Notarised diploma and transcripts for China: what the scholarship guide asks
Under the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, your diploma must be submitted as a notarized photocopy, and academic records written in a language other than Chinese or English must come with a notarized translation into Chinese or English. These are conditions of the Chinese Government Scholarship. They are not general rules for every applicant.
The diploma
Section VI, item 3 of the scholarship guide reads: "Diploma and certificate of highest education (notarized photocopy)." The item asks for a notarized photocopy and names no other form for the diploma.
If you are a current university student, item 3 adds a second requirement: "An applicant who is a current university student shall submit the certificate of expected graduation or student status issued by his/her university."
Academic records
Section VI, item 4 reads: "Academic records in languages other than Chinese or English shall be attached with notarized translations in Chinese or English."
The item applies only to academic records in languages other than Chinese or English. Item 4 names no translation requirement for records already written in Chinese or English.
What items 3 and 4 leave open
Items 3 and 4 of section VI mention neither consular legalisation nor apostille. Item 3 names no format for the notarized photocopy beyond the words "notarized photocopy". Item 4 names no format for the notarized translation beyond the words "notarized translations in Chinese or English".
Self-funded applications
Items 3 and 4 are conditions of the Chinese Government Scholarship. Do not treat them as the general document rule for self-funded applicants.
As a suggestion, not a requirement, ask the university that will handle your application which version of the notarized copies it expects before you order them.
Questions people ask
Do I need a notarized copy of my diploma for the Chinese Government Scholarship?
Yes. Section VI, item 3 of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship lists the diploma and certificate of highest education as a notarized photocopy.
Do my transcripts need a translation?
Only if they are written in a language other than Chinese or English. Section VI, item 4 of the same guide requires a notarized translation in Chinese or English for those records.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship (China Scholarship Council, Campus China, campuschina.org)
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 and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.