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S1 and S2 visas for family of international students in China: who qualifies for which

Unofficial summary · Sources checked

A family member coming to see a student in China is issued an S1 visa for a long-term visit or an S2 visa for a short-term visit, and which one applies depends on the relationship and on the intended length of stay. Regulations, Article 6(10) sets the two groups: S1 covers spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 and parents-in-law of foreigners residing in China for work, study or other purposes, while S2 covers "family members" of foreigners staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes — a longer list that also includes adult sons and daughters and their spouses, brothers, sisters, grandparents and grandchildren. Both categories also cover people who need to be in China for other personal matters.

Who counts as family under S1 and under S2

S1 S2
Relationships named Spouses, parents, children under the age of 18, parents-in-law Spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters, parents-in-law
Kind of visit Long-term visit Short-term visit
Intended duration where a figure is given Exceeds 180 days No more than 180 days
Where the rule comes from Regulations, Article 6(10); the Ministry's instructions; the UK embassy's table Regulations, Article 6(10); the wider list and the 180-day figure come from the Ministry's instructions and the UK embassy's pages

Two points about that table are worth stating separately. First, Regulations, Article 6(10) itself names only the four relationships for S1 and uses the bare phrase "family members" for S2 without listing them; the eleven-item list comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' general Visa Application Instructions and from the UK embassy's visa pages. Second, the UK embassy's Part Two page labels the four S1 relationships "immediate family members" and defines the wider S2 group as "family members"; the Regulations use neither label.

The 180-day line

Regulations, Article 6(10) as published says "long-term visit" for S1 and "short-term visit" for S2 and gives no number of days. The number appears in two other places. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Visa Application Instructions — the Ministry's general instruction for all missions, published on its China Consular Services site — states that S1 is for an intended duration of stay exceeding 180 days and S2 for an intended duration of no more than 180 days. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom prints the same two figures in its own visa category table.

The same line divides the student's own categories: the Ministry's instructions and the UK embassy's table both describe X1 as study for a period of more than 180 days and X2 as study for no more than 180 days.

What the texts require of the student doing the inviting

  • The inviter is described as a foreigner staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes (Regulations, Article 6(10) and Article 7(10)).
  • The documents required are an invitation letter provided by that person and proof of the family relationship, or the certification documents required for the personal matter in question (Regulations, Article 7(10)).
  • The Ministry's instructions and the UK embassy's Part Two page both add photocopies of the inviter's passport and residence permit; the Ministry's text specifies the passport bio-page.

One distinction in the wording is easy to miss: Regulations, Article 6(10) says "residing in China" for S1 and "staying or residing in China" for S2, and the Ministry's instructions follow the same pattern. None of these texts states how that wording applies to a student who is in China for a short period or who has not been issued a residence permit, and this page does not say whether a particular student's status is enough to invite family. What the texts require is that the inviter is staying or residing in China for work or study and can show a passport and a residence permit. If you need the student's own side of that, the residence permit issued after arrival for study is the document the lists refer to.

The Ministry's instruction also states that documents are required "as required by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General in your locality", so the mission handling the application sets the list that applies to it.

Documents for an S1 visa

Regulations, Article 7(10) gives the base requirement: the invitation letter from the foreigner staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes, and proof of the family relationship.

The Ministry's instructions, in the S1 Visa section, list:

  1. An invitation letter from the inviting individual — a foreigner who stays or resides in China for work or studies — containing the invited person's personal information (name, gender, date of birth and so on); information about the visit (reason for coming to China, intended date of arrival, intended place of residence, intended duration of residence, relationship with the inviting individual, who will pay for the travel); and the inviting individual's information (name, phone number, address, signature).
  2. Photocopies of the inviting individual's passport bio-page and residence permit.
  3. The original and a photocopy of certification showing the kinship — marriage certificate, birth certificate, kinship certification issued by the public security police station, notarized kinship certificate and similar — for spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18, or parents-in-law.

The UK embassy's Part Two page asks for the same three things in shorter form: the invitation letter, a photocopy of the inviter's passport and residence permit, and the original certification of the relationship. Where the Ministry's instruction asks for the original and a photocopy, the UK page asks for the original.

Documents for an S2 visa

Regulations, Article 7(10) gives the same base requirement as for S1.

The Ministry's instructions, in the S2 Visa section, list for short-term family visits:

  1. Photocopies of the passport and residence permit of the inviting individual — a foreigner staying or residing in China for work or studies.
  2. An invitation letter issued by the inviting individual, containing the invited person's personal information; the visit information (reason for coming to China, dates of arrival and departure, place of visit, relationship with the inviting individual, who will pay for the travel); and the inviting individual's name, phone number, address and signature.
  3. A photocopy of certification showing the family relationship, from the same range of documents as for S1 (marriage certificate, birth certificate, kinship certification issued by the public security police station, notarized kinship certificate and similar).

For other personal affairs, the Ministry's instruction says relevant supporting materials shall be provided as required by the consular officers. The UK embassy's Part Two page is more specific and lists, as its own requirements: medical treatment (proof of hospitalisation, or medical admission record, or an invitation letter from the hospital, for a family member accompanying the patient); estate inheritance (the original death certificate and documents proving the relationship to the deceased); litigation matters (the original court order or tribunal hearing notice letter and other relevant legal documents); and property ownership (certificate of estate ownership, or sale/purchase contract for property in China).

Note the difference in the relationship document: for S2 both texts ask for a photocopy, while for S1 the UK page asks for the original and the Ministry's instruction asks for the original and a photocopy.

What happens after entry

The Ministry's instructions and the UK embassy's Part Two page both state that an S1 holder must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entering China. The Ministry's text places the application at the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau of the people's government at or above the county level of the intended place of residence; the UK embassy's page describes it as the exit/entry administration of the local public security bureau in the proposed place of residence.

The texts used here describe no post-entry step for S2 holders.

What these texts do not say

They do not say whether a particular student's status is enough to invite family members; the requirement is written in terms of the inviter staying or residing in China for work or study and showing a passport and a residence permit, and how that is applied in an individual case is not addressed. They do not address whether an S1 or S2 holder may work or study in China. They give no fee figures: the UK embassy's page refers to the latest notice on visa fees on the embassy website rather than printing an amount, and the Ministry's instruction gives no fees and no processing times.

Questions people ask

Can my parents come to China on an S1 visa while I am studying there?

Parents are among the four relationships named for S1 in Regulations, Article 6(10) and in the Ministry's instructions, and S1 is the category for a long-term visit, which those two texts express as an intended stay exceeding 180 days. The documents are the ones listed above: your invitation letter, photocopies of your passport and residence permit, and the certification of the relationship.

Can my brother or sister get an S1 visa?

Not on the texts used here. Brothers and sisters appear only in the wider "family members" list attached to S2; the S1 list in Regulations, Article 6(10) and in the Ministry's instructions is spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 and parents-in-law.

How long can a family member stay on an S2 visa?

The Ministry's instructions and the UK embassy's table both express it in the same way: an intended duration of stay in China of no more than 180 days.

Does a family member who enters on an S1 visa need a residence permit?

Yes. Both the Ministry's instructions and the UK embassy's Part Two page require the S1 holder to apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entry, at the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau for the intended place of residence.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, and is not published by the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any embassy; where the official text or the instructions of the visa office or exit-entry office handling your case differ, those prevail.

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