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Student visa papers at the Chinese embassy in the UK: the embassy's own list

Sources checked · Student visas

The embassy's page asks for a passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, a recent passport photo, and proof of legal stay if you are not British. For an X1 visa it asks for an Admission Letter and the JW201 or JW202 form, and for elementary-stage pupils a confirmation form. For an X2 visa it asks for an Admission Notice.

This is one embassy's list, taken from the Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom's page, which carries a time stamp of 1 July 2020. Other Chinese missions may set different requirements, so check the mission that will handle your application. Fees and processing times are on the embassy's and the Chinese Visa Application Service Center's pages, so they are left out here.

Basic documents

The page's basic documents are numbered 1 to 4.

1. Passport. The page asks for 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. The page asks for "One recently-taken color passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background." Item 2 refers you to a separate document titled "Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application".

3. Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to non-British applicants). The page asks for "A valid British visa or other proof of legal stay, residence, employment or study in the U.K."

4. Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas (applicable to foreign nationals who once held Chinese nationality). The page says the last Chinese passport held and a photocopy of its data page are required when applying for a Chinese visa for the first time. It also refers to permanent residency of a foreign country and naturalization paper in the same sentence. The wording is compressed, so read the full sentence on the page before you collect these papers.

Item 4 has two further sentences. The first says the photocopies of the data page of the previous passport and the previous Chinese visa are needed "if current passport does not contain any Chinese visa." The second says that "In case the name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, an official document of name change is required."

X1 visa papers

The X1 list is numbered (1) to (3) on the page.

(1) "The Admission Letter issued by a college, university or other educational institutions in China."

(2) "Original or photocopy of 'Visa Application for Study in China' (Form JW201 or Form JW202)."

(3) "Original or photocopy of 'Confirmation Form for Elementary Stages Students Study in China issued by Chinese relevant authorities (for Elementary Stage)'." The item is headed "for Elementary Stage", so it is the item for that category.

After the list, the page states this separately: "Holders of X1 Visa 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."

X2 visa papers

The X2 list gives one document: "Original or photocopy of Admission Notice issued by a college, university or other educational institution in China."

How to apply

The page describes the application in two steps. Its wording is the basis for the order below.

  • Fill in the electronic visa application form online through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center, in advance.
  • When the online review is approved, submit your passport, the other supporting documents and your biometric information at the Visa Center.

Important notices

The page's important notices are numbered (1) to (4).

(1) "Please fill in the application form truthfully, clearly and completely."

(2) Applicants "shall be responsible for the authenticity of the passport, application form, photo and any other supporting documents (including photocopies). Any inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information may lead to an extension of visa approval time, decline or rejection of a visa, or decline of entry into China."

(3) The original documents "will be returned to applicants once verified at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center or Chinese Embassy or Consulate General." The same notice says: "If not otherwise specified, the copy of documents can be in the form of fax or computer printout." The notice also says that applicants "may be informed to attend an interview at the Embassy (Consulate General) or required to provide other proof of documents and to verify the signature on the supporting materials" when necessary.

(4) "Authoritative interpretation remains with Chinese Embassy and Consulate General, should there be any changes to the terms above."

As a suggestion, not a rule, check whether the embassy has published a newer version of this list before you collect your papers. The page is dated by its time stamp, and the current notice from the same embassy is the one to follow.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, the National Immigration Administration, any embassy or any university, is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case prevail if they differ.