Students who intend to study in China need to apply for a visa. Foreign students studying in China are required to hold an ordinary passport and either a X1 visa (study period of more than 180 days) or a X2 visa (study period of no more than 180 days). Applicants should apply for a Chinese visa from their nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate or Chinese Visa Application Service Center (Visa Application Service Center is not available for all countries so far).

Types of Chinese Visa

If you intend to study in China, only the following three categories of visa are appropriate for you.

X1 visa is issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of more than 180 days.

Documentation required:

1. Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, and a photocopy of the passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate.

2. One completed Visa Application Form with a recently-taken color passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background attached.

3. Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)

4. Original and photocopy of the Admission Letter issued by a school or other entities in China.

5. Original and photocopy of 'Visa Application for Study in China' (Form JW201 or Form JW202).

Besides the documentation mentioned above, other documents might be required by visa officers in order to decide whether to issue the visa on a case by case basis.

X2 visa is issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days.

Documentations required:

1. Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, and a photocopy of the passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate.

2. One completed Visa Application Form with a recently-taken color passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background attached.

3. Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)

4. Original and photocopy of Admission Notice issued by a school or other entities in China.

Besides the documentation mentioned above, other documents might be required by visa officers in order to decide whether to issue the visa on a case by case basis.

Visa Information on Different Countries

* Students from other countries please check the following websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of P. R. China or your nearest Chinese Embassy or Chinese Consulate for details. For some countries, international students can also go to Chinese Visa Application Service Center for student visa(X1/X2) application, 

# Chinese Embassies in Different Countries

# Chinese Consulate General in Different Countries

# Chinese Visa Application Service Center

Applicant for Residence Permit

The 'Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China' came into force as of July 1, 2013.

Foreign students should pay attention to the following changes:

1. Applicant for Residence Permit must make application IN PERSON at the police station EVERY TIME when applying for the Residence Permit.

2. Calculation of the Residence Permit: Applicant must make application 30 days before the expiry date (i.e. make application about 40 days with your university before the expiry date). Even if you apply much earlier than the expiry date, the police office will only calculate the new expiry date according to the current expiry date. (This is very beneficial to international students.)

3. The Visa/Residence Permit of Study Type: the minimum duration applied for is 180 days (half a year). You may apply for once a short time visa (S Type Visa; less than 180 days) when you finish your study here and go back to your home country.

4. Only X1 Visa is eligible to apply for a student's Residence Permit. Other types of visa are not applicable in this case. X2 Visa is used for leaving China only; cannot be converted into other types of visa.

5. No matter any of your relatives comes to visit you, you should report to the Police Station; if there is no significant/serious reason of leaving China, no report is required when your relative leaves China. Dropping-out or quitting-school students must report to the Police Station when leaving China.

6. Part-time Work: foreign students are permitted to do part-time work in China now. The university should issue a Consent Letter; the hiring unit/company should issue a Certification; the police station will then mark on your visa 'Part-time-work; Part-time-study'. The hiring unit/company cannot be changed; expect high amount of fine if you violate this law.

7. Illegal Residence: you will be charged RMB￥500/day, maximum RMB￥10,000 of charge, or, more than 5 days but less than 15 days of detention.

8. The Visa & Residence Permit processing time is longer now. You will probably get your passport again 20 days after you make the application.