Students under 18: appointing a guardian in China
Under Article 38 of Order No. 42, a school that admits an international student under 18 whose parents do not reside permanently in China shall require the parents to formally appoint a guardian for the student. The guardian must be a foreigner or Chinese citizen who resides permanently in China, and the parents must provide relevant supporting documents. Two scholarship guidelines also ask under-18 applicants for guardian documents, but those requirements apply only to those scholarships.
See also Routes on this site.
What Article 38 says
Order No. 42 is the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法), issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. The first paragraph of Article 38 is published in Chinese. The English below is this site's translation of that Chinese text:
A school admitting an international student under the age of 18 whose parents do not reside permanently in China shall require the parents to formally appoint a foreigner or Chinese citizen who resides permanently in China as the student's guardian, and to provide relevant supporting documents.
Article 38, first paragraph, sets out three points:
- Who appoints: the parents of the student.
- Whom they appoint: a foreigner or Chinese citizen who resides permanently in China.
- What the school requires: a formal appointment, and relevant supporting documents.
Article 38, first paragraph, does not list the supporting documents. It names no duties for the guardian. It names no course types, so it does not state which of the routes on this site it covers.
Scholarship guidelines
Two scholarship documents also ask under-18 applicants for guardian documents. Each is a condition of its own scholarship.
| Document | Who it applies to | Guardian requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, Appendix 2, item D | Applicants under 18 for that scholarship | Applicants under 18 shall provide certified documents of designation signed by their entrusted legal guardians in China. |
| Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, section VI, item 11 | Applicants under the age of 18 for that scholarship | An applicant under the age of 18 shall submit the legal documents of his/her legal guardian(s) in China. |
The guidelines in Appendix 2 are the 2025 edition. Read the guidelines for the current year before applying.
Appendix 2, item D, uses the words "in China". It does not use the words "reside permanently", which appear in Article 38, first paragraph.
Appendix 2, item D, is a condition of the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship only. It is not a general admission rule for self-funded students. Section VI, item 11, is a condition of the Chinese Government Scholarship only. It is not a general admission rule for self-funded students.
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法), Order No. 42, Ministry of Education of the PRC (moe.gov.cn)
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 and 11 October 2026.
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