Age limits in the official texts: where an age is actually printed
The official texts covered on this page print an age in three places. Two of them are conditions of named scholarships: section IV, items 2 to 6, of the Chinese Government Scholarship application guide, and section I, item 5, of the 2025 guidelines for the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship. The third is Article 38 of Order No. 42, which sets rules for international students under 18 whose parents do not live in China permanently. None of these ages is a general admission rule for self-funded language students.
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Chinese Government Scholarship
Section IV of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council, sets an age condition for each programme type. Each condition applies to that scholarship only.
| Section IV, item | Programme applied for | Age condition, as worded |
|---|---|---|
| Item 2 | Undergraduate programme | under the age of 25 |
| Item 3 | Master's programme | under the age of 35 |
| Item 4 | Doctoral programme | under the age of 40 |
| Item 5 | General scholar programme | under the age of 45 |
| Item 6 | Senior scholar programme | under the age of 50 |
Items 2 to 4 also require an academically excellent holder of the prior qualification named in each item. Items 7 to 11 set test and language conditions, which this page does not cover.
International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship
Section I, item 5, of the Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, issued by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), requires applicants to be aged between 16 and 35 years on September 1, 2025. The same item sets two further age rules:
- The maximum age limit for in-service Chinese teachers may be extended to 45.
- Those who apply for a scholarship for a Bachelor's degree shall be younger than 25 under most circumstances.
These dates belong to the 2025 cycle, and that cycle has passed. Read the current year's guidelines from CLEC before applying. These conditions are for this scholarship only.
Order No. 42, Article 38
Article 38 of the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security) is published in Chinese. The English below is this site's translation of the Chinese text.
The first paragraph of Article 38 says that a school enrolling an international student under 18 whose parents do not live in China permanently must require the parents to formally appoint a foreigner or a Chinese person who lives in China permanently as the student's guardian. The school must also require relevant certification materials.
The second paragraph covers group short-term study. A school may accept international students who study in a group for a short period, but it shall first sign an agreement with the sending unit abroad. For a primary or secondary school that accepts such a group, the sending unit shall complete, in advance and under the law of its own country, the legal formalities needed for the minors to enter and leave the country. The sending unit shall also send a person to accompany the group and act as guardian of the international students during their study at the school.
Article 38 names no upper age.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC)
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42), Ministry of Education of the PRC
Checked 10 October 2026 and 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice and is not published by the bodies named. If the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case differ, the official text and those instructions prevail.