Bringing your spouse or children while you study in China: S1 and S2 visas

Sources checked 11 October 2026

Yes. Your spouse, your children under 18 and your parents-in-law may come to China to be with you while you study, under the S1 visa for a long-term stay or the S2 visa for a short visit. You, as the student already residing in China for study, provide the invitation letter and the proof of family relationship.

Who can come, and on which visa

Article 6(10) of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners sets the two categories. The S1 visa is issued to the spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 or parents-in-law of a foreigner residing in China for work, study or other purposes who apply for a long-term visit to China, and to persons who need to reside in China for other personal matters. The S2 visa is for family members of foreigners staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes who apply for a short-term visit, and for persons who need to stay for other personal matters.

So a long-term stay by your spouse, parent, child under 18 or parent-in-law uses S1; a short family visit uses S2.

What you and your family member must submit

Article 7(10) states that, to apply for the S1 or S2 visa, the applicant shall submit the invitation letter provided by the foreigner staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes and proof of family relationship, or the certification documents required for dealing with personal matters in China.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' instructions set out what the S1 and S2 applications need. Where this article renders a Chinese official text in English, the English is this site's translation of the Chinese.

For an S1 application, the Ministry's instructions require:

An invitation letter from you (the foreigner staying or residing in China for work or studies). The letter must give the invited person's personal information (name, gender, date of birth, etc.); the visit information (reason for coming to China, intended date of arrival, intended place of residence, intended duration of residence, relationship with you, who will pay for the travel, etc.); and your information (name, phone number, address, signature, etc.).
Photocopies of your passport bio-page and residence permit.
The original and a photocopy of certification (marriage certificate, birth certificate, kinship certification issued by the public security police station, notarized kinship certificate, etc.) showing the kinship — spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18, parents-in-law — between the applicant and you.

For an S2 application, the Ministry's instructions require:

Photocopies of your passport and residence permit.
An invitation letter from you, with the invited person's personal information; the visit information (reason for coming to China, dates of arrival and departure, place of visit, relationship with you, who will pay, etc.); and your information (name, phone number, address, signature, etc.).
A photocopy of certification showing the family-member relationship — spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law — between the applicant and you.
For other personal affairs, relevant supporting materials as required by the consular officers.

After an S1 entry: the residence permit

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' S1 instructions state that the holder must, within 30 days of entering China, apply for a residence permit 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.

Article 15 of the Regulations lists the residence permit for personal matters as the type issued to spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 or parents-in-law of foreigners residing in China for work, study or other purposes who apply for a long-term visit, as well as to persons who need to reside for other personal matters.

The National Immigration Administration's residence permit guide, item 5 of its private-matters category, states that a person who entered on an S1 visa to visit relatives shall submit a letter from the visited person explaining the kinship — spouse, parents, spouse's parents, children under 18 — and the residence certificate. A residence certificate may be issued for a period consistent with the visited person's residence period in China. Other persons shall submit proof materials related to the private affair and may be issued a residence certificate with a period no more than one year.

Limits of these rules

Article 6(10), Article 7(10), Article 15 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' S1 and S2 instructions name no permission for a family member to work in China. Article 6(10) and Article 7(10) state no guarantee that an S1 or S2 visa will be issued.

Questions people ask

Can my parents-in-law come with me?

Yes. Article 6(10) lists parents-in-law among those who may apply for an S1 long-term visit as family of a foreigner residing in China for study.

Can a family member work on an S1 or S2 visa?

Article 6(10), Article 7(10), Article 15 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' S1 and S2 instructions name no permission for a family member to work in China.

How long can a relative stay after entering on S1?

The holder must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entry (Ministry of Foreign Affairs S1 instructions). The residence permit guide item 5 states a residence certificate may be issued for a period consistent with your residence period in China.

For related arrival and visa planning notes on this site, see visa and arrival.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university, is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail if they differ.