China's Rules for International Students: What the Law Requires

China's main rulebook for international students is a joint regulation of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security: Order No. 42, Measures for Schools Admitting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法). It has applied since 1 July 2017. In 2018 the Ministry of Education added Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students (来华留学生高等教育质量规范（试行）).

Universities write their own rules on top of these, so read your university's student handbook too. Article numbers below refer to Order No. 42.

Who can enroll, and at what level

• Degree students: associate (专科, zhuanke), bachelor's, master's and PhD students (Art. 9). See our guide to vocational colleges for the associate route.
• Non-degree students: preparatory students, general scholars (进修生) and research scholars (Art. 9). Chinese language students normally enroll as general scholars.
• Each university decides who it admits and sets its own quotas and programs (Art. 10, 12). It must check your qualifications and your proof of funds, and test or assess you.
• Associate and bachelor's applicants need a high-school diploma or equivalent (quality standards).
• Under 18 and your parents do not live in China? Your parents must appoint a guardian who lives in China (Art. 38).
• Fees: universities must publish their fees and their refund rules for withdrawal and transfer. Fees are charged in RMB (Art. 14).

How much Chinese the standards expect

The levels are those of the International Chinese Proficiency Standard (国际汉语能力标准), not HSK levels. Universities turn them into their own HSK requirements; see our HSK guide.

Chinese is the basic teaching language of Chinese universities, and they may offer extra Chinese classes to students who need them (Art. 18). Universities that are able to may also teach programs in English or another language. In those programs the thesis can be written in that language, with an abstract in Chinese. The university decides whether the defense may be in that language (Art. 19).

Compulsory courses

• Chinese language and China Overview (中国概况) are compulsory for every degree student (Art. 16).
• Political theory is compulsory only for students of philosophy or political science (Art. 16).
• No military courses: programs for international students should not include national defense education or military training (quality standards). Universities generally do not organize military training or political activities for international students (Art. 26).
• Changing your major is possible if you apply and the university agrees (Art. 17).
• Universities must register degree students' enrollment and diplomas electronically (学籍和毕业证书电子注册), so your diploma can be checked later (Art. 21).

Insurance is compulsory

Every international student must be insured as the national rules and the university require (Art. 40). If you do not buy insurance by the deadline, the university will not admit you. A current student without insurance is withdrawn or not registered.

Most universities sell a group plan. Of the 23 universities in our database that publish the price, 17 charge 800 CNY a year and the rest 600 to 1,000 CNY. Northwestern Polytechnical University's 2026 Chinese language program, for example, lists 800 CNY a year or 400 CNY a semester. The Chinese Government Scholarship includes comprehensive medical insurance.

Visa, health check and residence permit

• Before you travel: apply for an X1 visa for study longer than 180 days, or an X2 visa for 180 days or less. You need your admission letter and the JW201/JW202 form (Art. 35, 45). See our X1 vs X2 guide.
• Health check: when you enroll, have your Foreigner Physical Examination Form verified by the health quarantine authority, or take the exam there (Art. 39).
• Residence permit: X1 holders apply for a study residence permit at the local Exit-Entry Administration within 30 days of entering China (Art. 36). In Beijing the fee is 400 CNY for less than one year, 800 CNY for one to three years and 1,000 CNY for three to five years. See our residence permit guide.
• Living off campus: register with the local police promptly (Art. 24). The deadline is 24 hours; see our student life guide.

Work, business and campus life

• Work-study is allowed (勤工助学), but employment, running a business or other for-profit activity is not (Art. 30). See our guide to part-time work and internships.
• Religion: universities respect students' customs and beliefs but provide no venues for religious activity. Preaching and religious gatherings are not allowed on campus (Art. 29).
• National festivals: with the university's permission, you can celebrate your country's main festivals at a designated place on campus (Art. 27).
• Student associations can be set up with the university's approval (Art. 28).
• Breaking immigration or public-order law is handled by the police under those laws (Art. 43).

What universities must give you

• Their basic information, admission guides and rules for international students, published where you can find them (Art. 23)
• Housing, dining and other everyday facilities (Art. 24)
• An introduction to Chinese law, university rules and local customs (Art. 25)
• International student counselors (辅导员), at a ratio no lower than for Chinese students (Art. 25)