China Student Visa for Pakistanis: X1 and X2 Documents, JW202, No Visa Fee and Where to Apply
China student visa for Pakistanis: X1 for long courses, X2 for short. No embassy fee, JW202 form, US$2,500 a year in funds, 4 working days. Full document list.
A Pakistani going to study in China needs an X1 visa for a course longer than 180 days, or an X2 visa for 180 days or less. Pakistani ordinary passport holders pay no Chinese visa fee at all. You apply online at bio.visaforchina.cn, then submit at Gerry's Visa Application Service Center in Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore, and the embassy usually takes 4 working days.
We read the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan's visa instructions and its fee page on 1 November 2026. The X1 file is short, but three items catch students out: the JW202 form, proof of US$2,500 a year, and a police certificate that covers your whole life. Each is explained below, with the order in which to collect them.
Pakistanis need an X1 visa for long courses and an X2 visa for short ones
The X1 visa is for study in China lasting more than 180 days, such as a bachelor's, master's, PhD or MBBS. The X2 visa is for study of 180 days or less, such as a language semester or short exchange. Both are student visas issued by the Chinese Embassy.
| Visa | Who it is for | Extra documents beyond the common list |
|---|---|---|
| X1 | Study in China for more than 180 days | JW201 or JW202 printout, copy of admission letter, scholarship proof or US$2,500 a year in funds |
| X2 | Study in China for 180 days or less | No extra items listed by the embassy beyond the common documents |
Pick the visa by the length of your programme, not by your first semester. A five-year MBBS is an X1 visa even though you return home for holidays.
The X1 file needs the JW202 form, an admission letter and US$2,500 a year
For X1, the embassy asks for a printout of the online Confirmation Form for Study in China, called JW201 or JW202, a copy of the admission letter, and either scholarship proof or funds of US$2,500 per academic year. The balance must cover the whole study period.
Your Chinese university issues the JW202 form, or JW201 for scholarship students, after it admits you. It usually arrives with the admission letter. Without it, the embassy cannot process an X1 visa, so do not book anything until both are in your hand.
The money rule is the one families misread. The embassy says the bank balance must cover the entire study period. By our arithmetic, that means:
| Course length | Funds to show at US$2,500 a year |
|---|---|
| 1 year (language or master's year) | US$2,500 |
| 2 years (master's) | US$5,000 |
| 4 years (bachelor's) | US$10,000 |
| 5 years (MBBS) | US$12,500 |
The amount can be shown in Pakistani rupees of equal value. Scholarship holders, such as those on the Chinese Government Scholarship, show the scholarship letter instead of a bank balance.
Every applicant also needs a passport, CNIC copy and a police certificate
All Chinese visa applicants from Pakistan need a passport valid for more than six months with one blank visa page, a copy of its data page, and a copy of both sides of the CNIC. Anyone aged 10 or over needs a police character certificate covering their life from birth to now.
- Passport valid for more than six months, with at least one blank visa page.
- Photocopy of the passport's personal information page.
- Photocopy of the front and back of your CNIC.
- A police character or clearance certificate, for applicants aged 10 and above, covering the period since birth.
- If your name differs from an older passport, an official name change certificate apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- A recent colour digital photo, 2-inch size, white background, uploaded with the online form.
The police certificate is the slowest item. If it has no verifiable QR code, it must be apostilled by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Islamabad residents can get a police character certificate in Islamabad in about three days, and you can follow the request with the police certificate status check.
Apostille now needs online registration with the ministry first. The process is set out in MOFA apostille online registration.
Pakistani passport holders pay no Chinese visa fee
The embassy's fee page says Pakistani ordinary passport holders are exempt from all types of visa fees. Gerry's Visa Application Service Center charges its own service fee, which is separate. The embassy does not offer urgent or extra urgent processing.
The fee table of PKR 7,200 to PKR 21,600 on the same page applies only to third-country passport holders living in Pakistan. Ignore it if you hold a green Pakistani passport. Ask Gerry's for its service charge before you go, because the embassy page does not list it.
Apply online first, then submit at Gerry's centre in your city
Fill the online visa application form at bio.visaforchina.cn and upload your documents. Then submit at Gerry's centre in Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore, according to your permanent address. Centres open 9 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday, and the embassy usually needs 4 working days.
- Get your admission letter and JW202 or JW201 form from the Chinese university.
- Collect your police certificate, and apostille it if it lacks a QR code.
- Arrange a bank statement for US$2,500 per year of study, or your scholarship letter.
- Complete the online form at bio.visaforchina.cn and upload a 2-inch white background photo.
- Submit at Gerry's centre for your area, between 9 am and 3 pm on a working day.
- Collect your passport on the date printed on the Gerry's receipt.
Your personal details on the form must match your passport exactly. The embassy says a mismatch gets the application returned, and a returned file restarts the clock. Visit and business travel follow different rules under the China visa for Pakistanis.
Common questions
What is the China student visa fee for Pakistanis?
There is no embassy visa fee for Pakistani ordinary passport holders. Gerry's centre charges a separate service fee that the embassy does not publish.
How long does a China X1 visa take in Pakistan?
The embassy says it generally needs 4 working days after it receives the passport. It may take longer if it asks for more documents or an interview.
What is the JW202 form?
It is the Confirmation Form for Study in China that your Chinese university issues after admission. Scholarship students get the JW201 version.
How much bank balance do I need for a China study visa?
The embassy asks for US$2,500 per academic year, covering the whole study period, or scholarship proof instead.
Do I need a police certificate for a China student visa?
Yes, for every applicant aged 10 and above. It must cover your life since birth and be apostilled if it has no verifiable QR code.
Can I pay extra for urgent processing?
No. The embassy says it does not provide urgent or extra urgent service.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan's Instruction for Chinese Visa Application and its Visa Processing Time and Fee page on 1 November 2026. The X1 and X2 rules, the US$2,500 figure, the common documents, the fee exemption and the 4 working days come from those pages. The funds table by course length is our arithmetic. We could not find Gerry's service charge, its Karachi address or any rule on the residence permit you need after arrival on the embassy pages, so we do not state them. Ask your Chinese university's international office about the residence permit.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
