Self-funded applicants: where your document list comes from
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
Your document list comes from the university you apply to, not from one national rule. Under Article 11 of the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security, Order No. 42), each university formulates and publishes its own international student admission brochure and enrolls students under its conditions and procedures, so the documents you need are set by the school. Use the document checklist to see what Order No. 42 requires of every school and the two visa documents the tool adds.
English wording in this article is this site's translation of the Chinese text of Order No. 42.
Why the list comes from the university
Article 11 of Order No. 42: a school formulates and publishes its own international student admission brochure according to national enrollment rules, and enrolls international students under the conditions and procedures set out in that brochure. In practice the place to look is the admission brochure of the university you apply to.
Article 12 of Order No. 42: the school examines the entry qualification and the proof of financial guarantee of each applicant, and conducts an examination or assessment. Admission is decided by the school; a school shall not enroll applicants who do not meet its admission conditions.
What the school must publish about fees
Article 14 of Order No. 42: a school's fee items and standards for international students follow relevant state regulations. The school shall publish its fee items, fee standards, and the refund rules for withdrawal and transfer. Fees and refunds are priced in RMB.
National rules that apply to every student
These rules apply to all international students, not to one school alone.
Guardianship (Article 38, Order No. 42): a school that enrolls an international student under 18 whose parents do not reside permanently in China must require the parents to formally entrust a resident foreigner or Chinese citizen in China as the student's guardian, and to provide relevant proof materials.
Physical examination (Article 39, Order No. 42): at enrollment, the international student shall, under the regulations of the Chinese health administrative department, go to a Chinese health quarantine department to complete the confirmation procedures for the "Foreigner Physical Examination Record" or undergo a physical examination.
Insurance (Article 40, Order No. 42): the school operates a full-coverage insurance system for international students. The student must purchase insurance according to relevant state regulations and the school's requirements. A student who does not purchase insurance as required shall be ordered to do so within a time limit; if the student still has not by the deadline, the school shall not admit the student, and a student already studying shall be withdrawn or not registered.
What the checklist shows for "No, self-funded"
The document checklist asks four things: your study level (Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Doctoral degree, or Chinese language or other non-degree study as a general scholar); whether you are applying for the Chinese Government Scholarship (for self-funded, "no"); the language the programme is taught in (Chinese, or English or another language); and three tick boxes — studying in China for more than six months, under 18, and applying for an arts or design programme.
For a self-funded applicant the tool prints what Order No. 42 requires of every school: the university's own admission brochure as the document list; the university's examination of entry qualifications and proof of financial guarantee; guardianship documents for under-18s; insurance; and the physical examination record at enrolment. The tool also adds two documents needed later for the visa: the admission letter or admission notice, and form JW201 or JW202 for an X1 visa.
The tool does not check, store, or submit documents. The body that receives your application and the university may ask for more. The list can be copied or printed.
Questions people ask
Does Order No. 42 give one document list for all self-funded applicants?
No. Article 11 gives each school the task of formulating and publishing its own admission brochure and enrolling under it; it does not set a single national list of documents.
May a school enroll an applicant who does not meet its admission conditions?
No. Article 12 of Order No. 42 states that admission is decided by the school and that a school shall not enroll applicants who do not meet its admission conditions.
What happens if a student does not buy the required insurance?
Article 40 of Order No. 42: the student is ordered to purchase insurance within a time limit; if the student still has not by the deadline, the school shall not admit the student, and a student already studying shall be withdrawn or not registered.
Sources
Checked 11 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.