Residence permit for study: validity from 180 days to five years

Under Article 30 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law, a non-work-type residence permit has a validity period of at least 180 days and at most five years. Article 15 of the Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (State Council Decree No. 637) lists the residence permit for study as one of five types, issued to persons who pursue long-term studies in China. The Regulations do not give a validity period for that type.

See also X1 or X2 on this site.

This page covers the validity range, the application steps, the decision time limit and the fees. Each rule is taken from the document named beside it. The Chinese service guide is quoted here in this site's English translation of the Chinese text.

Validity range

Article 30 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law states:

• the validity period of a non-work-type foreigner's residence permit shall be 180 days at the minimum and five years at the maximum;
• the validity period of a foreigner's work-type residence permit shall be 90 days at the minimum and five years at the maximum.

Article 30 also says that the exit and entry administration issues the appropriate type of residence permit, with its duration, based on the purpose of residence.

The English guide on residence permits, item b (Student-type Residence Permit), says that a residence permit may be issued with a residence period consistent with the term of study the school indicates.

Steps to apply

Article 30 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law applies where the visa states that a residence permit must be applied for after entry. In that case, the applicant shall apply within 30 days from the date of entry.

1. Apply to the exit and entry administration of the public security organ under the local people's government at or above county level in your proposed place of residence.
2. Go through the formalities in person.
3. Submit your passport or other international travel documents.
4. Submit the letter from the admission institution indicating the duration of study (Article 16(2) of the Regulations).
5. Provide biometric identification information, such as fingerprints.

Item b of the English guide states that a foreigner entering China with an X1 visa shall submit a letter from the school indicating the term of study, and a letter of admission or enrollment.

For a residence permit valid for more than one year, Article 16 of the Regulations (last paragraph) requires a health certificate. That certificate is valid for six months from its date of issue.

Decision time limit

Two documents set a time limit, and they state it in different terms.

• Article 30 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law says the exit and entry administration shall examine the application and make a decision within 15 days upon the date of receipt.
• Section 八 (time limit) of the Chinese service guide of the National Immigration Administration says that an application meeting the acceptance conditions shall be accepted and an acceptance receipt issued. The decision on whether to issue the permit shall be made within the validity period of that receipt. The receipt's validity period shall not exceed 15 working days from the date of acceptance.
• Section Ⅷ (Time Limit) of the English guide states the same 15-working-day limit for the acceptance receipt.

The Law counts from the date of receipt, and the guide counts from the date of acceptance. This page does not reconcile the two.

Fees by validity period

Section 九 (charging basis and standards) of the Chinese service guide cites the notice of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, Fa Gai Jia Ge [2004] No. 2230. It sets these fees:

Section IX of the English guide lists the same three amounts. It also states that the charging standards apply to every accompanying person added to the residence permit, that removing an accompanying person costs CNY 200 per person per time, and that an information change costs CNY 200 per person per time.

Sources

• Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (English text), National Immigration Administration
• Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (English text), National Immigration Administration
• Service guide for issuing, extending, replacing and reissuing foreigners' residence permits (Chinese), National Immigration Administration
• Service Guide on residence permits for foreigners (English), National Immigration Administration

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary of the documents listed above. It is not legal or immigration advice and is not published by the National Immigration Administration or any other body named here. If the official text or the instructions of the body handling your case differ from this page, the official text and those instructions prevail.