X visa:  student visa, suitable for all students,especially those who will study  in China for more than six months. Usually students can apply for X  visa by submitting passport, admission notice, visaapplication form  (JW202/201), physical examination report (required in somecountries) and  photos to the local Chinese embassy or consulate. Any student holding  an X visa must apply for the residence permit within 30 days after  entering China.
F visa:  visitor’s visa, usually valid for 60-180days, suitable for those who  plan to study less than six months. Students canapply for F visa by  submitting passport, admission notice, JW202/201, physical examination  report (required in some countries) and photos to the local Chinese  embassy or consulate. If students with F visa decide to study for one  more semester, they should pre-pay tuition fee of the next term and  apply for residence permit two months before the current F visa expires.
L visa:  usually valid for 30 days, suitable for shortterm study no more than  one month. Students from some countries can apply toextend/change their  visa if they decide to continue their study after the short-term  program. They should hand in application form to a university’s  international student office at least 20 days before the L visa expires,  do the health check and change it into residence permit when JW202 form  is ready. Students from some countries who apply for Chinese programs  after the application deadline can ask for our approval, submit the  application form to us by email or by fax,do the health check at a local  qualified hospital and go to a university with atourist visa (L visa).
Z Visa or Working Residence Permit:  If foreigners withZ visa or working residence permit want to study in a  university, they should apply to us for admission notice and JW202/201  at least 20 days before the visaexpires, ask for Employment Separation  Certificate from the employer, do the physical examination and change  the visa into a study residence permit.
Visa On-arrival:  Visitors from countries like Japan,Mongolia, and Singapore etc. are  allowed to stay in China for 14 or 30 days without any Visa, which is  called visa on-arrival. However, visa on-arrival cannot be changed or  extended. So students are not supposed to come to China without visa.
How do I get student visa to China?
Once  admitted, you will receive theuniversity’s letter of admission and  JW202 form. The applicant can apply for Xvisa at Chinese Embassy or  Consulate General in your home country.
When  applying for your visa, please remember to take along with you your  valid passport, the original copy of the university’s admission  notification and a Visa Application Form for Foreign Students Studying  in China (also known as the JW201/JW202 form). Do make sure that your  letter of admission and your JW202 form is handed back to you together  with your passport after obtaining your Chinese visa. You will need  these documents to apply for your Residence Permit after your arrival in  Xi’an.
International  Students who will be studying in China for more than 6 months are  required to obtain a Student Visa, also termed as ‘X’ Visa.
Important:  The Student Visa/’X’ Visa willonly be valid for 30 days after your  arrival. You must apply for a Residence Permit within these 30 days in  order to obtain a legal status in China at local public security bureau
You  are not encouraged to arrive in Chinamuch ahead of the short time limit  of your visa. Furthermore, you are noteligible to apply for a Residence  Permit until you are a registered student of a university, namely  before the day of registration.
For  information regarding the location and the contacts of the Chinese  Embassy/Consulate in your country, please visit the following website of  the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/