Preparing the correct documents is one of the most important parts of a Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) application.

Missing, expired or incorrectly prepared documents can prevent a university from reviewing an application even when the applicant meets the academic requirements.

This guide provides a practical CSC Scholarship Documents Checklist for 2027–2028 and explains which documents commonly apply to Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD applicants.

CSC Documents Checklist at a Glance

Document	Bachelor’s	Master’s	PhD
CSC Application Form	✓	✓	✓
Passport	✓	✓	✓
Highest Diploma / Certificate	✓	✓	✓
Academic Transcripts	✓	✓	✓
Language Certificate	If required	If required	If required
Study Plan	✓	✓	✓
Research Proposal	Usually not	Often	Usually
Recommendation Letters	University dependent	Usually 2	Usually 2
Physical Examination Form	Commonly required	Commonly required	Commonly required
Non-Criminal Record Certificate	Commonly required	Commonly required	Commonly required
Acceptance / Pre-Admission Letter	If required	University dependent	University dependent
CSCA Result	May be required	—	—
Art Portfolio	Relevant majors	Relevant majors	Relevant majors
Other Supporting Documents	If applicable	If applicable	If applicable

This is a general preparation checklist. The final document list of your selected university always takes priority.

1. CSC Scholarship Application Form

Complete the application through the official Chinese Government Scholarship Information System.

After submission, download the:

Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship

Check that it contains the correct:

• Program Category
• Agency Number
• University
• Degree level
• Major
• Personal information

For many Type B applicants, the university also requires a separate application through its own admission portal. Current official university guides confirm that both systems may be required.

2. Passport

Upload the information page of a valid ordinary passport.

Check:

• Full name
• Passport number
• Nationality
• Date of birth
• Expiry date

Some universities require the passport to remain valid beyond a specified date.

If you are already studying or living in China, the university may also request your:

• Chinese visa
• Residence permit
• Entry records

Current CSC university notices specifically require valid ordinary-passport information and additional visa information from applicants already in China.

3. Highest Diploma or Graduation Certificate

Submit your highest completed qualification.

For example:

Bachelor’s application: High school graduation certificate
Master’s application: Bachelor’s degree certificate
PhD application: Master’s degree certificate

If you have not graduated yet, universities commonly allow an official:

Pre-graduation / Expected Graduation Certificate

If admitted, you will normally need to present the final original degree certificate during registration.

4. Academic Transcripts

Prepare complete transcripts for your previous studies.

Applying For	Common Transcript Requirement
Bachelor’s	High school records
Master’s	Bachelor’s transcripts
PhD	Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts

Transcripts should normally be officially issued or stamped by the relevant school/university authority.

Documents not originally in Chinese or English may require a notarized Chinese or English translation.

5. Language Proficiency Certificate

Your language requirement depends on:

• University
• Program
• Teaching language

For Chinese-taught programs, universities commonly ask for an appropriate HSK certificate.

For English-taught programs, universities may request:

• IELTS
• TOEFL
• Other accepted English qualification
• Previous-degree English-medium certificate, where accepted

Do not assume one IELTS, TOEFL or HSK requirement applies to every Chinese university. Current university requirements differ by program.

6. Study Plan or Research Proposal

Prepare a clear Study Plan or Research Proposal explaining:

• Academic background
• Study/research interests
• Why you selected the program
• Research objectives
• Proposed methodology where applicable
• Study timeline
• Future plans

Word-count requirements differ by university.

For example, current official CSC-related university notices range from general minimum requirements to 1,000+ words for postgraduate applicants.

We covered this in:

Step 4 – How to Write a Study Plan or Research Proposal for CSC Scholarship 2027–2028

7. Recommendation Letters

Master’s and PhD applicants commonly need:

Two recommendation letters

Recent official CSC university notices commonly require these letters from:

• Professors
• Associate Professors

The letters should normally include:

• Recommender’s evaluation
• Signature
• Academic title
• Contact information

University-specific requirements should still be checked.

See:

Step 5 – How to Get Recommendation Letters for CSC Scholarship 2027–2028

8. Foreigner Physical Examination Form

Many applicants planning long-term study in China need the official:

Foreigner Physical Examination Form

Check that it contains:

• Applicant photograph
• Hospital stamp
• Stamp/seal across photograph where required
• Physician signature
• Examination date
• All required examinations

Some universities also require:

• Laboratory report
• ECG report
• Chest X-ray report

Medical examination results are commonly valid for six months.

See:

Step 8 – Foreigner Physical Examination Form for CSC Scholarship

9. Non-Criminal Record Certificate

Prepare a:

Non-Criminal Record Certificate / Police Clearance Certificate

It should normally be issued by the relevant police or public security authority.

Many current university CSC guides require the certificate to have been issued within:

6 months before application submission.

Pakistani applicants can generally obtain this as a:

Police Character Certificate / Police Clearance Certificate

through the relevant provincial or city police authority.

See:

Step 9 – How to Get Non-Criminal Record Certificate for CSC Scholarship 2027–2028

10. Acceptance Letter or Pre-Admission Document

Do not assume an acceptance letter is compulsory for every CSC application.

Requirements vary by:

• University
• Scholarship route
• Degree
• Department

Some universities require or strongly use supervisor/pre-admission documents, while others issue pre-admission documents only after reviewing applicants.

For example, Chongqing University currently provides pre-admission documents to candidates selected after its review rather than requiring every Type B applicant to obtain one independently beforehand.

Always follow your university’s latest notice.

11. CSCA Result for Undergraduate Applicants

Undergraduate CSC applicants should pay particular attention to the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA).

Current 2026 CSC university guidance for some undergraduate routes explicitly requires applicants to provide a valid CSCA transcript before the application deadline.

Because requirements for the 2027–2028 intake may develop further, undergraduate applicants should check the final official scholarship announcement carefully.

12. Additional Supporting Documents

Depending on your university or program, you may also need:

• CV
• Publications
• Research papers
• Awards
• Employment certificate
• Internship certificate
• Art/design portfolio
• Supervisor acceptance document
• University application form
• Application fee receipt

Do not upload unnecessary documents unless the university allows additional supporting materials.

Documents That May Require Notarization or Translation

Pay special attention to:

• Degree certificates
• Academic transcripts
• Police clearance certificates
• Other documents issued in languages other than Chinese or English

Current university guidance commonly requires documents in languages other than Chinese or English to be accompanied by notarized Chinese or English translations.

Do not translate documents yourself when official/notarized translation is required.

CSC Portal and University Portal

For many Type B applications, applicants must complete two separate submissions:

CSC System

Used for the Chinese Government Scholarship application.

University System

Used for university admission and internal scholarship review.

Completing only one may leave the application incomplete when the university requires both.

See:

Step 6 – CSC Online Application Form

and

Step 7 – Chinese University Application Portal

Important Document Preparation Tips

Before uploading:

• Use clear scans.
• Do not crop stamps or signatures.
• Check passport and name spelling.
• Check document expiry dates.
• Keep original documents safely.
• Use current university templates.
• Do not submit fake or altered documents.
• Check both CSC and university requirements.

Current official university guidance warns that uploaded materials should be complete, clear, genuine and valid, and original documents may be checked during registration.

Final Advice

Do not prepare CSC documents randomly.

A better order is:

Passport → Academic Documents → CV → Professor Contact → Acceptance Letter if needed → Study Plan → Recommendation Letters → CSC Application → University Application → Medical Form → Police Clearance → Final Review

Keep one organized folder containing the final PDF version of every document.

Before submitting, compare your documents against the official checklist of your selected university, because requirements can differ even between universities offering the same CSC scholarship.

Important Note

This guide is prepared to help applicants plan for the CSC Scholarship 2027–2028. University deadlines, CSCA requirements, document formats, language requirements and additional materials may change for the new intake. The final official CSC and university announcements should always take priority.