Provisional Measures of the Ministry of Education for the Administration on Acceptance of Foreign Students by Primary and Secondary Schools

21, July 1999

Article 1 With a view to meeting the needs of reform and opening to the outside world, making it convenient for foreign students to study in primary and secondary schools in China and promoting the international exchange of primary and secondary schools in this Country, these Measures are hereby formulated. 

Article 2 After obtaining the qualification to accept foreign students, a primary or secondary school may accept foreign students at appropriate age for study.

Article 3 The qualification of a primary or secondary school to accept foreign students shall be granted by the education administration department of the relevant province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government in conjunction with the foreign affairs department and the public security department at the same level, and then be reported to the Ministry of Education for the record.

Article 4 The primary and secondary schools that apply for the qualification to accept foreign students shall possess good teaching and learning conditions and relatively high teaching quality and management skills.

Article 5 The primary and secondary schools that possess the qualification to accept foreign students shall accept foreign students who permanently reside in China together with their parents; in case a school accepts any foreign student whose parents do not permanently reside in China, the said school shall require the parents of such foreign students to formally authorise foreigners with permanent residence in China or Chinese citizens to act as the guardians of such foreign students and to follow relevant legal formalities (including the consular legalisation of the nationality of the students concerned by the diplomatic mission to China of the students' native country).

Article 6 A school that possesses the qualification to accept foreign students may accept foreign students who come to China in a group for short-term study (less than six months), provided that such schools shall conclude an agreement in advance with the foreign institution that dispatches such foreign students and require such foreign institution to, in accordance with the laws of its country, go through all legal formalities necessary for entry and exit of minors in advance.

The above-mentioned foreign students shall come to and leave China in a well-organized manner and the foreign institution that dispatches such foreign students shall appoint representatives who shall come to China together with such the students and act as their guardians during their stay in China.

Article 7 Each foreign student who comes to China for study at a primary or secondary school for no less than six months shall apply to the Chinese embassy or consulate for the visa marked with letter “X” by presenting the Chinese Visa Application Form for Foreign Students (Form JW202) and the Admission Notice issued by such a school, and shall apply with the entry & exit administration department under the local public security organ for the Residence Permit for Foreigners within thirty days of his/her arrival in China.

Foreign students who, before being enrolled in schools, have entered China with a short-term visa or have been in China and obtained the Residence Permit for Foreigners shall, by presenting the Chinese Visa Application Form for Foreign Students (Form JW202) and the Admission Notice issued by schools, go through the formalities for modification of visa and residence permit with the entry & exit administration department under the local public security organ.

Foreign students who come to China in a group for short-term study (less than six months) shall, by presenting the invitation letter issued by the authorized organizations, apply with the Chinese embassy or consulate for a group visa marked with the letter “F”.

Article 8 Generally, foreign students shall live with their parents or guardians; however, the schools that have the relevant conditions may, after being approved, provide foreign students with on-campus dormitories.

Article 9 The items subject to be charged by primary and secondary schools and their rates for foreign students shall be determined by the education administration departments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government in conjunction with the price administration departments.

Article 10 Primary and secondary schools shall manage foreign students in accordance with the provisions relating to the management of student status, instruct them in abiding the laws of China as well as the rules and disciplines of schools. Generally, no separate classes shall be set up for foreign students, except for necessary remediation for the Chinese language. Schools may, in accordance with their teaching plans, make arrangement for foreign students to participate in public welfare labour and other social practices. The foreign students are exempted from attending ideology and morality classes and ideological political classes.

To those foreign students who finish all courses and successfully pass the examinations, the schools shall issue a graduation certificate; to those who fail to finish all courses as planned, the schools may issue a descriptive study certificate.

Article 11 The education administration department of each province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government shall take charge of the administration upon the acceptance of foreign students by primary and secondary schools within its administrative area, and shall carry out an annual review of the qualifications of such schools to accept foreign students; in case any school enrols foreign students in violation of the provisions hereunder or has serious defect in the management of foreign students, the education administration department shall suspend or cancel the qualification of such schools to accept foreign students on the basis of the actual situation, and then duly report the results to the Ministry of Education.

Article 12 The education administration department of each province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government may formulate measures for examining and approving qualification of primary and secondary schools within its administrative area to accept foreign students on the basis of these Measures, and file such measures with the Ministry of Education for the record.

Notice: This English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version.