What are the China student visa requirements for Pakistani students?
Unofficial answer · Sources checked
For study in China lasting more than 180 days, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan lists three documents for the X1 visa: the online printout of the Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202), a photocopy of the admission letter from a university or school in China, and either evidence of a scholarship or proof of financial resources of US$2,500 per academic year or the equivalent in Pakistan rupees. For study of 180 days or less, the same instruction lists the X2 category but prints no documents for it. Pakistani ordinary-passport holders are exempt from all types of Chinese visa fees at that embassy, and the embassy generally needs 4 working days to process an application after receiving the passport.
What the X1 row requires
The instruction published by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Pakistan on 28 April 2025 sets out the two student categories as follows.
| Category | Length of study | Documents listed on the page |
|---|---|---|
| X1 | More than 180 days | Printout of the Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202) submitted online; photocopy of the admission letter from a university or school in China; evidence of scholarship issuance or proof of financial resources of US$2,500 per academic year or equivalent Pakistan rupees |
| X2 | 180 days or less | None listed on the page |
The financial figure is that embassy's own requirement. The instruction adds that the closing balance of the bank statement of the financial supporter should be enough to cover the student's whole study years in China.
Two further items apply only in the situations the instruction names. If you hold a valid study residence permit, leave China and fail to return before it expires, you must provide both the original and a photocopy of a formal letter from the university or school proving that you are continuing your study in China. If you plan a one-year medical internship and the Examination for the Qualifications for Doctors in China, or intend to attend primary or secondary school in China, you must present relevant supporting documents; the instruction does not name them.
What the X2 row says, and what it does not
The instruction describes X2 as issued to individuals intending to study in China for a short period of 180 days or less, and its documents cell is empty on the page. The pages read for this page do not state what an X2 applicant should submit, so ask the embassy or the visa application service centre entrusted by the embassy what to file for a short course.
Processing time, fees and fingerprints
The embassy's fee page, also dated 28 April 2025, states that the embassy generally needs 4 working days to process an application after receiving the passport, and does not provide urgent or extra urgent service. You collect the visa from the visa application service centre entrusted by the embassy according to the pick-up time on the pick-up form that centre issues. Processing time may vary from case to case for reasons such as document supplementation or an embassy interview, and the embassy makes the final decision based on the application itself. If an application is returned and you apply again, the new application counts as a new one and the processing time is recalculated from the date it is forwarded to the embassy.
The fee table on that page is arranged by passport and by number of entries, not by visa category. As printed:
| Passport / entries | Fee as printed |
|---|---|
| Ordinary passport of Pakistan | Exempt from all types of visa fees |
| Diplomatic and official passports of every country except the United States | Exempt from all types of visa fees |
| United States | 39,400 PKR; journalist visa 46,700 PKR |
| Canada | 15,200 PKR |
| Third country, single entry | 7,200 PKR |
| Third country, double entry | 10,800 PKR |
| Third country, six months multiple entry | 14,400 PKR |
| Third country, one year and more, multiple entry | 21,600 PKR |
| Other special countries | Subject to actual practice |
A notice on the same embassy's website, dated 24 December 2025, states that from 17 December 2025 until 31 December 2026 fingerprint collection is exempted for eligible applicants who apply for short-term visas with a stay period of 180 days or less. The notice adds that for applicants of D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas, which require the application of a residence permit after entering China, fingerprint collection is still required.
What the official pages do not say
The instruction does not state who may act as the financial supporter, or any period for which the account must have been held. It does not say how Form JW201 or Form JW202 is obtained, and it does not name the supporting documents required for the medical internship or school cases beyond calling them "relevant". The fee page prints no fee for a Pakistani ordinary passport because that passport is exempt; it does not set out fees by visa category. The fingerprint notice does not define "eligible applicants" beyond short-term visas with a stay of 180 days or less, and it does not name X2; it names X1 among the categories that still require fingerprint collection. The pages read for this page do not state approval or refusal rates or any applicant's chances.
Related questions
Do Pakistani students pay a Chinese visa fee?
The embassy's fee page states that holders of ordinary passports from Pakistan are exempt from paying all types of visa fees, alongside holders of diplomatic and official passports from every country except the United States. The printed fees on that page apply to other passports and are set by passport and number of entries.
Does an X1 applicant still need to give fingerprints?
Yes. The notice dated 24 December 2025 names X1 with D, J1, Q1, S1 and Z as categories that still require fingerprint collection, because they require the application of a residence permit after entering China. The exemption running from 17 December 2025 to 31 December 2026 is described as covering eligible applicants for short-term visas with a stay of 180 days or less.
How long does the embassy take to process the application?
The fee page states that the embassy generally needs 4 working days after receiving the passport, with no urgent or extra urgent service, and that the time may vary for reasons such as document supplementation or an embassy interview. A returned application that is resubmitted is treated as a new application, with time counted from the date it is forwarded to the embassy.
Can the financial proof be shown in Pakistan rupees?
The instruction on the X1 row sets the amount at US$2,500 per academic year or equivalent Pakistan rupees, so either currency is printed as acceptable. It also requires the closing balance of the financial supporter's bank statement to be enough to cover the student's whole study years in China.
Sources
- Instruction of Chinese Visa Application — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- Visa Processing Time and Fee — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- Notice on the Further Expansion of the Period and Scope of Exemption from Fingerprint Collection for Chinese Visa Application — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
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.