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Student visa for China, for students from Iran
A visa is normally needed
As a citizen of Iran you will normally need a student visa or residence permit for China before your course starts. Some nationalities may enter China without a visa and apply for the residence permit there instead; check the official page below for the rule that applies to your passport.
The numbers
- Money you must show
- No fixed national figure
- Visa fee
- Set by nationality: US$140 single entry for US citizens, US$23 for most other nationalities applying in the US
- Work while you study
- No general right to work. Work-study and internships only with university approval and a residence permit annotation
- Stay after you graduate
- No post-study work visa. Master's graduates and above may apply for a work permit directly within one year of graduating
Neither the visa rules nor the residence permit rules set an amount. Your university may ask for a bank statement or a guarantor, and the figure it sets is the one that applies to you.
National Immigration Administration, checked 2026-09-24
Reduced fees in force until 31 December 2026. Add a US$25 express fee if you use it, and the residence permit fee (RMB 400 for up to one year) after arrival.
Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco, checked 2026-09-24
Peking University, for example, caps work-study at 8 hours a week and 40 hours a month in term.
Ministry of Education Order No. 42 / National Immigration Administration, checked 2026-09-24
Conditions include a grade average of at least 80/100 or B+, a job in your field and a salary at or above the local average wage.
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education notice, 6 January 2017, checked 2026-09-24
The visa
For a programme longer than 180 days you need an X1 visa, then a residence permit after arrival. Short programmes of 180 days or less use the X2 visa and need no residence permit.
The paperwork comes from the university first. Your university issues an admission letter and a JW201 or JW202 visa application form. You take both to the Chinese embassy or consulate, or its visa application service centre, in the country where you live.
The fee depends on your nationality. China has cut regular visa fees temporarily and extended the cut until 31 December 2026. At Chinese missions in the United States, a single-entry visa costs US$140 for US citizens and US$23 for most other nationalities, plus US$25 for express service. Some nationalities pay different reciprocal rates, and every country's mission publishes its own table, so check the one where you will apply. Visa service centres charge their own service fee on top.
The money. No national proof-of-funds figure exists for the X1 visa. Universities and scholarship bodies set their own evidence requirements, commonly a bank statement or a sponsor's guarantee. Follow your university's instruction exactly.
The 30-day rule is the one that catches people. The National Immigration Administration requires you to apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entry when your visa says one is needed, and X1 visas say so. Processing takes up to 15 working days once your file is complete. For a permit valid longer than one year, Shanghai's official guidance says you need a health certificate from a recognised local health and quarantine authority or hospital. Your university's international office normally books this for you in the first weeks.
Where to apply
At the embassy or consulate of China that covers Iran, or through the visa application centre it names. Book early: in the busiest months appointments can be weeks away. Apply only through the official website; nobody can sell you a faster place in the queue.
Official pages: s.nia.gov.cn · sanfrancisco.china-consulate.gov.cn · global.lsu.edu.cn · english.beijing.gov.cn · english.shanghai.gov.cn · isd.pku.edu.cn. Checked 2026-09-24. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you apply.
Questions students ask
Do students from Iran need a visa to study in China?
As a citizen of Iran you will normally need a student visa or residence permit for China before your course starts. Some nationalities may enter China without a visa and apply for the residence permit there instead; check the official page below for the rule that applies to your passport.
How much money do I need to show for a China student visa?
No fixed national figure. Neither the visa rules nor the residence permit rules set an amount. Your university may ask for a bank statement or a guarantor, and the figure it sets is the one that applies to you. (source: National Immigration Administration, checked 2026-09-24).
Can I work while I study in China?
No general right to work. Work-study and internships only with university approval and a residence permit annotation.
This page is general information from official sources, not immigration advice. For a decision about your own case, the official source or a regulated adviser is where that belongs.
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