Ministry of Education’s Notice on Regulating
the Work Related to Accepting International Students in Higher Education Institutions

Letter from the Ministry of Education (2020) No. 12

Education departments (commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, Education Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, all universities directly under the Ministry of Education and universities jointly established by the Ministry and provinces:

　　In accordance with the Education Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Higher Education Law of the People’s Republic of China, and the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China, and in order to safeguard fairness in my country’s higher education system and in accordance with the requirements of the Administrative Measures for the Enrollment and Training of International Students by Schools, the following supplementary provisions are hereby made regarding the acceptance of international students into undergraduate and associate degree programs at our institutions of higher learning:

　　I. According to Article 5 of the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China, if one or both parents are Chinese citizens and reside abroad, and the child acquires foreign nationality at birth, the child does not possess Chinese nationality. Starting in 2021, applicants for undergraduate or associate degree programs in Chinese higher education institutions as international students must, in addition to meeting other enrollment qualifications of the school, hold a valid foreign passport or nationality certificate for four years or more, and have a record of actual residence abroad for more than two years within the most recent four years (up to April 30th of the enrollment year). (Nine months of actual residence abroad in a year can be counted as one year, based on entry and exit stamps.)

　　II. Residents of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who have immigrated and obtained foreign citizenship and apply to study at the undergraduate or associate degree level in our higher education institutions as international students should meet the requirements of Section I of this notice.

　　Third, higher education institutions shall strictly review the nationality and eligibility of international students applying for admission in accordance with the law. If there is any doubt about the nationality of the applicant, they shall proactively verify the applicant’s nationality with the entry and exit administration department of the public security organ at the prefecture-level city or above.

　　Universities and colleges may, based on this notice, formulate their own regulations to further specify the eligibility requirements for international students applying for admission.

　　IV. Provincial-level education administrative departments are requested to forward this notice to all higher education institutions within their administrative regions that enroll international students.

　　V. This notice shall come into effect on January 1, 2021. The “Notice of the Ministry of Education on Regulating the Work Related to Accepting Foreign Students in Our Higher Education Institutions” (Jiaowailai [2009] No. 83) issued on November 16, 2009, shall be repealed simultaneously.

　　VI. The Ministry of Education reserves the right to the final interpretation of this notice.

Ministry of Education

May 28, 2020