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Study in China Q&A

Can I study in China if I am under 18?

Unofficial answer · Sources checked

Yes, you can enrol at a university in mainland China if you are under 18. The articles and sections read for this page do not state a minimum age for higher education enrolment; instead they set out how a school must admit someone who is under 18, and the key step is that if your parents do not reside in mainland China, the school must require them to formally appoint a guardian who resides in China and provide proof. Once you are admitted, however, you cannot take part in off-campus work-study until you turn 18.

All quotations from the three Chinese-language official texts—Order No. 42, the 2018 quality standards and the work-study measures—are this site’s own English translation of the Chinese original; where a citation appears, it refers to the Chinese article or section.

What the rules say

The guardian requirement for an under-18 student is set out in the Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools (Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security). Article 38 provides that when a school admits an international student who is under 18 and whose parents do not reside in China, it must require the parents to formally entrust a foreign national or Chinese citizen residing in China as the student’s guardian, and to provide relevant proof materials. The measures were issued on 20 March 2017 and have been in force since 1 July 2017 (Order No. 42, Article 48).

For higher education institutions specifically, the 2018 quality standards repeat and extend that duty. Under section 17.6 of the Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) (attachment to Ministry of Education notice Jiaowai [2018] No. 50), before admission a university must confirm whether the student’s parents reside in China; if they do not, the university must require the parents to entrust a guardian residing in China, provide the corresponding proof, review it under the due-diligence principle (尽职原则) and keep the records properly. The university must also provide conditions favourable to the healthy development of under-18 international students and communicate promptly with the guardian about the student’s physical and mental health and study and life situation. The quality standards are addressed to higher education institutions and state what a university’s own rules must contain; they are not an application guide.

These texts do not say how early an applicant may apply or whether a particular university will admit a younger candidate; they set the conditional duty on the admitting school. The rule is that absence of the parents from mainland China triggers the guardian step, not that a guardian is required in every case.

What the Chinese Government Scholarship requires

The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council on Campus China, states at item 11 of its documents list: “An applicant under the age of 18 shall submit the legal documents of his/her legal guardian(s) in China.” This is a condition of that scholarship application file. It does not replace the enrolment rule above: a student who is under 18 still depends on the university implementing Order No. 42, Article 38 and quality standards section 17.6, while the scholarship guide adds its own documentary demand for the guardian’s legal documents. The guide is silent on what those legal documents must contain.

What off-campus work-study requires

Off-campus work-study is governed by the Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions (notice 教外厅〔2021〕2号, issued 29 December 2021 and applicable from the date of issue under Article 17). Article 9 lists the basic conditions, and condition (1) requires the student to be at least 18 years old (年满18周岁) and to meet the physical requirements of the post. The remaining conditions in Article 9 are: holding a valid study-type residence permit whose remaining validity exceeds six months; observing Chinese laws and school rules with good conduct and no record of crime or violation; having studied continuously at the current school for more than one year as a junior-college, undergraduate, postgraduate, advanced or research-scholar student; meeting the school’s academic progress and attendance requirements; and complying with any further conditions set by the school. Because Article 9 sets 18 as the minimum age, a student who is under 18 cannot take off-campus work-study. For more detail on the working rules, see Can international students work in China?.

What the official pages do not say

The articles and sections read for this page do not state what a guardianship proof or letter must contain, in what form it must be issued, or who may authenticate, notarise or guarantee that document. They also do not describe a university’s internal admission procedure beyond confirming parental residence, obtaining the guardian entrustment and proof, reviewing those under due diligence and keeping records (quality standards, section 17.6). The scholarship guide does not describe the content of the legal documents it asks for at item 11 either. Because the official pages are silent on the form of the documents, ask the university that admits you—for example, its international student office—what documents it requires; do not fill the gap from forums, from practice or from another country’s rules.

Related questions

Do I need a guardian if my parents reside in mainland China?

Order No. 42, Article 38 and the quality standards, section 17.6 both frame the guardian step as a response to the parents not residing in China. The texts require the university to confirm before admission whether your parents reside in China; where they do reside, these provisions do not ask you to appoint a guardian or provide guardian documents. The university’s own rules may add requirements, but the national rule quoted here is triggered only by the parents’ absence from China.

How old must I be to do off-campus work-study?

You must be 18. Article 9 of the work-study measures lists being at least 18 as the first basic condition for off-campus work-study, alongside a valid study-type residence permit with more than six months remaining, good conduct with no criminal or violation record, continuous study at the current school for more than one year, achievement of the school’s academic progress and attendance requirements, and any further conditions the school sets.

Does the Chinese Government Scholarship set an age limit for applicants?

The eligibility list in the scholarship guide sets upper age limits by programme rather than a minimum age: it requires the applicant to be under 25 for an undergraduate programme, under 35 for a master’s programme, under 40 for a doctoral programme, under 45 for a general scholar programme and under 50 for a senior scholar programme. A separate requirement, item 11, adds that an applicant under 18 must submit the legal documents of the guardian in China. Those are conditions of the scholarship application, not general enrolment rules.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

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

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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