Integrated 'Join in Card' launched for expats

Jovanovic Milos, from Serbia, is a coach at a football club in Jiaxing. He said, "I can save money now." Previously, when he used a foreign bank card for purchases, he had to pay a transaction fee. However, using the "Join in Card" for payments means he no longer needs to pay any fees.

According to local authorities, expats can use the card to take the subway and bus in 336 cities, visit 2,825 cultural and tourism venues in the Yangtze River Delta region, and seek medical treatment and buy drugs at tens of thousands of medical institutions and pharmacies in 41 cities.

Work permits and social security cards are important certificates for foreigners in China. In the past, they had to visit two departments, submit materials multiple times and fill in information repeatedly, which would take about a month.

Now, they only need to apply online once, and within 10 days, the "Join in Card" will be delivered directly to their homes. An electronic one will also be given.

Shen Zhenning, deputy director of the foreign experts service department of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said introducing the card is crucial for providing convenient services for foreigners working and living in China.