What if I pay social security myself?

You can pay your own social security at the social insurance premium collection agency where your household registration is located, but you can only pay the basic old-age insurance premium and basic medical insurance premium. When a worker goes to an employer for employment, the employer and the worker jointly pay social insurance premiums, and the social insurance premiums that the worker should pay are withheld and remitted by the employer.

legal ground

Article 60 of People's Republic of China (PRC) Social Insurance Law

The employing unit shall declare itself and pay social insurance premiums in full and on time, and shall not postpone or reduce the payment except for legal reasons such as force majeure. The social insurance premiums that employees should pay shall be withheld and remitted by the employer, and the employer shall inform me of the details of paying social insurance premiums on a monthly basis.

Individual industrial and commercial households without employees, part-time employees who have not participated in social insurance in the employing units and other flexible employees can pay social insurance premiums directly to the social insurance premium collection agencies.