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STUDENT ROUTE · GENERAL PLANNING GUIDE

Your exchange in China, step by step.

A practical sequence for preparing university documents, planning your arrival, setting up a local phone number, completing registration, and handling any health-check or residence-permit steps required for your programme.

BEFORE YOU FLYUniversity instructions → study documents → visa process → arrival plan
AFTER YOU LANDLocal SIM → campus and address registration → health check if required → residence document
PART 01

Before arriving in China

Let your host university define the official process. Build travel and practical preparation around its dates and document sequence.

  1. 1
    UNIVERSITY FIRST

    Confirm your programme, dates, and official checklist

    Ask the international or exchange office which admission documents, study forms, originals, scans, and deadlines apply to your programme.

    Do not assume another student’s visa route or document list applies to you.
  2. 2
    VISA PREPARATION

    Apply for the study visa specified for your situation

    Use the official Chinese visa service for your place of residence and prepare the passport, application, photo, admission documents, and supporting materials it requests.

    Study length and current policy affect the visa category. Confirm the correct category before submitting.
  3. 3
    DOCUMENT CONTROL

    Prepare the physical submission and keep every receipt

    Print confirmations, check photo specifications, bring originals where requested, and keep the collection receipt and copies of the full application.

    Store secure digital scans separately from the originals.
  4. 4
    TRAVEL TIMING

    Plan arrival around official registration and housing access

    Check when campus registration and dormitory check-in begin. Arriving too early may require temporary accommodation; arriving late may create problems unless the university has approved it.

PART 02

After arriving in China

The order matters because later forms and appointments often depend on a local phone number and records created during earlier steps.

  1. 1
    PRACTICAL SETUP

    Get a Chinese SIM card

    Bring your passport to an official telecom counter or a university-arranged carrier stall. Compare the price, data allowance, contract term, and cancellation rules before signing.

    A local number is commonly needed for appointments, university systems, delivery, and administrative forms.
  2. 2
    REGISTRATION

    Complete campus, accommodation, and address registration

    Follow the university’s check-in sequence and make sure your place of stay is properly registered. Hotels and dormitories may handle parts of this process; private housing may require a separate declaration.

    Keep a paper and digital copy of the Temporary Residence Registration record if one is issued.
  3. 3
    IF REQUIRED

    Complete the designated health check

    Some universities or residence-permit processes require a medical examination or validation of an existing report. Use the facility and booking channel specified by your university.

    Confirm whether an appointment, Chinese phone number, passport photos, fasting, or previous medical reports are required.
  4. 4
    IMMIGRATION FOLLOW-UP

    Complete the residence-permit or stay-document process

    If your entry document requires a later conversion or extension, follow the university and immigration authority’s timetable. Typical supporting records may include your passport, admission documents, address registration, health certificate, forms, and photos.

    Use the deadline stated on your visa, entry record, university notice, or official immigration instructions. For general immigration enquiries, call 12367.
DOCUMENT-WALLET RULE

Carry the paperwork that unlocks the next step.

During the first weeks, keep originals secure and copies easy to reach.

  • Passport and current visa or entry document
  • Admission and enrolment documents
  • JW202 or JW201, where applicable
  • Temporary Residence Registration
  • Medical certificate, if required
  • Passport photos and digital scans
  • Receipts and appointment confirmations
  • University contact details
01

Use the university as your source of truth

Its sequence usually reflects the city, programme, and current administrative process.

02

Get the local number early

It makes later bookings and verification steps much smoother.

03

Keep every receipt and copy

The document that looks minor today may be required at the next step.

Important: This page is a general orientation guide adapted from community experience and edited to remove nationality-, university-, and city-specific assumptions. It is not legal or immigration advice. Rules, fees, deadlines, centres, and required documents can change. Confirm current requirements with your host university, the Chinese Visa Application Service Center relevant to you, and official immigration services such as 12367.