Transferring between Chinese universities as an international student

Order No. 42, Article 13 says a university may accept an international student who was admitted by, or is transferring from, another school, after it has obtained the consent of the original admitting school. Quality Standards, section 10.5 adds that the transfer is applied for by the student and handled after the consent of the current school and the school the student wants to join. The transfer conditions and the procedure are each university's own, so the final answer is in the admissions brochure of the university you want to join.

The English below is this site's translation of the Chinese texts of Order No. 42 and of the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial). Article and section numbers are those of the Chinese texts.

Consent of the original admitting school

Order No. 42, Article 13 reads, in this site's translation:

A university may, after obtaining the consent of the original admitting school, accept an international student admitted by or transferring from another school.

Article 13 names no further condition for the receiving university.

Transfer procedure in section 10.5

Section 10.5 of the Quality Standards, issued by Ministry of Education notice Jiao Wai [2018] No. 50, sets out the following, in this site's translation:

• A transfer for an international student is applied for by the student.
• The transfer is handled after the consent of the current school and of the school the student wants to join.
• If the student meets the conditions for transfer out, the current school shall truthfully and comprehensively give the receiving school the student's academic results and conduct records. Section 10.5 names no transfer-out conditions.
• The receiving school shall review the transfer application on the principle that the review is no lower than the school's own admission standard for international students, consistent with the school's training requirements, and that the school has the capacity to train the student.
• When the two schools handle the transfer, they shall, under national rules and their own responsibilities, closely and smoothly coordinate the procedures for student status, immigration and exit-entry affairs, and hand over copies of documents and archives.

Section 10.5 names no time limit for a transfer.

Fees and refunds on transfer

Order No. 42, Article 14 has two paragraphs:

• The fee items and fee standards for international students follow the relevant national rules.
• A university shall publish the fee items, the fee standards, and the refund rules for withdrawal and for transfer. Fees and refunds are denominated in renminbi (RMB).

Article 14 states no refund amount.

Quality Standards, section 2.1 says a university shall provide prospective students with at least several kinds of information. Two of them matter here. Programme information includes the rules on transfer and change of major (转学和转专业规定). Financial rules and policies include refund policies (退费政策).

What each university decides

Order No. 42, Article 13 and Quality Standards, section 10.5 do not set the admission conditions of any particular university. The receiving university's review is tied, under section 10.5, to its own admission standard and training requirements. Those standards are the university's own decisions. Look for them in its admissions brochure, where section 2.1 places transfer rules.

Suggestion, not a requirement: contact the admissions office of both schools before you start, because section 10.5 requires the consent of both.

Questions people ask

Who applies for the transfer?

Quality Standards, section 10.5 says a transfer for an international student is applied for by the student.

Does the original school have to agree?

Order No. 42, Article 13 says a university may accept the student after it has obtained the consent of the original admitting school. Section 10.5 also requires the consent of the current school and of the school the student wants to join before the transfer is handled.

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

Checked 11 October 2026

This 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.