From X1 Visa to Residence Permit: Your First 30 Days

If you entered China on an X1 visa, you are not finished with immigration paperwork — you have just started it. An X1 is a single-entry visa that only gets you through the border; it does not let you stay for the length of your degree. That requires a residence permit, applied for inside China within 30 days of arrival. Miss the window and you are overstaying, which brings fines and a mark on your record. This guide lays out the sequence, the documents, and the points where students most often get stuck.

Last reviewed: September 2026 · Part of our Study in China guide series.

X1 vs X2: which visa do you actually have?

Check the visa sticker in your passport before planning anything else. The two student categories lead to completely different processes.

	X1	X2
Length of study	More than 180 days	180 days or fewer
Entries	Single entry	Usually single or double
Residence permit needed?	Yes, within 30 days	No — you leave before the visa expires
Typical holder	Degree students, year-long language students	Short exchange, summer programme, short course

If you are on an X2 and your programme gets extended, you cannot simply convert it in most cities — you would normally need to leave and re-apply. Raise it with your international office early rather than in week four. The wider application process is covered in our guide to applying to Chinese universities.

Days 0–3: police registration (住宿登记)

This is the step that catches people out, because it is separate from your visa and has a much tighter deadline. If you are not sleeping in a hotel — which registers you automatically — you must register your address yourself at the local police station (派出所, pàichūsuǒ).

• Deadline: 24 hours of arrival in urban areas, 72 hours in rural areas. Hotels do this for you at check-in.
• Bring: passport, visa page, a printout or photo of your entry stamp, and your address in Chinese.
• If you are on campus: most universities run a group registration in the first week and hand you the slip. Attend it even if you think you’ll move later.
• If you move: re-register within 24 hours of moving. The registration is tied to the address, not to you.

Week 1: the medical check (体检)

A residence permit application requires a health certificate issued in China, at a designated hospital — not one from home. Universities typically organise a group appointment in the first week or two.

• It usually involves a short physical, a chest X-ray, blood tests and an ECG. Some centres require you to fast beforehand.
• Bring your passport and, in many cities, two or more passport photos on the specified background colour.
• Results take a few days; the certificate is normally handed to the university or given to you in a sealed envelope. Don’t open it if it is sealed for submission.
• If you take regular medication, bring a letter from your doctor. Some medications that are ordinary at home are controlled in China — check before you fly.

Week 1–2: assemble the documents

Document	Where it comes from	Watch out for
Passport + visa page + entry stamp	You	Passport must be valid well beyond your intended stay
Admission letter	Your university	Must be the original, on university letterhead
JW201 / JW202 form	Issued with your admission, before you fly	Lost forms are slow to replace — keep both a paper and a digital copy
Health certificate	Designated hospital in China	Must be the sealed, locally issued version
Accommodation registration slip	Police station / your university	Address must match what you put on the application
Passport photos	Photo shop or campus service	Ask for the exact size and background the local bureau wants
Application form	Exit-Entry bureau or online system	Your international office usually pre-fills it

Photocopy everything before you hand anything over, and keep a set of photos on your phone. You will be asked for copies of the same documents many times over the next few years — for bank accounts, for a SIM card, and for travel.

Week 2–4: at the Exit-Entry Administration

The application itself is submitted in person at the city’s Exit-Entry Administration division of the public security bureau. In most university cities, the international office collects documents and takes a group.

1. Submit. Forms, passport, photos, health certificate, registration slip and the JW form.
2. Biometrics. Photo and fingerprints taken on site.
3. Passport held. Your passport is usually kept while the permit is processed. Ask for the collection date and the receipt — you will need it to collect, and to explain the situation if you are asked for ID.
4. Collect. The residence permit is a sticker in your passport with a validity date, normally matching one academic year.

What the residence permit actually allows

• Multiple entry and exit for its validity period — this is the single biggest practical difference from an X1.
• Legal stay for the duration printed, with no need to leave and re-enter.
• A basis for other paperwork — banks, phone contracts and some accommodation contracts ask for it rather than a visa.

It does not by itself give you the right to work. Internships and part-time work sit under separate rules; see our guide to internships and jobs in China before you accept paid work.

What delays or derails an application

• Late police registration. The address on your application must match an existing registration.
• Address mismatch. Moving between registration and submission means starting part of the paperwork again.
• Missing or unsealed health certificate. Documents from home are not accepted in place of the local check.
• Passport validity. A passport expiring within a year can cause the permit to be issued for a shorter period, or refused.
• Leaving it until week four. Appointments in university cities are heavily booked in September — submit as early as you can.

Your 30-day checklist

1. Day 0–1: confirm which visa you hold and note the entry date in your calendar.
2. Day 0–1: register your address with the police (or confirm the hotel or university has done it).
3. Week 1: attend the university’s group medical check and collect the certificate.
4. Week 1: photograph and photocopy passport, visa, entry stamp, admission letter and JW form.
5. Week 2: give your documents to the international office and book the Exit-Entry appointment.
6. Week 2–3: attend the appointment, hand over your passport, note the collection date.
7. Week 3–4: collect the permit, check the printed dates, photograph it.
8. Before it expires: diarise renewal — most universities start the process two to four weeks ahead.

Sources

• National Immigration Administration of China (en.nia.gov.cn) — official rules on visas and residence permits for foreigners (accessed 2026-09)
• Your university’s international student office — local appointment procedures, required photos and processing times
• Your country’s embassy or consulate in China — consular registration and emergency contact details

Disclaimer: Rules, prices and platform features in China change frequently and can vary by city, institution and individual circumstances. Always confirm with the relevant authority or provider before making arrangements.