After admission: visa, residence permit, health check and insurance in order

After admission, you apply for an X1 or X2 visa before you enter China. If your visa says a residence permit is needed after entry, you apply for it within 30 days of entry. You also complete a health check at enrolment and buy the insurance the school requires. Each step below gives the provision it rests on.

Documents cited

Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法), Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security, cited below as Order No. 42. This is a Chinese text. The English wording on this page is this site's translation of the Chinese text.
Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, English text published by the National Immigration Administration.
Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, English text published by the National Immigration Administration.

The steps in order

Apply for an X1 or X2 visa before you enter China. Order No. 42, Article 35 says that the applicant shall apply for an X1 or X2 visa before entry, at a Chinese embassy or consulate in the country of nationality or residence, or at another overseas body entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The applicant shall submit the certificate filed with the education authority (备案) and the admission notice issued by the school, with other related materials. Article 35 ties the choice between X1 and X2 to the study period, but it does not say which study periods fall under X1 and which under X2. It sets no number of days before entry; it says only "before entry" (入境前). Regulations, Article 7, item 11 lists the documents by visa. For the X1 visa, the applicant submits the admission notice issued by the admission institution and the certification documents provided by the competent authority. For the X2 visa, the applicant submits "such certification documents as the admission notice issued by the admission institution." Legal basis: Order No. 42, Article 35; Regulations, Article 7, item 11.
If your visa says a residence permit is needed after entry, apply for it within 30 days of entry. Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 30 says that where a visa specifies that the foreigner needs to apply for a residence permit after entry, the foreigner shall, within 30 days from the date of entry, apply to the exit/entry administration of the public security organ in the proposed place of residence. The applicant submits a passport or other international travel document, relevant information on the application, and biometric identification information such as fingerprints. The administration shall, within 15 days upon receipt, examine the application and decide. Article 30 also sets the validity ranges for work-type and non-work-type residence permits, but it does not say which type applies to an international student. Order No. 42, Article 36 says that where the learning-type visa of an international student states that a residence document must be handled after entry, the student shall, within 30 days from the date of entry, apply to the exit/entry administration of the public security organ in the proposed place of residence for a learning-type residence permit. Legal basis: Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 30; Order No. 42, Article 36.
Complete the health check when you enrol. Order No. 42, Article 39 says that on enrolment, the international student shall, under the rules of China's health administration authority, complete confirmation of the Foreigners' Physical Examination Record (外国人体格检查记录) at a China health and quarantine authority, or undergo a physical examination. If the examination confirms a serious mental disorder, infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, or another infectious disease that may cause major harm to public health, as set out in the Exit and Entry Administration Law, the public security authority handles the case according to law. Article 39 gives no number of days for the check; it ties the check to enrolment (入学时). Legal basis: Order No. 42, Article 39.
Buy the insurance the school requires. Order No. 42, Article 40 says that the school operates a system under which all international students are insured. International students must buy insurance under national rules and school requirements. A student who has not bought insurance as required shall be given a set period to insure (限期投保). If the student does not insure by that deadline, the school does not admit the student. For a student already studying at the school, the school shall expel the student or not register the student. Article 40 states no amount of premium and does not say how long the set period is. Legal basis: Order No. 42, Article 40.

Questions people ask

What visa do international students need before entering China?

Order No. 42, Article 35 says the applicant shall apply for an X1 or X2 visa before entry, with the certificate filed with the education authority and the admission notice. The article does not say which study period goes with which visa.

How long do I have to apply for a residence permit after arriving?

Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 30 says 30 days from the date of entry, where the visa specifies that a residence permit must be applied for after entry.

What happens if I do not buy the required insurance?

Order No. 42, Article 40 says the student is given a set period to insure. If the student does not insure by that deadline, the school does not admit the student. A student already studying may be expelled or not registered.

Sources

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 differs from this page, the official text prevails, and so does the current notice of the university or authority handling your case.