MOFCOM Scholarship: the application documents and how they are submitted

Unofficial summary · Sources checked 11 October 2026

Before applying for the MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program, the applicant shall obtain the approval and recommendation of the relevant department of the host country; only afterwards is the application submitted as that department requires (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Submission Offline item 1). The application then needs nine documents listed in Section V of the Enrollment Guide, beginning with an application form that is submitted online and printed as a hard copy.

The document checklist tool prints the document items that apply to a Chinese Government Scholarship applicant from the official Application Guide and the extra papers needed for the visa, and notes the body receiving your application may ask for more.

Application documents

All documents are written in Chinese or English (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Application Documents). The nine items:

Application Form for MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program. Ensure both submitted online (visit campuschina.org, click "Scholarship Application for Students") and printed as a hard copy. For more application instructions, check Attachment I (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 1).
Photocopy of highest diploma (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 2).
Photocopy of academic transcripts (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 3).
A Study Plan or Research Proposal, plus a resume including the educational background and working experience after high school (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 4).
Two recommendation letters, including one from current employer and one from academic perspective (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 5).
Photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 6).
Photocopy of the English proficiency certificate (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 7).
Photocopy of a valid passport (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 8).
Non-criminal Record Report. The applicant shall submit a valid certificate of Non-Criminal Record issued by the local public security authority, usually issued within 6 months prior to the submission date of the application (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 9).

How the application is submitted

The application channel, in the guide's own order (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Submission Offline):

The applicants shall obtain the approval and recommendation of the relevant department of the host country before applying for this scholarship. Afterwards, the applicants could submit the application according to the requirements of that department.
For applicants whose host government allows them to submit the application directly to the Embassy of China: obtain the permission or recommendation letter from the host government which states that the applicant has been approved to study in China, and submit the original documents of that letter and the other application documents listed above to the Economic and Commercial Counsellor's Office (ECCO) of the Chinese Embassy in the host country. A scanned electronic edition of the documents is also needed. For emails and addresses of the Economic and Commercial Counsellor's Offices, visit china-aibo.cn.

The responsible department of the host government shall also submit a written request to the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy for an official recommendation letter and clearly state: (a) whether the applicant is willing to be considered for a similar program at other universities if the applied programs could not accept the applicant; (b) other special requests if any.

Filling the online application form

The application form is completed in the CSC Online Application System (Enrollment Guide, Section V, item 1; Attachment I). Steps:

Step 1: Visit the CSC Study in China website at campuschina.org and click "Scholarship Application for Students"; register an account and log in (Attachment I, Step 1).
Step 2: Input Personal Details; fill all information, verify and save; return and start the application information (Attachment I, Step 2).
Step 3: Select Program Category "Type A" — only for MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program applicants (Attachment I, Step 3).
Step 4: Input Agency Number 00010 — only for MOFCOM. Program Category and Agency Number are directly matched and both are mandatory; the application processing authorities will not receive your online application if either is incorrect (Attachment I, Step 4).
Step 5: Input Application Information, upload Supporting Documents, then click "Submit" (Attachment I, Step 5).
Step 6: Once submitted, amendment cannot be made on Personal Details and Application Information. Before processing by the authorities, the applicant can revoke by "Withdraw" and re-edit; after re-editing, the applicant must submit a second time or the application will not be processed. Once processed, the application cannot be revoked (Attachment I, Step 6).
Step 7: Click "Print the Application Form" and download the form (Attachment I, Step 7).
Step 8: Submit the scholarship application under the requirements of the dispatching authorities (or application processing agency). CSC never entrusts any individual or intermediary agent to process scholarship applications; applicants should submit directly through official dispatching authorities (Attachment I, Step 8).

Notes: an application with an incorrect Agency Number will not be processed; use Firefox or Internet Explorer 11.0; for IE, close the "compatible view mode" function before editing; fill all application information in Chinese or English (Attachment I, Notes). The only official website publishing Study in China information is campuschina.org (Attachment I, Step 8).

Language and format rules

All documents to be submitted should be in Chinese or English. Otherwise, a notarized copy in Chinese or English is required (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders a).
An original copy of degrees, transcripts, Foreigner Physical Examination Form and language certificates must be presented for on-site verification (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders b).

Placement, admission and document return

Placement (Enrollment Guide, Section VI): each applicant can choose one major and three preferred universities out of the 26 designated universities; CSC will place each applicant in one university only on the basis of their choice and the universities' requirements.
Admission and registration (Enrollment Guide, Section VII): scholarship winners will receive the admission package from the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy by the end of August, and must register at the host university before the deadline, which is usually September.
Where and when to apply (Enrollment Guide, Section II): the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy in your country will be open for application; consult the application receiving authority for the deadline of each year.
Return of documents (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders c): applicants will get back all hard-copy materials, both original copies and photocopies, from the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy. If admitted, students must take the documents to China and submit them to the university for verification and archive.
Dependents (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders d): bringing a spouse or other dependent for accompanying is not allowed during the students' study in China; the scholarship will not provide any related cost.
Result (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders e): no explanation will be given on the enrollment result.
Consideration (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders f): applications without the recommendation from the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy will not be considered.

Questions people ask

Can I submit my application directly to the Chinese Embassy?

Only if your host government allows applicants to submit directly to the Embassy of China. In that case, obtain the host government's permission or recommendation letter stating you have been approved to study in China, and submit the original letter and the other application documents to the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy in your host country, plus a scanned electronic edition (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Submission Offline item 2). Otherwise, submit through the relevant department of your home country as it requires.

What language must the documents be in?

All documents to be submitted should be in Chinese or English. If not, a notarized copy in Chinese or English is required (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders a).

How many universities can I list?

Each applicant can choose one major and three preferred universities out of the 26 designated universities (Enrollment Guide, Section VI).

Will my documents be returned?

Yes. Applicants will get back all hard-copy materials, both original copies and photocopies, from the ECCO. If admitted, students must take the documents to China and submit them to the university for verification and archive (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders c).

Can I bring my spouse or a dependent with me?

No. Bringing a spouse or other dependent for accompanying is not allowed during study in China, and the scholarship will not provide any related cost (Enrollment Guide, Section V, Reminders d).

Sources

MOFCOM SCHOLARSHIP-CSC Program (Enrollment Guide) — China Scholarship Council (Campus China)

Checked 10 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the bodies named, and the official text and the instructions of the body handling your application prevail if they differ.