot be hired by any civil service office, nor by any state-owned enterprise or public institution. For two full years, you are prohibited from leaving the country, enrolling in any school, or returning to your studies. Your name will also be added to a list of individuals who have seriously failed to fulfill their national defense obligations, triggering coordinated penalties from multiple authorities. Therefore, the idea of “signing up first and then pulling out if needed” ends up being very costly.
Cost
There is no monetary cost. The price is having to decide w…
Benefit
Article 57, Paragraph 1, Item 2 of the Military Service Law explicitly states that “any conscript who refuses…
04Evidence A
Two main perks for college students joining the military: up to 20,000 RMB per year for tuition, and two years of academic status protection plus a special postgraduate admission track
Undergraduates, recent graduates, and incoming freshmen who enlist receive full tuition coverage from the state during their service. The maximum annual amount is 20,000 RMB for undergrads and 25,000 RMB for graduate students; over two years this can reach 40,000 or 50,000 RMB. Your student status remains intact, allowing you to enroll or return to school within two years of discharge. Additionally, there is a dedicated postgraduate admission pathway reserved solely for discharged college veterans.
Cost
No out-of-pocket expense. After discharge, you simply subm…
Benefit
In 2024, four government agencies — including the Ministry of Finance — issued a notice outlining three key be…
05Evidence A
Only six scenarios allow the government to assign jobs after discharge; those opting for self-employment must register within 30 days
The notion that “the military guarantees job placement” no longer applies broadly. Currently, only six specific scenarios qualify for government job assignments. Most conscripts who serve two years do not fall into these categories. Those not eligible for government placement are considered self-employed, and they must register within 30 days of discharge. Failing to do so without valid reasons means they forfeit any entitlement to government assistance.
Cost
No cost involved. Simply bring your discharge certificate…
Benefit
Article 25 of the Regulations on Placement of Veterans specifies six circumstances under which local governmen…
06Evidence A
Three key financial aspects after discharge: one-time separation pay, military service counting toward work seniority, and tax deductions up to 20,000 yuan per year for self-employed individuals
After leaving the military, there are three main financial factors to consider. First, there is a one-time separation payment for those who choose self-employment; the amount depends on how many years you served, with extra pay for those who earned commendations. Second, your military service years count toward your overall work seniority, so they are added to any prior and subsequent work history when calculating benefits. Third, if you start your own business, you may receive tax deductions of up to 20,000 yuan each year for three years, which equals 36 months in total.
Cost
There is no cost involved. Upon discharge, the military tr…
Benefit
The first point is covered by the Regulations on the Resettlement of Retired Military Personnel, which state:…
07Evidence A
There’s more than just civil service exams to get into the government system: serving two years in grassroots programs qualifies you for a special recruitment quota of 10% each year.
Getting into the government system isn’t limited to taking civil service exams. After completing two years of satisfactory service in programs such as “Three Supports and One Assistance,” you become eligible for a special recruitment pool that accounts for roughly 10% of each year’s civil service openings. Those who take the postgraduate entrance exam within three years also get an extra 10 points added to their total score. The catch is that you’ll be paid only a government stipend during those two years.
Cost
There’s no upfront cost. The trade‑off is spending two yea…
Benefit
The fourth round of the “Three Supports and One Assistance” program states that the service term is two years.…
08Evidence A
Teachers in the Special Post Program who complete three years of service, pass evaluations, and wish to stay should be promptly added to the official teaching staff
The Special Post Program is one of the few pathways explicitly stating that eligible participants can be added to the official teaching roster after completing their service term. Requirements include a bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably in a teacher-training field, age not exceeding 30, and possession of the required teaching certificate. During those three years, compensation matches that of regular teachers employed by local public schools. Once the term ends, those who meet evaluation standards and wish to remain are supposed to be promptly added to the official staff list.
Cost
There is no monetary cost. The price to pay is three years…
Benefit
The 2024 notice regarding the Special Post Program outlines hiring criteria: applicants must hold a bachelor’s…
09Evidence A
Firefighters and civilian personnel in the military represent two additional pathways for public recruitment, with lower entry requirements than civil service exams.
Neither pathway imposes the “minimum associate degree or higher” requirement. Firefighter recruitment targets individuals aged 18–22 with at least a high school education; those with an associate degree or higher, as well as veterans, may apply up to age 24. Military civilian positions require applicants to be at least 18 years old, with entry-level roles allowing candidates up to 35 years of age. The common barrier is the rigorous political background checks and medical evaluations.
Cost
There is no monetary cost. The process from application to…
Benefit
For firefighters, refer to the *Measures for Recruiting Firefighters into the National Comprehensive Fire and…
10Evidence A
Education isn’t a one‑time deal: self‑study exams have no age or prior‑education limits, while adult college entrance exams and open universities also offer pathways to upgrade qualifications.
If you missed out on schooling at age 18, three legitimate routes remain: self‑study exams, adult college entrance exams, and open universities. Self‑study exams welcome anyone regardless of age or past schooling level, though full‑time students may not apply. Adult college entrance exams require a high‑school or junior‑college diploma. All three paths are slow, but none care how you performed at 18.
Cost
Registration and textbook fees run only a few hundred yuan…
Benefit
Self‑study exams are governed by the Interim Regulations on Higher‑Education Self‑Study Examinations. Article…
11Evidence A
Not joining a company means you must arrange your own social insurance: you’ll need to enroll in pension and medical plans at your place of work, as household registration restrictions have now been lifted.
Not being employed by a company doesn’t mean you’re exempt from social insurance; it simply means no employer covers half of the cost. Official documents require all regions to lift household registration barriers so flexible workers can enroll in insurance at their place of work, with major metropolises gradually implementing this change. So don’t mistake “freedom” for “no need to worry about social insurance.” If you fail to pay on schedule, both your pension benefits and medical reimbursement rates will be calculated according to rules for interrupted coverage.
Cost
You must pay the full amount for both pension and medical…
Benefit
These provisions stem from the “Guiding Opinions on Protecting the Labor Rights and Interests of Workers in Ne…
12Evidence A
Food delivery workers, ride‑hailing drivers, and local freight carriers all get occupational injury coverage paid for by the platform on a per‑order basis — at no cost to them.
Platforms must pay occupational injury insurance premiums for every order placed by delivery workers, ride‑hailing drivers, and local freight carriers — none of that cost falls on the workers themselves. This is still a pilot scheme, so before accepting any orders, confirm that both your province and your platform are included. Workers who already have a formal employment contract with a platform are covered under regular workers’ compensation, not this program.
Cost
Zero out‑of‑pocket expense;
Benefit
The coverage is governed by the “Interim Measures for Occupational Injury Insurance for Workers in New Forms o…
13Evidence A
Two pathways to secure a government job on the day you fill out college applications: government-funded teacher training and targeted medical student programs, at the cost of a six-year service commitment.
Both programs involve the state covering your education costs upfront; in return, you must work at a designated location for six years after graduation. Government-funded teacher training is offered only at six universities directly under the Ministry of Education, with admission occurring in an early admission round. For targeted medical students, a tripartite agreement must be signed before receiving the admission letter. Violating the contract leads to repayment obligations, penalties, and a credit record impact. Carefully consider whether you can accept these six years of commitment before applying.
Cost
Tuition and housing fees are waived, and you receive a liv…
Benefit
Government-funded teacher training is governed by the “Implementation Measures for Government-Funded Education…
14Evidence A
Before going abroad to work, check whether the company has a license for international labor cooperation: it is illegal for them to demand a deposit from you.
When it comes to working overseas, the law regulates not the workers themselves but the companies that arrange their employment. Only businesses holding a valid license for international labor cooperation and properly registered may recruit workers for foreign jobs. Any claim such as “first obtain a tourist visa and later switch to a work visa” is a clear sign of illegal activity. Moreover, employers are strictly prohibited from charging any kind of deposit or demanding collateral from workers.
Cost
No cost at all. Spend just a few minutes beforehand verify…
Benefit
Article 5 of the Regulations on International Labor Cooperation states that companies must obtain approval fro…
15Evidence A
Working remotely for a foreign company from home: this income is considered domestic earnings for tax purposes; you must file your own individual income tax returns, and incoming payments should be reported as “employee compensation”.
Whether this income counts as domestic or foreign depends on where the work is actually performed, not where the money originates. If you’re working remotely for a foreign firm while residing in China, it’s classified as domestic earnings, and you must pay individual income tax here. Since the foreign company has no local presence, no one withholds taxes on your behalf — so you’re responsible for filing them yourself. Payments should be reported under the “employee compensation” category.
Cost
There are no direct expenses. You must file an annual tax…
Benefit
Whether this income qualifies as domestic earnings is determined by Article 3 of the Implementing Regulations…
16Evidence A
Starting a business without joining a company? First look at startup guarantee loans: up to 300,000 RMB per individual, with the government covering half the interest
If you absolutely must borrow money to get started, this government‑backed loan is a good option. Each applicant can receive up to 300,000 RMB for a maximum term of three years, with the state paying half of the interest. One often‑overlooked requirement is that at the time of application neither you nor your spouse may have any other outstanding loans — except student loans, micro‑credit for poverty‑alleviation recipients, mortgage or auto loans, and consumer loans under 50,000 RMB.
Cost
There’s no fee for consulting. You’ll need to visit the lo…
Benefit
The eligibility criteria for individuals are outlined in Article 6 of the “Administrative Measures for Special…