Admission notice from a Chinese university: where the visa rules require it
After you receive the admission notice, you submit it with your X1 or X2 visa application. Article 35 of Order No. 42 requires this, and Article 7 item 11 of the Regulations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa instructions name it for each visa type. The sections below set out each rule in the words of the text that states it.
Who decides admission
Order No. 42, Article 12 states that admission of international students is decided by the school. The same article requires schools to review the entry qualifications and financial guarantee certificates of foreign citizens who apply, and to examine or assess them. It also states that a school must not enrol applicants who do not meet the admission conditions.
The Order is a Chinese text. The English wording in this article is this site's translation.
What the visa rules ask for
Order No. 42, Article 35 says that a foreigner who applies to study at a school covered by the Order must apply for an X1 or X2 visa before entering China, according to the length of the study period. The application is made at a Chinese embassy or consulate in the applicant's nationality country or country of residence, or at another mission entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The applicant submits the certificate filed with the education authority and the admission notice issued by the school, along with other related materials.
Article 7 item 11 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners reads, in the National Immigration Administration's English text:
"(11) To apply for the X1 visa, 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; to apply for the X2 visa, the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit such certification documents as the admission notice issued by the admission institution; and"
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa instructions list the following documents.
| Visa | Document listed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| X1 | The Admission Letter issued by a school or other admitting entity in China | Visa Application Instructions, X1 list |
| X1 | The Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202) | Visa Application Instructions, X1 list |
| X2 | The Admission Letter issued by a school or other admitting entity in China | Visa Application Instructions, X2 list |
The Ministry's X1 list also says that the holder must, within 30 days of entering China, apply for a residence permit at the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau of the people's government at or above the county level of the intended place of residence.
The Ministry's English text uses the term "Admission Letter". The Regulations use "admission notice". This article uses "admission notice" for the document that both texts name.
The application route in order
Based on Order No. 42, Article 35, the steps run in this order:
- Apply for the X1 or X2 visa before entering China, according to the length of your study period.
- Apply at the Chinese embassy or consulate in your nationality country or country of residence, or at another mission the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has entrusted.
- Submit the certificate filed with the education authority.
- Submit the admission notice issued by the school.
- Submit the other related materials.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa instructions are general. They refer applicants to the Chinese embassy or consulate-general in their locality for the requirements, so that mission's own page applies to your application.
What the named provisions leave open
Order No. 42, Article 12, Order No. 42, Article 35, Article 7 item 11 of the Regulations, and the X1 and X2 lists in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa instructions name no required content for an admission notice. The provisions name the document and who issues it, but not the fields it must show.
Suggestion: check the notice against your own plans
The following is a suggestion, not a requirement in any of the texts above. Before you submit the notice, compare the name on it with your passport, and compare the programme and study period on it with the plans you intend to follow.
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students, Order No. 42, Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, National Immigration Administration
- Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text or the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differs from this page, the official text and that notice prevail.