How to apply to a Chinese university as an international student
To apply to a university in China as an international student, you choose a programme and read that university's admissions brochure, send the documents it asks for, and wait for the school's decision. Once admitted you apply for a study visa before travelling, and register with the school and the local exit and entry office after you arrive. There is no central application system for self-funded students: each university recruits on its own.
Step 1: decide which category you are applying in
The national Measures (Order No. 42) sort international students in higher education into two groups. Degree students are junior college students, undergraduates, master's students and doctoral students. Non-degree students are preparatory students, advanced students and research scholars (Article 9). A language course that does not lead to a degree is non-degree study. The category decides what you receive at the end: a degree and graduation certificate, or another certificate of study (Article 21).
Step 2: read the university's brochure
Each university draws up and publishes an admissions brochure for international students, and recruits by the conditions and procedure in it (Article 11). The brochure is where you find the entry conditions, the documents, the dates and the fee and refund rules, which the university is required to publish (Article 14). Dates and conditions differ by school and by year, so use the current edition.
Step 3: prepare the documents
The school examines your entry qualifications and your proof of financial support, and tests or assesses you (Article 12). For a reference list, the Chinese Government Scholarship guide names thirteen documents, among them the passport information page, the highest diploma, academic records, a language certificate, a study plan and, for stays of more than six months, the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. A university may ask self-funded applicants for a shorter or different set.
Step 4: the school decides
Admission is decided by the school. The Measures add that a school may not admit an applicant who does not meet its recruitment conditions (Article 12). No agent or website can change that decision, and this site does not estimate anyone's chances.
Step 5: apply for the study visa before you travel
A foreigner admitted to a school in China applies before entry for an X1 or X2 visa, according to the study period, at the Chinese embassy or consulate in the country of nationality or residence (Article 35). The X1 visa is for long-term study and the X2 visa for short-term study, and the line between them is 180 days. For the X1 visa the regulations ask for the admission notice and the certification documents provided by the competent authority.
Step 6: after arrival
Where the study visa says a residence permit is needed, you apply within 30 days of entry at the exit and entry administration of the public security organ in the place you will live (Article 36). At enrolment the school has your physical examination record confirmed, or you take an examination (Article 39). Insurance is compulsory: a student who does not buy it as required is not admitted, or is not registered (Article 40).
If you are applying for a scholarship as well
The Chinese Government Scholarship has its own seven-step process run through application receiving agencies, and it asks every applicant for a pre-admission document from the university. So contact with the university still comes first.
Questions people ask
Is there one national application portal for Chinese universities?
Not for self-funded students. Under Order No. 42 each university recruits international students itself and publishes its own brochure. The Chinese Government Scholarship does have an online application system, used together with a recommendation from an application receiving agency.
Who decides whether I am admitted?
The university. It examines qualifications and proof of financial support, tests or assesses the applicant, and decides admission. A school may not admit someone who does not meet its conditions.
Do I need to speak Chinese to apply?
It depends on the programme. Chinese is the basic language of instruction, but universities that have the conditions may teach programmes in a foreign language. The level required is set in each university's brochure.
When do applications open?
There is no national calendar. Each university sets its enrolment plan and dates in its brochure, so check the current edition for the school you want.
Which visa do I need?
An X1 visa if your study period is more than 180 days, and an X2 visa if it is 180 days or fewer. You apply before entering China.