The study investigated the effects of different dietary protein levels on growth performance, nutrient digestion and absorption, fur characteristics, as well as serum biochemical parameters in growing-furring minks. Seventy healthy male minks were subjected to 5 experimental dietary protein treatments as P32, P28, P24, P20 and P16 [32%, 28%, 24%, 20% and 16% crude protein (CP), respectively], and the measured protein contents of the diets were 326.4, 284.7, 249.3, 203.9 and 172.8 g/kg dry matter (DM), respectively. The results showed that from mid-September to pelting, the digestibility of CP declined with the dietary protein level reducing (P<0.01); digestibility of ether extract in treatment P16 was significantly lower than that in the other groups (P<0.01); nitrogen (N) intake, urinary N excretion and N retention increased linearly with the dietary protein level increasing; serum urea nitrogen decreased linearly with the dietary protein level declining (P＜0.05); there was no significant difference in serum total protein among all groups (P＞0.05); body length, skin length and dry skin weight declined along with the decrease of dietary protein level; and the length of guard-fur and under-fur were not affected by different dietary protein levels (P>0.05). Considering all the factors, the level of dietary protein should be at about 284.7 g/kg DM, and 244.5 g/kg (DM basis) digestible protein could meet the requirement of minks in growing-furring period. Furthermore, the urinary N could be decreased by 22.45% in this period when dietary protein level declined from 32% to 28%, which would be beneficial to reduce the feed costs and lower nitrogen emissions to the environment.