Visa application guidance materials

Visa Application Guidance

introduction

A non-Chinese citizen who comes to China for study, advanced studies or intern practice for a period of more than six months should apply for an X Visa.

A non-Chinese citizen who comes to China for study, short-term advanced studies or intern practice for a period of no more than six months should apply for an F Visa.

Please select a section below for more information.

1. How to apply

2. Documents to be submitted in with the application

3. Visa fees and processing time

4. Additional information

how to apply

You must go to the visa office of the Embassy or Consulate-General in the consular jurisdiction where you live to submit the application; or
If you cannot go in person, you may entrust someone else or a travel/visa agent to go on your behalf to the visa office of the Embassy or Consulate-General in the consular jurisdiction where you live for the application process.

Note: Mail visa applications are not acceptable and will be refused. However, a mailback service is available for visa applicants who go to the visa office personally and wish for their visa documents to be mailed back to them. (Please ensure you read INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATION MAIL SERVICE for further details). No appointment is required.

documents to be submitted with the application

Your valid & actual passport. The passport must have at least six (6) months validity left before expiration and at least one blank page left in it.
One completed Visa Application Form (Q1) with one additional passport photo (black & white or color is acceptable). The Visa Application Form can be obtained directly at the embassy office, or a copy can be downloaded from here (439KB pdf format).
An approved Foreign Student Visa Application Form (JW201 or JW202) issued by the authorized Chinese unit, and an enrollment letter from the Chinese university. These two pieces of crucial documents will be sent to you via registered express mail by China Unipath upon its issuance from the Chinese university.
The applicant who will study in China for more than one year shall also provide a Physical Examination Certificate for Foreign Citizen. Click here to download a copy of the form (91KB pdf format).
An applicant born in China who applies for a Chinese visa with a new foreign passport is required to submit his/her Chinese passport or last foreign passport with a Chinese visa.

Note: If the visa application form is not filled out completely, correctly and legibly, this can cause a delay in processing or the refusal of the requested visa.

visa fees and processing time

Number of Entries		American Citizens	Other Countries
	Single Entry	US$50	US$30
	Double Entry	US$75	US$45
	Multiple Entry for 6 Months	US$100	US$60
	Multiple Entry for 12 Months	US$150	US$90
	Multiple Entry for 24 Months	US$150	US$90

The regular processing time is four working days. For express service, an additional fee of US$30 for one working day processing (applications presented before 11:30 am may be picked up between 2:30 pm-3:00 pm on the same day), or US$20 for 2-3 working days processing will be charged.

Please pay by Visa, MasterCard, money order, cashier's check, company check or cash. Personal checks are not acceptable. Please make the check or money order payable to the Chinese embassy.

additional information

Any person suffering from mental disorder, leprosy, AIDS, venereal diseases, contagious tuberculosis or other such infectious diseases are not permitted to enter China.