Visa, Valid Stay in China

Visa & Residence Permit

International Students who plan to study in China for more then six months are required to apply for a'X' Visa to enter China. Others that will study in China for six months or less may apply for a'F' visa.  Usually 'X' or 'F' visa is applied for by submitting Form JW201 or JW202, as well as the Admission Notice, to the Chinese embassy or consulate in the foreigner's country.  X visa applicants may also be asked to present personal Physical Examination Record.

’X’ Visa is valid only for 30 days after you enter China. X visa holders must apply for a Foreigner Residence Permit within these 30 days in order to obtain a legal status in China (See "First time applying Foreigner Residence Permit" here after).

The F visa duration of validity begins when the foreigner enters China. It can be extended, but the longest stay possible for a foreigner with an F visa is one year.

Accommodation Registration

According to the Chinese law, foreigners should register his/her address at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival at Beijing. International students who live off campus in private houses or flats are kindly reminded to go to the local police station to report and register temporary accommodation within 24 hours of arrival. For those who live on campus in the International Student Dormitory or in a hotel, the accommodation registration procedure will be completed at the reception desk by the dormitory or hotel attendant. Failing to register accommodation to the local police station will be served a warning or fined up to 500 RMB.

Please keep the Temporary Residence Registration Form with the passport carefully and bring them together when going out. You may just bring copies of your passport data page and visa together with your Temporary Residence Registration Form if you are not traveling outside Beijing.

In case you remove to a new place, you have to register your new address at the local police station in 24 hours after your removal.

If you travel outside China mainland, you should go to the local police station again to register your address after you come back, because when you leave China, your early made residence registration will be automatically terminated.

First time applying Residence Permit

Those who enter china with x visas must apply for Foreigner Residence Permits within 30 days of entering China.  Be aware that you are not eligible to apply for a Residence Permit until you have registered as a student and have finished your accommodation registration.

Here are steps to follow for first time application of a Resident Permit.

Step 1, To take physical examination or to have your Physical Examination Record verified at China's Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine.

If you already have taken body examination in your home country, you need to go to Beijing International Travel Healthcare Center with your Physical Examination Record as well as your passport, Admission Notice or student ID, and 2 color photos of 2 inch size. Your original Physical Examination Record will be reviewed. You might be asked to take some checks again if your Record is incomplete.  If your Physical Examination Record is complete and accepted, a Certification of Verification for Physical Examination Record will be issued.

Those who have not taken health examination before entering China should take physical examination at Beijing International Travel Healthcare Center. The price is around RMB400 Yuan.  if the results of your physical examination are satisfactory, aHealth Certificate will be issued.

Note: During registration days in each semester, International Student Center will organize one time of Group-Going to Beijing International Travel Healthcare Center. Traffic bus will be provided for free. Please notice the relevant announcement during registration as for the specific day and setoff time of Group-Going. Students who missed this Group-Going have to go on themselves.

Step 2, Come to visa affaires office of International Student Center asking for necessary visa application documents. The office will prepare for you a Visa and Residence Permits Application Form ,which usually take 2 work days

Step 3, Go and submit the following documents tothe Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau:

l  Visa and Residence Permits Application Form, prepared by ISC of BIT.

l  Health Certificate or Certification of Verification for Physical Examination Record issued by China's Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine.

1)      JW202 or JW201

2)      Registration Form of Temporary Residence

3)      Letter of Admission Notice

4)      Passport

Step 4,Go tothe Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration again to get your passport back on the day denoted in the Receipt given to you when your application documents are accepted. The residence permit application fee (RMB400 for one year duration) will be paid at the time you retrieve your passport.

You may choose to entrust your visa application affairs to Trader-Link, an authorized agent to provide Visa application service. You need to pay an extra service fee of RMB60 Yuan to Trader-Link.

Address of the service hall of Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration department:

the Division of Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau

No.2 AN-Ding-Men-Dajie, Dongcheng Dist, Beijing

Tel:  64047799, 84015300

Notice for Students Who Wish to Bring Family Members to China

I. Application

If you decide to bring your family members to China as your dependents, please come to the International Student Center, and fill in the Application Form for Bring Family Members to China. Dependent family members include your spouse or dependent children under the age of 18.

Under the following conditions, a Reference Letter would be issued by the International Student Center:

1)         You have finished registration as a student;

2)         You have obtained the Foreigner’s Residence Permit in Beijing;

3)         You have prepared your family’s accommodation. Present your Renting Contract (copy) and your Registration Form of Temporary Residence in Beijing；

4)         Present proof of your financial ability to support you family in Beijing.

5)         Present kinship certificates attested by the Chinese embassy or consular in your country.

With strength of the Reference Letter issued by the International Student Center, student’s family applies for L visa to the Chinese embassy or consular in the country.

Important Notice：

l  Family members must apply for L visa to enter and stay in China. Other kind of visa cannot be extended in Beijing, China.

l  Before your family members set off for China, make sure to have your kinship certificates attested by the Chinese embassy or consular in your country.

II. After Your Family Arrival

When your family members arrive in Beijing, remember to go to the local police station to register temporary accommodation within 24 hours of arrival.

Student should within 1 week report their family’s arrival to the Visa Office of International Student Center with the family’s passport and Registration Form of Temporary Residence. Otherwise, there might be problems on visa extension in the future.

Pay attention to the validities of your own and your family members’ visas. Come to the Visa Office of ISC to start extension procedure at least 15 days prior to the date of expiry. Failure to extend your family members’ visa, causing over stay in China with expired visa, the responsibility for the consequences is on the student own.

III. Family Visa Extension

Documents required for extending L Visa in Beijing

1)         Family members’ Passport with current L visa.

2)         Family members’ Registration Form of Temporary Residence in Beijing.

3)         Visa or residence Permit Application Form stamped with seal of hosting school, and attached with a recent 2-inch photo with light blue background.

4)         The student’s passport and Resident Permit.

Relationship certificates between student and family members:

l  Kinship Certificate* between the student and parents

l  Marriage Certificate* between the student and spouse

l  Birth or Kinship Certificate* of the student’s children

Important Notice:

l  All the above certificates issued by any organizations abroad shall be attested by the Chinese embassy or consular post in that country.

l  Certificates in a language other than Chinese or English need to be translated into Chinese by a professional translation agency

l  Photocopies and originals of the above listed documents are required.

IV. Visa For New Born Baby in China

If you get a new born baby here in China, you need to apply a passport for your baby as soon as possible. Once your baby gets a new passport or being registered as a dependent on mother’s passport, you should undertake accommodation registration procedures within 24 hours at the local police station. And within 7 days, come to Visa Office of International Student Center to start visa application for your baby.

The most important thing you need to know is you need to apply the visa for baby within 1 month. If you apply the visa after 1 month, it might cause 500-1000 Yuan for the fine.

Address of the service hall of Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration department:

the Division of Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration

Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau

No.2 AN-Ding-Men-Dajie, Dongcheng Dist, Beijing