The present paper aims to investigate the prevalence and drug resistance of active pulmonary tuberculosis in entry applicants in Shanghai port, and to provide the directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) data of foreign applicants with tuberculosis for Chinese Tuberculosis Surveillance System. From January 2010 to August 2011 , among 79 465 foreign applicants , 79 were found with active pulmonary tuberculosis by chest X-ray. The prevalence rate (99/100 000) was lower than Chinese population (459/ 100 000). The early morning sputum specimens were collected from these tuberculosis patients for 3 consecutive days for acid-fast smear and culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Twenty-three of them were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Of these 23 , nine were resistant to at least one first-line anti-tuberculosis drug, with total resistance rate of 39.1 % (9/23). There were 2 streptomycin-resistant isolates (8. 7%) , 1 isoniazid-resistant isolate (4. 3%) , 5 pyrazinamide-resistant isolates (21. 7%) and 1 isolate resistant to three drugs (ethambutol , isoniazid, pyrazinamide) (4.3%). The results suggested that Shanghai port is facing the risk of transmission of active drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. It is necessary to enhance the surveillance system to manage and treat these patients effectively