Introduction to Chinese Visas
Visa instruction
X visa: student visa, suitable for all students,especially those who will study in China for more than six months. Usually students can apply for X visa by submitting passport, admission notice, visa application form (JW202/201), physical examination report (required in some countries) and photos to the local Chinese embassy or consulate. Any student holding an X visa must apply for the residence permit within 30 days after entering China.
F visa: visitor’s visa, usually valid for 60-180days, suitable for those who plan to study less than six months. Students can apply for F visa by submitting passport, admission notice, JW202/201, physical examination report (required in some countries) and photos to the local Chinese embassy or consulate. If students with F visa decide to study for one more semester, they should pre-pay tuition fee of the next term and apply for residence permit two months before the current F visa expires.
L visa: usually valid for 30 days, suitable for short term study no more than one month. Students from some countries can apply to extend/change their visa if they decide to continue their study after the short program. They should hand in application form to a university’s international student office at least 20 days before the L visa expires, do the health checkand change it into residence permit when JW202 form is ready. Students from some countries who apply for Chinese programs after the application deadline can ask for our approval, submit the application form to us by email or by fax,do the health check at a local qualified hospital and go to a university with atourist visa (L visa).
Z visa or Working Residence Permit: If foreigners with Z visa or working residence permit want to study in a university, they should apply to us for admission notice and JW202/201 at least 20 days before the visa expires, ask for Employment Separation Certificate from the employer, do thephysical examination and change the visa into a study residence permit.
Visa on-arrival: Visitors from countries like Japan,Mongolia, and Singapore etc. are allowed to stay in China for 14 or 30 days without any Visa, which is called visa on-arrival. However, visa on-arrival cannot be changed or extended. So students are not supposed to come to China without visa.
How do I get student visa to China?
Once admitted, you will receive the university’s letter of admission and JW202 form. The applicant can apply for X visa at Chinese Embassy or Consulate General in your home country.
When applying for your visa, please remember to take along with your valid passport, the original copy of the university’s admission notification and a Visa Application Form for Foreign Students Studying in China (also known as the JW201/JW202 form). Do make sure that your letter of admission and your JW202 form is handed back to you together with your passport after obtaining your Chinese visa. You will need these documents to apply for your Residence Permit after your arrival in Xi’an.
International Students who will be studying in China for more than 6 months are required to obtain a Student Visa, also termed as ‘X’ Visa.
Important: The Student Visa or 'X' Visa will only be valid for 30 days after your arrival. You must apply for a Residence Permit within these 30 days in order to obtain a legal status in China at the local public security bureau.
You are not encouraged to arrive in China much ahead of the short time limit of your visa. Furthermore, you are not eligible to apply for a Residence Permit until you are a registered student of a university, namely before the day of registration.
For information regarding the location and the contacts of the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in your country, please visit http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/, website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
