China student visa requirements: what Article 7 asks for X1 and X2

Article 7 of the Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (State Council Decree No. 637) lists the documents for any visa application: an application form, a passport or other international travel document, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of the application. For an X1 or X2 study visa, Article 7(11) adds an admission notice issued by the admission institution, and for X1 it also asks for certification documents provided by the competent authority.

This page sets out the Article 7 wording, the X1 and X2 wording in Article 7(11), and the document lists of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each rule names its source. The table at the end puts the documents side by side.

What Article 7 asks every applicant for

Article 7 says a foreigner applying for a visa "shall fill out the application form, and submit his or her passport or other international travel documents, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of application." The sentence is written for any foreigner applying for a visa and does not name a visa category.

What Article 7(11) adds for X1 and X2

For the X1 visa, Article 7(11) says the applicant "shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit the admission notice issued by the admission institution and the certification documents provided by the competent authority."

For the X2 visa, the same item says the applicant "shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit such certification documents as the admission notice issued by the admission institution."

Documents on the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom list

The embassy's page "Part Two: How to Apply for a Visa for China (Mainland only)" lists four basic documents:

1. Passport: an original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, and a photocopy of the bio data page.
2. Photo: one recently taken colour passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background.
3. Proof of legal stay or residence status, which applies to non-British applicants: a valid British visa or other proof of legal stay, residence, employment or study in the U.K.
4. Previous Chinese passport or previous Chinese visa, which applies to foreign nationals who once held Chinese nationality.

The embassy's X1 list has three items:

1. The Admission Letter issued by a college, university or other educational institution in China.
2. Original or photocopy of "Visa Application for Study in China" (Form JW201 or Form JW202).
3. Original or photocopy of the "Confirmation Form for Elementary Stages Students Study in China issued by Chinese relevant authorities (for Elementary Stage)."

The same page states that X1 holders "shall, within 30 days from the date of their entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of local public security bureau in the proposed places of residence for foreigners' residence permits."

The embassy's X2 list has one item: an original or photocopy of the Admission Notice issued by a college, university or other educational institution in China.

These are the embassy's own statements for its consular district.

Documents in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructions

The Ministry's "Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China" say that applicants submit the documents "as required by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General in your locality." The basic documents named in that section are the applicant's passport and photo, proof of legal stay or residence, and the previous Chinese passport or previous Chinese visa.

The section refers readers to the "Guidance on Visa Application" section of the China Online Visa Application System, or to the website of the local embassy or consulate-general, for specific requirements.

The section's introductory sentence ends with "together with the following:". This article does not cover the items that follow that sentence.

Documents side by side

Additional material

The final paragraph of Article 7 reads: "The visa authority may, in light of specific cases, require a foreigner to submit additional application material."

Questions

Which documents does Article 7 ask for in every visa application?

Article 7 says a foreigner applying for a visa shall fill out the application form and submit a passport or other international travel document, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of the application.

Can the visa authority ask for more documents?

The final paragraph of Article 7 says the visa authority may, in light of specific cases, require a foreigner to submit additional application material.

Sources

• Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, National Immigration Administration
• Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom: Part Two, How to Apply for a Visa for China (Mainland only), Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom
• Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China (申请办理中华人民共和国签证须知), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the bodies named, and the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case prevail if they differ.