Insurance for international students in China: the compulsory rule

Yes, insurance is compulsory. Article 40 of Order No. 42 requires international students to take out insurance under national provisions and school requirements. It also says a student who has not insured by the deadline the school sets shall not be admitted, and a student already studying may be required to withdraw or may not be registered.

Order No. 42 and the Quality Standards are Chinese texts. The English wording on this page is this site's translation of them. The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship is an English original.

What Article 40 says

Article 40 of Order No. 42 contains five separate provisions:

• The school operates a full-coverage insurance system for international students.
• International students must take out insurance in accordance with national provisions and school requirements.
• For students who have not taken out insurance as required, a deadline is set for them to do so.
• If a student does not take out insurance by the deadline, the school shall not admit that student.
• For students already studying at the school, the school requires them to withdraw or does not register them.

Article 40 states no length for the deadline. It states no amount for the premium and names no insurance product.

Quality Standards 15.4 and 15.5

The Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) are addressed to higher education institutions. Section 15.4 says that a university shall implement the full-coverage insurance system for international students in accordance with Order No. 42. It says the university shall ensure that students have insurance protection meeting the prescribed requirements during their studies, and shall provide the necessary help with insurance matters.

Section 15.5 says that a university shall prepare an assistance plan for international students who face serious illness, accidents or sudden incidents within China. It also says the university shall actively assist rescue operations and medical treatment.

Section 15.4 names no insurer and states no premium.

Medical insurance under the scholarship guide

The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship lists comprehensive medical insurance in section III, item 4. The figures are CNY 800 per person per year, and CNY 400 per person for programmes lasting less than six months.

These figures describe the coverage that a Chinese Government Scholarship provides to scholarship holders. They are not a price that a self-funded student pays. Article 40 of Order No. 42 states no amount for self-funded students, and section 15.4 states no amount either.

Suggested next step

This is a suggestion, not a requirement: before you apply, check the university's admissions brochure, which is where the university publishes its own decisions, and ask the admissions office which insurance it accepts and what its deadline is.

Sources

• Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42), Ministry of Education of the PRC
• Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Ministry of Education of the PRC
• Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China)

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 or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text differs from this page, the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail.