All international students leaving outside China has to obtain an X Visa (Student Visa) before they can be able to travel to China and study. The requirements for obtaining an X Visa differ from country to country. But this guide will give you the general requirements.

The student’s visa (X) visa is divided into two categories, the X1 and the X2 visa. Usually the X1 visa is issued to students who are coming to China to study for a period of over 6 months, while an X2 visa is issued to students that are going to be studying in China for a period less than 6 months.

The school, university, or organization that you will be studying in will provide you with a jw202 or jw201 document and an admission letter, with which you will add to other documents and apply for the visa.

Usually holders of the X visa, either X1 or X2 or not eligible to work in China. China has a strict policy when it comes to working without the appropriate visa, and we always advice our students to really take note of this. However there are certain cities that are not as strict and permit foreigners to take up some part-time work, but this will require certain arrangements with your school.

Upon arrival in China, students who hold the X1 visa are required to apply for a temporary resident permit from the local police station where they will be staying during the duration of study. Upon entering China, every student has to apply for this permit within 30 days of their arrival in China.

What are the steps involved in obtaining an X Visa?

Step 1: Receive your original Admission Letter and Jw201 or Jw202 from the university you’ve gained admission into. Universities and Colleges in China, send the original documents through mail to students who have gained admission to their institution. These documents are the most important documents in obtaining an X Visa (Student visa). Without these two documents, the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in various countries cannot grant an X Visa (Student visa). 

Step 2: Visit the Chinese Consulate or embassy to receive an updated form of all the required documents that you will need to apply for the X visa. If the embassy is far away from you can contact them on phone or by email and ask for all the required documents you will need to apply for the Visa. The required documents usually include a filled physical examination form, bank statements and others.

Step 3: Visit the nearest Government Hospital and perform your physical examination. The physical examination form is also an important document when applying for visa. In some countries, the Chinese Embassy or Consulate has assigned specific hospitals or clinics where this examination should be done. Contact the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your country for more details on how and where to do the physical examination.

Step 4: After obtaining all the required documents, visit the high court in your country and attest the documents. Try your best to get all your documents attested, including your result slips and all other documents. Present the original documents for attestation. Most Chinese Embassy or Consulate requires that the various documents for the visa application must be attested. Contact the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your country for more details.

Step 5: Go to the nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate and apply for the X Visa (Student Visa). Some Chinese Embassies provide express visa services, others don’t. Based on your study duration in China, the Chinese Embassy will determine either to grant you an X1 or X2 visa.