Identity and qualifications: what the file must actually show
The central CGS checklist asks for the passport information page. If less than 12 months of validity remain from the intended study start, the guide advises renewal. Use the renewed passport consistently; a form with the old number and a scan of the new passport creates a discrepancy to resolve before submission.
For qualifications, submit the highest completed diploma and transcript, or the officially accepted expected-graduation/student-status evidence where the degree is unfinished. Records issued in another language need the required Chinese or English notarized translation. A personal translation or an explanation that the original is hard to obtain is not the specified credential.
CGS document checklist: required evidence and conditional additions
| Document | Concrete requirement | Who or when it concerns |
|---|---|---|
| CSC application form | Complete and submit the form; retain the generated copy | Applicable scholarship application |
| Passport page | Valid identity; central guide advises renewal below 12 months remaining from study start | All applicants, subject to permitted exceptions |
| Diploma or interim certificate | Highest qualification or officially accepted expected-graduation evidence | Match the intended degree |
| Transcript and translation | Official academic record; required notarized Chinese/English translation for other languages | Relevant qualification |
| Language report | Valid HSK or host-approved evidence for the teaching language | As required by the course |
| CSCA report | Valid result available before the application deadline | Undergraduate CGS applications |
| Pre-admission evidence | Accepted university or supervisor document, in the specified form | According to the recipient |
| Study/research plan | Central baseline: 200 / 500 / 800 words; host can require more | Undergraduate / visiting / graduate |
| Two academic recommendations | Professor or associate-professor level under central guidance | Master’s, doctoral and relevant advanced study |
| Medical form | All required fields, stamped photo and medical signatures; six-month validity | Study exceeding six months |
| Police certificate | Valid authority-issued record, normally within six months before submission | As required by the checklist |
| Portfolio or guardian evidence | Portfolio for arts/design; legal guardian evidence for applicants under 18 | Conditional additions |
Central CGS guidance is a baseline, not an exhaustive 2027 checklist for every university. Beihang and Tsinghua examples keep their own programme and intake scope.
Put this guide into practice
Create a short record for your intended programme. Add the relevant notice or document beside each item; leave unpublished details marked “to confirm”.
- Missing documents, issuer and realistic delivery date
- Accepted document language and translation requirements
- Validity period measured against the relevant submission date
Plan, recommendations and pre-admission are separate documents
The central guide gives baseline study-plan lengths of at least 200 words for undergraduates, 500 for visiting scholars and 800 for graduate applicants, in Chinese or English. Hosts can ask for more: Beihang’s 2026 notice required more than 1000 characters or words and a supervisor signature. The shorter general graduate baseline therefore would not satisfy that particular host.
Master’s and doctoral applicants generally need two recommendations from professors or associate professors under the central checklist. Those recommendations assess academic preparation; they do not replace pre-admission material. Beihang additionally prescribed its acceptance-letter format. Use the specific receiving notice to decide what must be signed and by whom.
Health and police certificates: avoid an invalid file
The general checklist requires the physical-examination form for study longer than six months; results remain valid for six months. An incomplete form, a missing stamped photograph, or missing doctor/hospital signatures and stamps makes it invalid under the guidance. Keep the original rather than treating an uploaded scan as the only copy.
The non-criminal-record certificate is normally issued by the relevant police authority within six months before submission. These documents should be timed around the actual recipient deadline. There is no reason to pay for a medical examination so early that it expires while a later funding application is still being prepared.
Create an evidence register
Build a document register with original issuing institution, required format, translation language, validity period and the portal where each file goes. Use the exact passport spelling and chronological academic dates. A current student should ask whether an expected-graduation certificate is accepted and when the final diploma must be supplied. Never label an incomplete qualification as already awarded.
Plans, recommendations and pre-admission have different roles
Prepare the study or research plan for the chosen level and subject rather than submitting a generic motivation paragraph. Graduate calls commonly ask for academic recommendations, but referee qualifications and format follow the notice. A supervisor invitation or pre-admission letter can be a separate item. Neither is interchangeable with a recommendation or a final funding decision.
FAQ
Should I submit the same generic document pack to every university?
No. Reuse accurate originals where appropriate, but adapt programme-specific plans, accepted evidence and file formats to each recipient’s checklist. Keep names and qualification dates consistent across all versions.
Can a 900-word graduate plan satisfy every university?
No. It exceeds the central 800-word baseline, but Beihang’s cited 2026 notice required more than 1000 characters or words and a supervisor signature. Follow the current receiving programme’s requirement.
Should I prepare health and police certificates before the new call opens?
Time them against the actual deadline. The cited general guidance uses six-month windows; early certificates can expire. Prepare lasting academic records first while arranging the time-sensitive documents for the applicable submission period.