What a Chinese Visa Application Service Center does under Article 37 of the Regulations
Article 37 of the Regulations lets visa authorities abroad entrust a local institution with receiving application material, data input and consultancy, while consular officials decide whether to issue a visa.
This site is not a visa application service center and has no connection with one. A visa application service center takes in application material, but it does not decide the visa. Article 37 of the Regulations lists receiving application material, data input and consultancy as services a local institution may be entrusted with. The decision belongs to consular officials, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' instructions and the Nairobi center's own page both state.
Who decides the visa
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Visa Application Instructions, section III, Important Tips, say:
The consular officials will decide whether to issue a visa and determine its validity, duration of stay and number of entries according to the applicant's specific circumstances.
The Exit and Entry Administration Law defines the authorities that issue visas. Law, Article 4, first paragraph, reads:
Embassies and consulates of the People's Republic of China and other institutions stationed abroad entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereinafter referred to as "the visa-issuing authorities abroad") shall be responsible for issuance of entry visas to foreigners.
What Article 37 allows a center to do
Regulations, Article 37 reads:
With the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visa authorities abroad may entrust local institutions with services, such as receiving of visa application material, data input and consultancy.
The article uses "may", so the entrustment is optional for the post. It gives three examples after "such as". Article 37 does not name visa decisions as one of the services.
| Task | Who the cited text names | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving visa application material, data input, consultancy | A local institution the visa authorities abroad may entrust, with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Regulations, Article 37 |
| Deciding whether to issue a visa, and its validity, duration of stay and number of entries | Consular officials | Visa Application Instructions, section III |
| Deciding whether to issue a visa, and its validity, duration of stay and number of entries | Consular officer | Nairobi center page, note (2) |
How three posts describe submitting through a center
Each description below belongs to the post that published it.
The embassy in India
The embassy in India's notice, titled "Update August, 2024", says Chinese visa applications are processed "in accordance with respective consular jurisdiction area in principle." It then sets out the split by state:
- Applicants who reside in Maharashtra or Karnataka: processed by the Chinese Consulate-General in Mumbai.
- Applicants who reside in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chattisgarh, and West Bengal: processed by the Chinese Consulate-General in Kolkata.
- Applicants who reside in other areas: processed by the Chinese Embassy in India.
For applicants in the consular jurisdiction area, the notice says they submit documents "through Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi, or Mumbai or Kolkata." The application form and documents are submitted at the center, "which will be sent to Embassy for further processing." The notice also says ten fingerprints are retained "as required."
The state list is a volatile fact. It was checked on 10 October 2026. Confirm the list on the embassy's page before you travel.
The embassy in Nigeria
The embassy in Nigeria's guidelines for Nigerian citizens describe the regular application in section 1, "Regular Visa Application." Under item ①, the guidelines say that applicants can go directly to the visa application center (CVAC in the guidelines) to submit application materials and reserve fingerprints. Regular applicants are required to complete the China Online Visa Application form and print it.
The Nairobi center's own page
The page for X1 long-term study is the Nairobi center's own page, not the embassy's text. It lists the following required documents:
- Original and photocopy of Admission Notice issued by a school or other organizations in China;
- Original and photocopy of "Visa Application for Study in China" (Form JW201 or Form JW202) issued by Chinese relevant authorities
The page's reminder reads: "Holders of an X1-Visa must apply for a residence permit from the immigration department of the local public security authority in the place intended to stay within 30 days of entry to China."
The page's notes say:
(1) If necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other supplementary materials, or require an interview.
(2) The consular officer will decide whether or not to issue a visa and decide on the visa validity, duration of stay in China and number of entries based on the specific assessment of each application.
Note (2) is the only statement on this page about the visa decision. It names the consular officer, not the center.
What this means for you
Suggestion, not a rule: before you go to a center, check on the post's own page which center and jurisdiction apply to your residence. Then read the center's own page for the document list. For opening hours and appointment rules, check each center's own website.
For the residence permit after arrival, see After arrival. For the X1 class, see Visa classes.
Sources
- Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (English text published by the National Immigration Administration)
- Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (English text published by the National Immigration Administration)
- Embassy of the PRC in India, Notice on Updating Requirements for Chinese Visa Application (Update August, 2024)
- Chinese Visa Application Service Center (Nairobi), X1 long-term study, required documents
- Embassy of the PRC in Nigeria, Chinese visa application guidelines for Nigerian citizens
- Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China, China Consular Services
Checked 10 and 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, any embassy, consulate or visa application service center, and it is not legal or immigration advice. If the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.