The impulse aging experiment of the ZnO arrester is an important way to study its electrical aging characteristics, and the 8/20 μs current waveform is usually used in the impulse aging experiment. However, the tested current waveform of the arresters in the 500kV AC filter is different because it is caused by the breaker switching not by the lightning. This paper mainly studies on the surge current waveform and its influencing factors of the AC filter arresters in a ±800 kV converter station by simulation and actual test verification. Firstly, based on the PSCAD electromagnetic simulation program, a simulation model of the ±800 kV UHVDC project is established to simulate the transient over-current of the 500kV AC filter arresters in the inverter station under the filter breaker closing condition. Secondly, the influencing factors and the parameter range of the current waveform in the AC filter arresters are analyzed and compared, and a 15/35 μs current waveform is proposed to be used in the surge aging experiment. At last, considering the amplitude and the current waveform range of the AC filter arrester, a group of the impulse current for the aging experiment is proposed depending on the repetitive charge transfer rating method.