What are the China student visa requirements for Nigerian students?
Unofficial answer · Sources checked
Nigerian citizens studying in China apply for an X1 visa if the course runs for more than 180 days and an X2 visa if it runs for no more than 180 days; the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Nigeria sets out the documents for each on its guidelines page stamped 6 September 2024. Both categories require the original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages plus a photocopy of the data page, one online Visa Application Form printed from cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn with the Confirmation of Online Visa Application, and one recent color passport photo (white background, front view, bare-head); X1 university students additionally submit a photocopy of the Admission Notice issued by the host institute in China, a photocopy of the Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202), proof of final academic qualification authenticated by the Ministry of Education of Nigeria, proof of funds (2500 dollars/year or Scholarship certificate) and a Physical Examination Form, while X2 applicants submit the Admission Notice, Information Form for Foreign Students' Short-term Visit (Form DQ) and the same proof of final academic qualification, proof of funds (2500 dollars/year or Scholarship certificate) and Physical Examination Form. Applications are submitted in person at the China Visa Application Centre during working hours, normally take 4 working days to process, and the fee printed on the guidelines page is 10,500 Naira for a single entry, excluding the visa centre's service fee.
What the rules say
The requirements below come from the Embassy of the PRC in Nigeria's Chinese visa application guidelines for Nigerian citizens (page stamped 6 September 2024) and from the embassy's December 2025 fingerprint notice. The guidelines page is written for Nigerian citizens, and what it states is that embassy's statement, not a rule for all Chinese missions.
The guidelines define the two student categories by intended length of study:
| Visa | Intended study period |
|---|---|
| X1 | more than 180 days |
| X2 | no more than 180 days |
Under "I. Basic Documents", every applicant submits the original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, a photocopy of the passport data page, one Visa Application Form completed online at cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn and printed, one copy of the Confirmation of Online Visa Application, and one recently-taken color passport photo (white background, front view, bare-head).
Under "X1-Visa", university students submit a photocopy of the Admission Notice issued by the host institute in China; a photocopy of the Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202); proof of the final academic qualification, authenticated by the Ministry of Education of Nigeria; proof of funds (2500 dollars/year or Scholarship certificate); a Physical Examination Form; and other materials considered necessary by the Embassy or Consulate General of P.R. China.
The same section lists separate sets for other applicants. Elementary and junior/senior high school students submit a Confirmation Form for Elementary Stage Students Study in China, proof of funds (2500 dollars/year or Scholarship certificate) and a Physical Examination Form. Chinese-government-aided students taking part in academic degree education projects submit the original Admission Notice, the original Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202), and the original Invitation Letter (Academic Degree Education Project) in a unified format issued by the Training Center of Ministry of Commerce of P.R. China, plus a Physical Examination Form. Applicants for the medical internship examination submit an Application Form for Medical Internship and the original Medical Internship Notification Letter issued by the host institute. Each set also ends with "other materials considered necessary by the Embassy or Consulate General of P.R. China".
The X1-Visa section adds a reminder: holders of an X1 visa shall, within 30 days from the date of entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of public security organs under local governments at or above the county level in the proposed places of residence for foreigners' residence permits. A consular-authenticated police character certificate in Nigeria is required.
Under "X2-Visa", applicants submit the Admission Notice issued by the host institute in China; the Information Form for Foreign Students' Short-term Visit (Form DQ); proof of the final academic qualification, authenticated by the Ministry of Education of Nigeria; proof of funds (2500 dollars/year or Scholarship certificate); a Physical Examination Form; and other materials considered necessary by the Embassy or Consulate General of P.R. China.
Who decides and how a regular application runs
Under "V. Special Reminder", the guidelines state that, if necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other supporting documents or supplementary materials, and that the consular officer has the final decision on visa issuance, validity, duration of stay and number of entries according to the specific condition of the applicant.
Under "1. Regular Visa Application", applicants go directly to the China Visa Application Centre (CVAC) during working hours to submit application materials, pay fees, and reserve fingerprints; regular applicants are required to complete the China Online Visa Application form at cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn and print it.
Under "3. Processing time", the page states that it normally takes 4 working days to process a visa application, subject to the visa officer's decision.
Under "4. Fees", Nigerian regular passport holders who are issued diplomatic and official visas are exempted from visa fees. The visa fees printed for Nigerian citizens, excluding service fees charged by the China Visa Application Centre, are:
| Number of entries | Fee per person |
|---|---|
| Single entry | 10,500 Naira |
| Double entry | 15,750 Naira |
| Multiple entries for 6 months | 21,000 Naira |
| Multiple entries for 12 months | 31,500 Naira |
These are the figures printed on the September 2024 guidelines page. A later notice on the embassy site (December 2025) extends a fee reduction to 31 December 2026, but the amounts in that notice and the 2024 page were not compared for this page, so the reduction is not quantified here.
The embassy's notice dated 19 December 2025 on exemption of fingerprints collection states that, from that date until 31 December 2026, Chinese visa-issuing authorities will exempt fingerprints collection for all short-term visa applicants whose intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. Fingerprints collection is still required for applicants who need to obtain residence permits after entering China, including the D, J, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas. Because X2 covers study of no more than 180 days, the notice describes X2 applicants as exempt during that period, while X1 applicants, who must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entry, still have to give fingerprints.
What the official pages do not say
The guidelines page notes that service fees charged by the China Visa Application Centre are excluded from the printed visa fees, but it does not print that service fee amount; for the current service fee, ask the China Visa Application Centre or the embassy.
The official pages read for this page do not state a fixed period of validity or duration of stay for an X1 or X2 visa; under "V. Special Reminder", the consular officer decides validity, duration of stay and number of entries.
The embassy pages read for this page do not state what a university's international student office requires for admission; ask that office about admission documents.
Related questions
Do Nigerian students need to give fingerprints for a Chinese student visa?
Under the embassy's notice dated 19 December 2025, fingerprints are exempt, from that date until 31 December 2026, for short-term visa applicants whose intended stay is no more than 180 days, which covers X2 applicants. Fingerprints are still required for X1 applicants, because the notice lists X1 among the visas whose holders need residence permits after entering China.
How long does it take to process a Chinese student visa application in Nigeria?
The September 2024 guidelines page, under "3. Processing time", states that it normally takes 4 working days to process a visa application, subject to the visa officer's decision.
How much is the Chinese student visa fee for Nigerian citizens?
The guidelines page prints fees by number of entries, excluding the China Visa Application Centre's service fee: 10,500 Naira for a single entry, 15,750 Naira for a double entry, 21,000 Naira for multiple entries for 6 months, and 31,500 Naira for multiple entries for 12 months, per person. The embassy's later December 2025 notice extends a fee reduction to 31 December 2026, but the pages read for this page do not compare the amounts.
What must X1 visa holders do after entering China?
The X1-Visa section of the guidelines states that holders must, within 30 days from the date of entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of public security organs under local governments at or above the county level in the proposed place of residence for a foreigners' residence permit. A consular-authenticated police character certificate in Nigeria is required.
Sources
- Embassy of the PRC in Nigeria — Chinese visa application guidelines for Nigerian citizens — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Nigeria
- Embassy of the PRC in Nigeria — notice on fingerprint exemption for certain visas (December 2025) — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Checked 10 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by or affiliated with the bodies named, and the official text and the instructions of the university, embassy or exit-entry office handling your case prevail if they differ.