Chinese Government Scholarship — language requirements
The CSC scholarship has two tracks based on medium of instruction. For Mandarin-medium programs (the vast majority of programs at Chinese universities), HSK 4 is the minimum for undergraduate and HSK 5 for postgraduate. For English-medium programs, there is typically no Mandarin requirement, though demonstrating Mandarin ability still strengthens your application.
Provincial and local government scholarships (operated by individual Chinese provinces) often have slightly lower requirements — HSK 3 is sometimes sufficient for provincial-level scholarships. University-specific scholarships vary widely — check each institution's requirements individually.
CSC Scholarship
Full scholarship covering tuition, accommodation, monthly stipend (RMB 2,500–3,500), and health insurance. Undergraduate: HSK 4+. Postgraduate: HSK 5+. Apply January–April each year through Chinese embassy in your home country.
Confucius Institute Scholarship
Administered by Hanban for students enrolled in Confucius Institute programs. Covers tuition and accommodation for language study programs. Lower HSK requirements (HSK 2–3 for many programs). Available through local Confucius Institutes.
Provincial Scholarships
Individual provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, etc.) offer their own scholarships for study at universities within their region. Requirements and funding levels vary — worth researching the province where your target university is located.
University Scholarships
Most major Chinese universities offer their own scholarships for international students. These range from partial fee waivers to full funding. Language requirements are set by each institution — often HSK 3–4 for undergraduate programs.
Student visa (X visa) requirements
To study in China on a student visa (X签证 X qiānzhèng), you need an acceptance letter from a registered Chinese educational institution, a JW201 or JW202 form (issued by your institution), and your passport. The student visa does not itself have a Mandarin language requirement — that's set by the institution. But without sufficient Mandarin to follow instruction, your studies will be severely limited.
Residence permit for long-term study
Students staying longer than 180 days must convert their visa to a residence permit (居留许可 jūliú xǔkě) within 30 days of arrival. This is done at the local Public Security Bureau (公安局 gōng'ānjú) Exit-Entry Administration. Your university's international student office will guide you through this process — in most cases they facilitate it as a group for new international students.
The residence permit requires your passport, visa, admission letter, accommodation registration form (from your dormitory or landlord), physical examination certificate (obtained at a designated hospital in China), and two passport photos. The process typically takes 5–7 working days.
Timeline: from application to arrival
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