How much is a China student visa?

It depends on your passport and the visa centre. For a regular single-entry visa, the official visa centres listed a total of 13,200 PKR in Pakistan (the visa itself is free for Pakistanis, you pay only the service fee), 5,052 INR in India, 6,930 TK in Bangladesh, 802,000 IDR in Indonesia, RM104 in Malaysia, 1,450 THB in Thailand and 32,800 KZT in Kazakhstan when we checked on 14 November 2026.

How long does a China student visa take?

About 4 to 6 working days at a regular speed. The visa centres in Indonesia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan give 4 working days, Nigeria 5 working days and India collection on the 6th working day. Paid express service is faster in some countries. The consular officer can take longer if a case needs it.

What documents do I need for an X1 student visa?

Your passport with at least six months' validity and a blank visa page, the online visa application form with a photo, your admission letter and your JW201 or JW202 form. Some countries ask for more: Pakistan asks for a police character certificate and proof of US$2,500 a year if you have no scholarship, Bangladesh for a bank statement, and Ghana for a notarized physical examination form.

Do I need to show money in the bank for a China student visa?

In some countries, yes, if you have no scholarship. The visa centres in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ghana ask self-funded students for proof of at least US$2,500 per academic year. Scholarship students show their scholarship proof instead.

Is the visa fee refunded if my visa is refused?

The service fee is not. The visa centres in Pakistan, India, Vietnam and Kazakhstan all say their service fee is non-refundable, and Kazakhstan says no fees are refunded if the visa is refused.

China Student Visa 2026: Fees, Documents, Processing Time

How to apply for a China X1 student visa: documents, proof of funds, fees in 10 countries and processing times, from the official Chinese visa centres.

To study in China for more than 180 days you need an X1 student visa. You apply in your home country, after your Chinese university has sent you an admission letter and a JW201 or JW202 form. In most countries you hand in your papers at a Chinese Visa Application Service Centre, pay a visa fee plus a service fee, and collect your passport about 4 to 6 working days later.

This guide is about the practical side: the documents, the money and the time. It is based on the official pages of ten Chinese visa centres, read on 14 November 2026: Pakistan (Islamabad), India (New Delhi), Bangladesh (Dhaka), Nigeria (Lagos), Ghana (Accra), Indonesia (Jakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Vietnam (Hanoi), Thailand (Bangkok) and Kazakhstan (Almaty). If you are still choosing between X1 and X2, read X1 vs X2 explained first.

Before you apply: wait for two papers

You cannot apply for a student visa with only an offer by email. Every visa centre we read asks for:

Your admission letter (admission notice) from the Chinese university.
Your Visa Application for Study in China form, called JW201 (Chinese Government Scholarship students) or JW202 (everyone else).

The university sends you both. The Jakarta centre says the original JW form is not required there; Pakistan asks for a printout of the JW form submitted online; Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi and Lagos ask for the original and a photocopy. Bring what your centre asks for.

The documents

These appear on the X1 page of every visa centre we read:

Passport with at least six months' validity and at least one blank visa page. Hanoi and Accra ask for two blank pages and New Delhi for more than two. New Delhi also asks for your passports that expired in the last five years.
The online visa application form, printed and signed, with a recent colour passport photo. Most centres ask for a white background and a size of 48 mm x 33 mm. You fill in the form on the visa centre's website before you go.
Admission letter and JW201 or JW202 (see above).
If you apply outside your own country: proof that you live there legally, such as a residence or student permit.

Some countries ask for more:

Visa centre	Extra documents for X1
Pakistan (Islamabad)	Copy of your CNIC; a police character certificate for applicants aged 10 or over (apostilled by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs if it has no QR code); scholarship proof or proof of funds of US$2,500 per academic year
Bangladesh (Dhaka)	Scholarship proof, or a bank statement showing at least US$2,500 a year
Ghana (Accra)	A physical examination form notarized by a notary public; for students without a scholarship, proof of funds of US$2,500 per academic year and a sponsorship letter
India (New Delhi)	A personal covering letter
Vietnam (Hanoi)	Under 18: the form signed by a parent or guardian, with their passport

Every centre says the consular officer can ask for more documents or an interview, and decides the visa's validity, length of stay and number of entries.

How much it costs

You pay two things: the visa fee, which the centre collects for the Chinese embassy or consulate, and the centre's own service fee. The table shows the total for a regular single-entry visa for a citizen of that country, as listed on 14 November 2026. Double and multiple entries cost more, and so does express service.

Country	Visa fee	Service fee	Total (regular, single entry)	Payment
Pakistan	0	13,200 PKR	13,200 PKR	Cash
India	2,900 INR	2,152 INR	5,052 INR	Cash or demand draft
Bangladesh	2,400 TK	4,530 TK	6,930 TK	Cash or bank transfer
Nigeria	10,500 NGN	74,500 NGN	85,000 NGN	Debit card
Ghana	US$75	US$50 + 20% tax	US$125 + tax	Cash
Indonesia	400,000 IDR	402,000 IDR	802,000 IDR	Card, QR or cash
Malaysia	RM23	RM81	RM104	Debit card or Touch 'n Go QR
Vietnam	US$45	760,000 VND	US$45 + 760,000 VND	Service fee in VND when you submit, visa fee in USD when you collect
Thailand	750 THB	700 THB	1,450 THB	Cash
Kazakhstan	17,000 KZT	15,800 KZT	32,800 KZT	Cash or card

Some things to know about these numbers:

Pakistani citizens pay no visa fee, only the service fee.
Fees change. India adjusts its fees every quarter with the exchange rate, Dhaka's table is for October to December, and Jakarta's for 1 October to 31 December 2026. The Lagos table is dated 1 January 2025, and its notes say the service fee follows the naira exchange rate. Pay what the centre asks on the day.
Other passports pay different amounts. If you apply in a country that is not your own, look at the "third country" line of that centre's table.
The service fee is not refunded. Pakistan, India, Vietnam and Kazakhstan say so on their fee pages. Kazakhstan adds that no fees are refunded if the visa is refused.

How long it takes

Visa centre	Regular	Faster options
Indonesia	4 working days	Express II: 3 days, Express I: 2 days (Express I needs a consular officer's approval)
Malaysia	about 4 working days	Express: 3 days, Urgent: 2 days
Kazakhstan	generally 4 working days	Express 1 and 2 need consular approval first
Nigeria (Lagos)	5 working days	Express only when the Consulate-General authorizes it
India	collection on the 6th working day	Express: collection on the 4th working day

Malaysia notes that these are estimates and the visa officer can take longer. Apply early: your university's registration date does not move if your visa is late.

After you arrive

An X1 visa is only the key to enter. Within 30 days of arriving you must apply for a residence permit at the local exit-entry office; every visa centre we read repeats this. Our residence permit guide explains how.

Where to go next

Still collecting papers for your university application? Use our application documents checklist.
On a Chinese Government Scholarship? Your form is the JW201: see how to apply for the CSC scholarship.
Your country is not listed? Open the "Visa Fees" and "Visa Category" pages of your nearest Chinese visa centre, or the consular page of the Chinese embassy if your country has no visa centre.