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Study in China Q&A

Can Pakistani students do a master's in China?

Unofficial answer · Sources checked

Yes. Pakistani students can take a master's degree at a Chinese university: the minimum academic entry level for a master's programme is a bachelor's degree or equivalent, and the admission decision belongs to the university, which examines each applicant's entry qualifications and proof of financial support before deciding (Order No. 42, Article 12). Being Pakistani does not change that entry rule; it changes how some funding is applied for. In the embassy's guidance for the 2021/2022 academic year, the Chinese Government Scholarship Bilateral Program was handled through Pakistan's Higher Education Commission, while applicants under other programmes applied directly to Chinese universities.

What the rules say

The Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), issued as an attachment to Ministry of Education notice Jiaowai [2018] No. 50, set the minimum education requirement in section 1.1: master's entry requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent, with reference to successful completion of ISCED 2011 level 6 or level 7 programmes. The same section adds that where China has signed a government-level mutual recognition agreement with another country or region that sets entry conditions for that side's students, the signed agreement applies.

Section 1 of the same standards says a university sets its own international student entry standards — covering educational background, academic level, language ability, identity qualifications and financial capacity — according to national regulations and the standards themselves. The standards state language levels against the "International Chinese Proficiency Standards", not as HSK test levels.

Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security (issued 20 March 2017, in force since 1 July 2017 under Article 48) defines an international student in Article 2 as a foreign student who does not hold Chinese nationality under the Nationality Law and is receiving education at a school; its Chapters 2 to 5 apply to higher education institutions.

The Chinese texts of Order No. 42 and the 2018 quality standards are quoted here in this site's own English translation; neither page carries an official English version.

Who decides, and the routes the embassy names

Article 12 of Order No. 42 is the decision rule: the higher education institution examines the entry qualifications and the economic guarantee proof of foreign citizens who apply, and gives them an examination or assessment; admission of international students is decided by the institution; an institution may not admit an applicant who does not meet its admission conditions.

On funding, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Pakistan published guidance on 10 December 2020 for the 2021/2022 academic year. In that guidance:

  • The Bilateral Program covers full or partial scholarships under educational exchange agreements or consensus between the Chinese government and the governments of other countries, institutions, universities or international organizations, and supports undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes as well as general and senior scholar non-degree programmes.
  • The embassy entrusts the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan to select and nominate candidates for the Bilateral Program; the embassy states that it does not accept individual applications.
  • Applicants under that programme must apply through HEC, submit the online application on the CSC site (given on the page as www.csc.edu.cn/laihua or campuschina.org), and send hard copies of application documents to the HEC HRD office before the deadline set by HEC.
  • Individual applicants may apply directly to Chinese universities for scholarships through other programmes.
  • Section II of that guidance sets eligibility: a bachelor's degree holder under the age of 35 when applying for master's programmes, a citizen of a country other than the People's Republic of China, and in good health.

The embassy's page also states that 289 designated Chinese universities offered programmes to scholarship recipients at that time. Every date, age and timeline on that page belongs to the 2021/2022 intake; the page does not state whether the same HEC nomination arrangement applies to a later intake.

What the embassy's April 2025 visa instruction lists for X1

The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Pakistan's visa instruction page dated 28 April 2025 lists the following for an X1 visa, which it describes as issued to individuals intending to study in China for more than 180 days:

  1. Printout of the Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202) submitted online.
  2. Photocopy of the admission letter from a university or school in China.
  3. Evidence of scholarship issuance, or proof of financial resources amounting to US$2,500 per academic year or the equivalent in Pakistan Rupees; the closing balance of the financial supporter's bank statement should be enough to cover the student's whole study years in China.

The page adds two notes to that row. A student holding a valid study residence permit who exits China and fails to return before the permit expires must provide both the original and a photocopy of a formal letter from the university or school proving that the student is continuing study in China. Individuals planning a one-year medical internship and the Examination for the Qualifications for Doctors in China, or intending to attend primary or secondary school in China, are required to present relevant supporting documents. The X2 row on the same page lists no documents.

The financial-proof amount is this embassy's requirement for that visa application. See also /visa/ for the site's visa pages.

What the official pages do not say

The articles and sections read for this page do not state admission rates, award rates, approval or refusal rates, programme lists, tuition, living costs, application deadlines for a current intake, or any language test score requirement. The 2018 standards are addressed to higher education institutions and say what their own rules must contain; the section read here covers minimum education only, and it is not an application guide. The 2021/2022 embassy guidance does not say whether its arrangement continues in later years, and the Higher Education Commission's own website was not read for this page and is not a source here. Where a current intake's rule is not stated, ask the international student office of the university you are applying to, or the embassy or visa centre handling your case.

Related questions

Does a master's in China require a bachelor's degree?

Yes. Section 1.1 of the 2018 quality standards sets the minimum education requirement for master's entry at a bachelor's degree or equivalent, with reference to completion of ISCED 2011 level 6 or level 7 programmes.

Is there an age limit for a master's programme?

The age of 35 appears in section II of the embassy's 2021/2022 Bilateral Program guidance as a condition of that scholarship for master's applicants, for that intake. The articles and sections of Order No. 42 and the quality standards read for this page state no age limit.

Must Pakistani applicants go through the Higher Education Commission?

For the Bilateral Program, yes, according to the embassy's 2021/2022 guidance: the embassy entrusted HEC with selecting and nominating candidates and stated that it does not accept individual applications. Under other programmes, the same guidance says individual applicants may apply directly to Chinese universities. Whether this applies to a later intake is not stated on that page.

How much money must be shown for the student visa?

The embassy's April 2025 instruction asks X1 applicants for evidence of scholarship issuance or proof of financial resources of US$2,500 per academic year or the equivalent in Pakistan Rupees, with a closing balance large enough to cover the whole study period. More on scholarships is at /scholarships/.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary and is not legal or immigration advice; it is not published by or affiliated with the bodies named above, and the official text and the instructions of the university, embassy or exit-entry office handling your case prevail if they differ.

Rules change. This answer reflects the official pages on the date above. If it differs from the current official page, follow the official page.

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