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Applying to Chinese Universities: Documents Checklist for 2027

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StudyU editorial team

To apply to a Chinese university you need a passport, a school-leaving certificate or degree with transcripts, a language certificate, the foreigner physical examination form, a police (non-criminal record) certificate and proof of funds. Many universities add a CSCA score for bachelor's applicants, and master's applicants need two recommendation letters and a study plan. Everything is uploaded as scans to the university's online system, and documents not in Chinese or English need a notarised translation. Two items expire faster than the rest: the medical form and the police certificate are valid for six months.

Below is the checklist by level of study, the requirements for each document, how apostille and translation work for applicants from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the documents you need after admission and the mistakes that get applications returned.

Modern Sichuan University library with a curved glass facade and granite base under a blue sky
The entrance to the library on Sichuan University's Jiang'an campus, Chengdu, China. Photo: Hossein Amanat / source, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Documents by level of study

Document Bachelor's Master's Foundation year or language programme
Passport (photo page) Yes Yes Yes
School-leaving certificate or expected-graduation letter Yes No Yes (for language courses: latest education document)
Bachelor's diploma and transcript No Yes No
Full secondary school transcript Yes No Yes for foundation programmes
CSCA score report Yes at many universities No No
HSK or IELTS / TOEFL Depending on language of instruction Depending on language of instruction Some foundation programmes ask for HSK 3–4
Foreigner physical examination form Yes Yes Yes for foundation programmes
Police certificate Yes Yes Yes for one-year programmes
Proof of funds Yes Yes Sometimes
Recommendation letters Rarely Two, from a professor or associate professor No
Study plan or personal statement Sometimes Yes No
CV Yes (HIT) Often Yes (Tianjin)
Guardianship documents If under 18 on 1 September No If under 18

The table follows the requirements of HIT, Tsinghua and Fudan for the 2026–2027 intakes and Tianjin University's 2027 foundation programme. Choosing the foundation programme itself is covered in our guide to the foundation year in China. Your university's list may be shorter or longer, so check it against your programme page.

Requirements for each document

Passport

You need an ordinary passport. For the 2026 intake Fudan required validity until at least 1 March 2027; HIT asks for at least one year of validity for foundation programmes. The visa goes into the passport, and your name in Latin letters must match the passport in every document.

Certificates, diplomas and transcripts

Upload the original or a notarised copy. Documents not in Chinese or English need a notarised translation into one of these languages. Final-year students submit an expected-graduation certificate and bring the actual certificate or diploma to registration. Tsinghua accepts only certificates earned in full-time, in-person education; substitutes such as the GED do not qualify. For Russian school-leaving certificates, the right to enter Chinese universities is also written into the 1995 Russia–China agreement on mutual recognition of education documents.

For master's applicants, Tsinghua requires overseas degrees to be authenticated by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) under the Ministry of Education. Graduates attach the authentication to the application; final-year students bring it before registration.

Language certificate

  • HSK for Chinese-taught programmes. HIT accepts results no older than two years.
  • IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or other recognised tests for English-taught programmes. If your previous education was in English, HIT and Fudan accept a letter from your institution instead.

Required levels are covered in our guides to the bachelor's and master's in China; exam preparation is in the HSK guide.

CSCA score report

The CSCA is a test for bachelor's applicants organised by the China Scholarship Council. For the 2026 and 2027 intakes it is mandatory at universities that host Chinese Government Scholarship students and for every applicant to that scholarship. Register at csca.cn; one subject costs $67 (CNY 450), two or more $104 (CNY 700). Universities list the subjects required for each major. You upload the electronic score report, and the university verifies it in the CSCA system. A report is valid for two years, so last year's score usually still counts.

Foreigner physical examination form

This is the Foreigner Physical Examination Form, downloadable from university websites. HIT warns that the form is invalid if any item is incomplete or if the doctor's signature, the hospital stamp or the stamped photograph is missing. It is valid for six months. Have the examination done at a medical facility that can complete every section, including laboratory tests.

Police certificate

Almost every university asks for one, usually issued no more than six months before the application date. In Russia it is issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and can be ordered through the Gosuslugi portal; in Kazakhstan through the e-government portal; in Uzbekistan through my.gov.uz. It needs a translation into Chinese or English.

Proof of funds

The format varies. HIT asks for a bank deposit certificate of at least $2,982 (CNY 20,000) for bachelor's and $4,473 (CNY 30,000) for master's applicants. Fudan uses a financial support statement if a sponsor pays, plus proof of the sponsor's income. Tsinghua explains that the sponsor form and income certificate are needed for the student visa. For the full first-year budget, see the cost of studying in China.

References, study plan, CV

These are essential for master's applicants. HIT and Fudan accept references only from professors or associate professors; Tsinghua from associate professors and above or senior professionals. HIT's study plan must be at least 1,500 words on the university template.

Documents for minors

If you will be under 18 on 1 September of your intake year, HIT asks for a notarised guardianship certificate. Tsinghua and Fudan require a guarantee from an adult guardian who lives in mainland China and has an income; Tsinghua notes that the guardian can be of any nationality. The document is also needed for the residence permit.

Nationality documents for applicants with Chinese family ties

If one of your parents was a Chinese citizen when you were born, or you previously held Chinese nationality, the university will ask you to prove foreign citizenship and residence abroad: under Ministry of Education Notice No. 12 you need a foreign passport for at least four years and at least two years of actual residence abroad within the last four. Fudan lists documents on renouncing Chinese citizenship, household registration (hukou), naturalisation and all entry and exit records. Other applicants are not affected.

Apostille and translation for Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Since 7 November 2023 the Hague Apostille Convention has applied between China and Russia, and also Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: all three are parties and none objected to China's accession. The Chinese embassy no longer performs consular legalisation.

In practice:

  1. At the application stage, HIT, Fudan and Tsinghua ask for originals or notarised copies with notarised translations into Chinese or English. Their application requirements do not mention an apostille.
  2. If a university, the CSCSE or another Chinese authority asks for a legalised document, an apostille from the issuing country is enough. Getting it early is sensible: it is inexpensive and avoids problems at registration.

  3. Order of steps: apostille on the original first, then translate the document together with the apostille and notarise the translation. Done the other way round, the apostille stays untranslated.

  4. Russia. The apostille on school certificates and diplomas is issued by the education authority, on the police certificate by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The state fee is $30 (RUB 2,500) per document under Article 333.33 of the Russian Tax Code, converted at the Bank of Russia rate for 23 September 2026 (RUB 84.07 per $1).

  5. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Apostilles are issued by the competent state bodies depending on the type of document. Check the procedure and fee on your national government portal before ordering translations.

After admission: visa and arrival documents

Stage Document Issued by
University decision Admission Notice University
Basis for the visa JW201 form (Chinese Government Scholarship holders) or JW202 (self-funded students and partial scholarship holders) University
Entry X1 visa for study longer than 180 days, X2 for up to 180 days Chinese consulate
First 24 hours Accommodation registration if you are not staying in a hotel Local police, within 24 hours of arrival
First 30 days Study residence permit: $60 (CNY 400) for up to one year, $119 (CNY 800) up to three, $149 (CNY 1,000) up to five China's immigration authorities

Russian citizens can enter China visa-free until 31 December 2027, but only for trips of up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits and transit; it does not replace a study visa. Visa details, including for Kazakh and Uzbek citizens, are in our Chinese student visa guide.

When to start preparing documents

Some documents can be prepared at any time; others expire after six months. That gives a practical order for a September 2027 start.

When What to do
September–October 2026 Check passport validity, order apostilles on certificates or diplomas, choose a translator
October–December 2026 Take HSK or IELTS, register for the CSCA, prepare CV and study plan
November 2026–January 2027 Line up referees; for master's, start CSCSE authentication if required
1–2 months before the first deadline Medical examination on the university form and police certificate, so they remain valid at registration
After a preliminary decision Proof of funds, guardianship documents, payment if required to confirm acceptance of the offer

If you apply to several universities with deadlines from November to July, you may need the medical form and police certificate twice.

Common mistakes

  • Translating into Russian instead of Chinese or English. Chinese universities accept only these two languages.
  • Inconsistent spelling of your name. Transliteration in the certificate, translation and passport must match.
  • A medical form without lab tests or stamps. HIT explicitly treats such forms as invalid.
  • A police certificate older than six months at the time of application.
  • Scans of copies or phone photos. Tsinghua's graduate rules accept only colour scans of originals or notarised copies.
  • Nationality documents on the last day. Tsinghua accepts no supplementary nationality documents after the window closes.
  • Paying the fee without your name. HIT treats a transfer without the passport name as invalid.

How StudyU helps

Only the initial consultation is free. A document list tailored to your programmes, checking translations and wording, the study plan, the application calendar and application support are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Admission is decided by the university, visas by the Chinese consulate and residence permits by China's immigration authorities. See Study in China; applicants from Kazakhstan may also find study abroad from Kazakhstan useful.

FAQ

At the application stage HIT, Fudan and Tsinghua ask for originals or notarised copies with notarised translations. An apostille is needed when a university or other Chinese authority asks for a legalised document; since 7 November 2023 it replaces consular legalisation for documents from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Chinese or English. Universities accept documents only in these languages; everything else needs a notarised translation. Choose the language you will study in unless the university specifies otherwise.

Usually six months. HIT treats both as valid for six months, so get them close to the application date rather than at the start of preparation.

Yes. Universities accept a certificate of expected graduation, and the actual certificate or diploma must be shown at registration. Tsinghua asks for the expected graduation date to appear on the certificate.

A guardianship document in addition to the standard package. HIT asks for a notarised guardianship certificate; Tsinghua and Fudan want a guarantee from an adult guardian who lives in China and has an income.

Use the notice and the JW202 or JW201 form to apply for an X1 visa at the Chinese consulate. After arrival, register your accommodation within 24 hours if you are not in a hotel, and apply for a study residence permit within 30 days.

No. Visa-free entry for Russian citizens is for trips of up to 30 days and does not cover study. A programme longer than 180 days requires an X1 visa.

Sources

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