There is no national checklist
This is the first thing to understand, because it saves you from the most expensive mistake: assembling a document set from a generic guide and discovering your university wanted something different. Chinese universities recruit international students individually and each publishes its own requirements. Central government sets visa rules; it does not set the admissions document list.
What follows is drawn from two universities that publish their requirements in full, one for postgraduate and one for undergraduate admission. Use them to understand the shape of a typical list and to see how much it can vary — then read the page of the university you are applying to.
Two published lists, compared
| Item | Peking University, master's and doctoral | Sichuan University, undergraduate |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Front page copy | Copy |
| Previous qualification | Graduation and degree certificates, with authentication | High school certificate |
| Transcripts | Required | Required |
| Personal statement | Required, with a research plan — 1,500 words for master's, 3,000 for doctoral | Required |
| Recommendation letters | Two, from professors or associate professors | Not listed |
| Language certificate | Required | Required |
| Physical examination form | Not listed | Required |
| Financial proof | Not listed | Required, with a recommended amount of no less than 5,000 US dollars |
| Non-criminal record | Not listed as a submitted document | Required, issued within the previous six months |
| Other | Résumé, commitment letter, publications, departmental extras | Awards, CSCA certificate |
The pattern is worth reading carefully. The postgraduate list is heavier on academic evidence — recommendation letters, a research plan, publications — while the undergraduate list is heavier on administrative evidence: money, health and police records. Neither list is a superset of the other.
Peking University's postgraduate list does not require a bank statement, while Sichuan University's undergraduate list names a figure — and names it as a recommended amount rather than a fixed threshold. Do not carry a number from one university's page to another, and do not assume any figure quoted here is still current: check the source.
Language test scores
There is no single HSK level that admits you to Chinese universities. The requirement is set per programme, and the gap between programmes is wide.
Peking University requires HSK level 6 for Chinese-taught postgraduate study, with different minimum scores for science and humanities applicants and a separate minimum on the writing section. Sichuan University requires HSK level 5 with a score of at least 180 for undergraduate admission. Programmes taught in English generally substitute an English test such as TOEFL or IELTS, and postgraduate programmes may ask for the GRE.
You will find specific HSK numbers quoted for many other universities on study-abroad websites. We have deliberately not reproduced those, because we could not verify them from the universities themselves. Take the number from the university's own admissions page, and check which edition of the test it refers to.
Authentication of a previous degree
If you already hold a degree from outside China and are applying for postgraduate study, some universities require that degree to be authenticated by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, which sits under the Ministry of Education. Peking University requires this.
This is a separate process from the apostille or consular legalisation described elsewhere on this site, and completing one does not complete the other. The apostille certifies that the seal on your certificate is genuine; the authentication is a Chinese body assessing the qualification itself. If your university asks for both, you need both, in that order.
Not every university requires this, and it generally applies to applicants presenting a prior overseas degree rather than to school leavers. Start early if it applies to you — it is the step most likely to run past a deadline.
When to start
Earlier than most applicants expect. Peking University's application window for international postgraduate entry in 2026 ran from 20 October to 23 December 2025 — deadlines falling roughly nine months before the intake.
The intake pattern in China generally centres on an autumn start with a smaller spring intake, but we could not verify specific national dates from a primary source and so do not publish any. Work backwards from your own university's published deadline.
Certification and authentication are the slow steps and they are sequential: you cannot translate a certified document before it is certified, and you cannot certify a document you have not yet obtained. Count backwards from the deadline through every step before deciding you have time.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one list of documents for all Chinese universities?
No. Each university publishes its own requirements and they differ substantially. Postgraduate lists tend to emphasise academic evidence such as recommendation letters and a research plan, while undergraduate lists more often require financial proof, a physical examination form and a non-criminal record certificate.
What HSK level do I need?
It depends on the programme. Peking University requires HSK 6 for Chinese-taught postgraduate study; Sichuan University requires HSK 5 with at least 180 for undergraduate admission. Programmes taught in English usually accept an English test instead. Take the requirement from your university's own page.
Do I need to show proof of funds?
Some universities require it and some do not. Sichuan University requires financial proof for undergraduate applicants, quoting a recommended amount rather than a fixed minimum, while Peking University's postgraduate list does not include a bank statement. Financial evidence is also sometimes requested at the visa stage, depending on the consulate.
Is a criminal record check always required?
No. It is not on every list. Sichuan University requires one issued within the previous six months, and some consulates require one for the visa, but Beijing's published visa guidelines do not list it. Check both your university and your consulate.
How far in advance should I apply?
Allow considerably more time than the deadline alone suggests. Peking University's window for 2026 international postgraduate entry closed in December 2025, and the certification, authentication and translation steps that precede submission run in sequence, each taking its own time.