China

Any foreign student who intends to study in China will have to obtain a student visa (X visa). This visa is granted to those students who have already been accepted for admission by a recognized educational institute in China. There are two types of the visa:

• X1 Visa - issued to those who go to China for study for more than 6 months.
• X2 Visa - issued to those who go to China to study for a period of less than 6 months.

You can submit your visa application form and necessary documentation at the Chinese embassy or consulate or at the Chinese diplomatic mission in your home country. In case you cannot come personally for the submission, you can send it through a travel agency or a visa agency for submission on your behalf. Applications sent by post are not accepted by most of the Chinese embassies or consulates.

Apply for a student visa at least a few weeks in advance of your planned travel date to allow enough time for the application procedure to be completed on time for you to join your course. The regular processing time is 4 working days.

X1 visa is normally issued for multiple entries with validity of up to 5 years. X2 visa is usually issued for one entry with validity up to 6 months.