▼ According to Chinese law and regulations, Foreigners with visa-free access cannot get any other valid visa within Mainland China. Please apply for an X1/X2/L visa before you come to China. ▲
How to apply
Some Chinese Embassies/Consulates outsource the visa services to Visa Service Centres in some countries/ regions.
In these countries/regions, you are not allowed to apply for your visa from Embassies/Consulates directly. You have to pay an additional service fee to the Visa Service Centres to get your visa.
Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Japan, and many EU countries are on the list.
Click here to visit their Website. (Their site is not mobile friendly. It is better to use a computer.)
To find the list of Chinese Embassies/ Consulates, Click here or here.
Important things to know
Single or Multiple entries?
For short-term students (Stay less than 180days), you will get an X2 visa allowing you to stay in Mainland China for 180 days. However, this visa will be a single trip visa. If you leave Mainland China, you need to apply for a new visa to re-enter Mainland China.
*If you apply an X2 visa allowing multiple trips, they normally only allow you to stay in Mainland China for 90 days, you have to leave Mainland China within 90 days. However, You can then use this visa to re-enter and stay another 90 days. (you have to re-enter before the expiry date of the visa.)
▼(It is allowed to go to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan to fulfill this requirement. According to Chinese legislation, these 3 regions are Chinese territories but not the part of Mainland China) ▲
Different Chinese Embassy or Consulate may set different rules for different nationals. Ask them to confirm.
For long-term students (Stay more than 180 days), You will get an X1 visa without stating certain period to stay. After you enter Mainland China, you need to visit Visa Office of Public Security Bureau to convert your X1 visa to a Residence Permit label. This label will allow you to stay in Mainland China for up to 1 year. It allows freely leave and re-enter Mainland China without limitation.
Do not enter China too earlier!
If you hold an X2 visa (Stay less than 180 days) but you arrive China too earlier, your visa may be expired before you finish your study.
Very Important: (for X1 visa holder)
The‘X1’ Visa will be only valid for 30 days after your arrival. You must do your registration with your University and then convert your ‘X1’ Visa to a Residence Permit label within 30 days；you would be otherwise considered staying illegally and heavily fined.
You will not be able to convert your ‘X1’ Visa to a Residence Permit label prior to University registration. So do not arrive too earlier.
If you do need to arrive 30 days before the days of registration, you can apply for a tourist visa, known as ‘L’ Visa. Ask the visa office or your agent to confirm.