Wonderful news for our students: China has announced resuming issuing all types of visas, including Tourist Visas, to foreigners starting from March 15, 2023!
This means that you can now come and learn Chinese in China for 1-3 months.
To all our summer course applicants – the wait is over! You can start applying now 🎉
Tourist vs. Student Visa
Since many of you have had questions, in this post, let’s look at the difference between Tourist Visa and Student X2 Visa to help you decide which one suits your trip best.
Quick Visa Guide
- 1-3 months: Tourist visa (L)
- 3-6 months: Student visa (X2)
Depending on the length of your intended stay as well as your learning goals, you might choose one or the other. For more details, visit our Visa Guide.
Now let’s look at each type in detail.
Tourist Visa (L)
lǚyóu qiānzhèng
tourist visa
01. Features
- Short-term. Available for students who come for a short term (1-3 months).
- Easier to get. The Chinese L Travel Visa is relatively easy to get. We usually recommend it to all short-term students and summer camp participants, because it’s the fastest and easiest way to come to China, learn Chinese, and travel.
- Fewer documents. You will need to provide your booking details for accommodation and your itinerary. We will help you collect the necessary documents.
02. Eligible Courses
We provide a wide range of short-term courses eligible for the L Tourist visa:
Short-Term Intensive Course for Adults
Our Short-Term Intensive Group (or Private) program is a popular choice for learners who would like to improve their Chinese fast. The course features 3 group Chinese classes a day, 5 days a week. You will have the weekends free to explore the city and connect with locals. The course is available all year round.
Summer Immersion for Adults
Our Summer program is a popular choice for learners who would like to improve their Chinese fast over the summer. The course features 3 group Chinese classes a day, 5 days a week. You will have the weekends free to explore the city and connect with locals.
Chinese Summer Camp
Our Summer Camp programs are designed for kids & teens 7-17 years old. It’s a great way to learn Chinese and explore the Chinese culture, with various options available from Classes-Only camps to Homestay.
Study Visa (X2)
xuéxí qiānzhèng
study visa
01. Features
- Longer term. This type is more suitable for you if you’re planning to stay in China for a period from 3 to 6 months.
- Stricter requirements. The requirements for X2 Student Visa state that you should have a minimum of 15 classes per week, and attend the classes.
- More documents. You will need to provide an admission letter from our school, which we will help you prepare along with other documents.
02. Eligible Courses
Here is the list of our courses that match the minimum requirement of 15 classes per week:
Chinese Visa Program
If your goal is to come to China or extend your stay in China, here’s a course designed for quick Chinese mastery. It includes 3 group Chinese classes a day, 5 days a week.
Intensive Group Classes
Intensive Group classes are the popular choice for those who want to master Chinese fast. The program features 3 classes a day, 5 times a week. This program is available all year round, and you will be placed in a small group of peers with a similar level of Chinese.
Intensive Group HSK Course
If you would like your intensive group classes to focus on the HSK preparation rather than on general language fluency, we have a special course for these goals. You will be placed in a small group of peers of the same level of Chinese. The schedule is also 3 classes a day, 5 days a week.
Intensive 1-on-1 Private Course
If you want to have 1-on-1 classes with a Chinese teacher, you can consider enrolling in our Private course. The learning content, schedule, and frequency are all customizable to meet your study goals, and the course generally features 20-30 classes a week.
[BONUS] Official News
Read to level up your Chinese?
Take a look at the translation of the official notice from the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco and pick up some visa-related Chinese vocabulary.
01.
关于进一步调整外国人赴华签证及入境政策的通知
Guānyú jìnyībù tiáozhěng wàiguó rén fù huá qiānzhèng jí rùjìng zhèngcè de tōngzhī
Notice on Further Adjustment of Visa and Entry Policies for Foreigners to China
- 赴华 (fù huá): to visit China
- 签证 (qiānzhèng): visa
- 入境 (rùjìng): to enter a country
- 政策 (zhèngcè): policy
- 通知 (tōngzhī): notice
02.
为进一步便利中外人员往来，中国政府决定自北京时间2023 年3月15日零时起，就外国人赴华签证入境政策作如下调整：
Wéi jìnyībù biànlì zhōngwài rényuán wǎnglái, Zhōngguó zhèngfǔ juédìng zì Běijīng shíjiān èr-líng-èr-sān nián sān yuè shíwǔ rì líng shí qǐ, jiù wàiguó rén fù huá qiānzhèng rùjìng zhèngcè zuò rúxià tiáozhěng:
In order to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries, the Chinese government has decided to make the following adjustments on the visa and entry policies for foreigners to China as of 00:00 Beijing time on March 15, 2023:
- 便利 (biànlì): to ease; to facilitate
- 作调整 (zuò tiáozhěng): to make adjustments
03.
一、恢复2020 年3月28 日前签发且仍在有效期内的签证入境功能。
Yī, huīfù èr-líng-èr-líng nián sān yuè èrshíbā rì qián qiānfā qiě réng zài yǒuxiàoqī nèi de qiānzhèng rùjìng gōngnéng.
1. Valid multi-year multi-entry visas issued before March 28, 2020 by the Chinese visa authorities abroad will resume function.
- 恢复 (huīfù): to resume; to recover
- 签发 (qiān fā): to issue (a document)
- 仍在有效期内 (réng zài yǒuxiàoqī nèi): still valid; still within the period of validity
- 功能 (gōngnéng): function
04.
二、中国驻外签证机关恢复审发外国人各类赴华签证(包括旅游、就医事由签证)。向我馆申办签证的具体要求，详见我馆网站及微信公众号《中国驻旧金山总领馆关于申办签证最新要求的通知》发布于北京时间 2023年3月14日）。
Èr, Zhōngguó zhù wài qiānzhèng jīguān huīfù shěn fā wàiguó rén gè lèi fù huá qiānzhèng (bāokuò lǚyóu, jiùyī shìyóu qiānzhèng). Xiàng wǒ guǎn shēnbàn qiānzhèng de jùtǐ yāoqiú, xiáng jiàn wǒ guǎn wǎngzhàn jí Wēixìn gōngzhòng hào “Zhōngguó zhù Jiùjīnshān zǒng lǐngguǎn guānyú shēnbàn qiānzhèng zuìxīn yāoqiú de tōngzhī” fābù yú Běijīng shíjiān èr-líng-èr-sān nián sān yuè shísì rì).
2. Foreigners may apply for all types of visas including those for tourism and medical treatment. For the specific requirements on visa application, please refer to Notice on Visa Application Requirements on the website and Wechat public account of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco (released Beijing time on March 14, 2023).
- 驻外 (zhù wài): stationed abroad
- 机关 (jīguān): establishment; office; body
- 审发 (shěn fā): to review and issue
- 旅游签证 (lǚyóu qiānzhèng): tourist visa
- 就医事由签证 (jiùyī shìyóu qiānzhèng): visa for medical matters
- 具体要求 (jùtǐ yāoqiú): specific requirements
- 详见 (xiángjiàn): for further details, refer to
- 网站 (wǎngzhàn): website
05.
三、口岸签证机关恢复审发符合法定事由的各类口岸签证。
Sān, kǒu’àn qiānzhèng jīguān huīfù shěn fā fúhé fǎdìng shìyóu de gè lèi kǒu’àn qiānzhèng.
3. Port visas shall resume to be issued in line with the relevant laws and regulations.
- 口岸签证 (kǒu’àn qiānzhèng): port visa
- 符合 (fúhé): to meet; to correspond with
- 法定事由 (fǎdìng shìyóu): legal reasons
- 各类 (gè lèi): all kinds of; all types of
06.
四、恢复海南入境免签、上海邮轮免签、港澳地区外国人组团入境广东免签、东盟旅游团入境广西桂林免签政策。
Sì, huīfù Hǎinán rùjìng miǎn qiān, Shànghǎi yóulún miǎn qiān, Gǎng’ào dìqū wàiguó rén zǔtuán rùjìng guǎngdōng miǎn qiān, Dōngméng lǚyóu tuán rùjìng Guǎngxī Guìlín miǎn qiān zhèngcè.
4. The visa-exemption policy for Hainan, visa-exemption cruise policy for Shanghai, visa-exemption policy for foreigners to visit Guangdong from Hong Kong and Macao, and visa-exemption policy for ASEAN tour groups to Guilin, Guangxi shall resume operation.
- 免签 (miǎnqiān): visa exemption; visa-free
- 邮轮 (yóulún): cruise liner
- 组团 (zǔtuán): organized group
- 海南 (Hǎinán): Hainan island
- 上海 (Shànghǎi): Shanghai city
- 港澳地区 (Gǎng’ào dìqū): Hong Kong and Macao area
- 东盟 (Dōngméng): ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
- 广西 (Guǎngxī): Guangxi province
- 桂林 (Guìlín): Guilin city
Contact Us
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