How to study Chinese in China: the four routes compared
There are four ways to come to China to study Chinese: a short course of 180 days or fewer, a semester or year as a non-degree student at a university, a preparatory or language year before a degree, and a study programme funded by a scholarship. They differ in length, in who decides admission, and in which study visa you apply for.
Why there is no single "language student" category
The national rules for international students do not define a language student. The Measures issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security (Order No. 42) sort students in higher education into degree students and non-degree students. Article 9 names three non-degree categories: preparatory students (预科生), advanced students (进修生) and research scholars (研究学者). A university places its Chinese language programme in one of them and says so in its brochure.
The same Measures leave recruitment to the university. It sets its own enrolment plan (Article 10), publishes a brochure and recruits by the conditions in it (Article 11), and examines the applicant's qualifications and proof of financial support before deciding admission (Article 12).
The four routes side by side
| Route | Length | Who you apply to | Visa class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short course | 180 days or fewer | The university, or a group organiser that has an agreement with it | X2 |
| Semester or year as a non-degree student | Set by the university's brochure | The university | X2 for 180 days or fewer, X1 for longer |
| Preparatory or language year before a degree | One year under the Chinese Government Scholarship | The university, or the scholarship's receiving agency | X1 |
| Scholarship study programme (CLEC) | Up to four weeks, five months or eleven months | Online, with a Recommending Institution's reference | Follows the study period |
The visa column follows one rule. The X1 visa is for long-term study and the X2 visa for short-term study, and the regulations define short-term as a stay of no more than 180 days, 180 days included.
Short courses
Order No. 42 defines short-term study as study at a school in China for 180 days or fewer (Article 45). Schools may accept short-term students who come as a group, but must sign an agreement with the sending organisation beforehand (Article 38). Summer courses and four-week programmes sit here.
A semester or a year as a non-degree student
This is the route most people mean by studying Chinese in China. You apply to the university under its brochure. Whether your stay is short-term or long-term depends on the dates in your admission notice, so a semester can fall on either side of the 180-day line. Read the dates before you choose a visa class.
A language year before a degree
Chinese is the basic language of instruction for international students, and a school may provide remedial study for students whose Chinese does not yet meet the requirement (Article 18). The Chinese Government Scholarship builds this in: its guide says the scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study, and that the language courses last one year.
Scholarship study programmes
The International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship, run by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), funds non-degree study of four weeks, one semester or one year. In the 2025 guidelines applicants are non-Chinese citizens aged 16 to 35, every category asks for an HSK score report, and the application needs a reference letter from the head of a Recommending Institution. The 2025 edition was the latest we found on CLEC's site on 10 October 2026.
Questions people ask
Can a complete beginner study Chinese in China?
The national Measures set no Chinese level for entering study; each university's brochure sets the conditions. The CLEC scholarship study programmes are different: every category in the 2025 guidelines asks for an HSK score report.
Is a language student a degree student?
No. Order No. 42 lists preparatory students, advanced students and research scholars as non-degree categories. A language programme that does not lead to a degree falls in the non-degree group.
Which visa does a one-semester course need?
It depends on the study period in the admission notice. A period of 180 days or fewer is short-term study, which is what the X2 visa is for. More than 180 days is long-term study and the visa class is X1.
Who decides whether I am admitted?
The school. Under Order No. 42 a university examines the applicant's qualifications and proof of financial support, tests or assesses the applicant, and decides admission.