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International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship paperwork: online registration, deadlines and materials

Sources checked · Chinese Government Scholarship

Applicants file for the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship through online registration on the scholarship website, and they submit their application materials there. The 2025 guidelines set two dates for each start month: the applicant deadline and the date by which the Recommending Institutions and Host Institutions must finish their review. The materials an applicant must provide depend on the applicant's category, which Appendix 2 lists item by item.

These guidelines were issued for the 2025 intake, and every date in them has passed. For the current guidelines, look for the notice from the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) on chinese.cn.

Online registration

Section III of the guidelines says that online registration would be available from February 20, 2025 on the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship website (http://www.chinese.cn).

Section III says that, on that website, applicants may do the following, in this order:

  • search for Recommending Institutions and Host Institutions;
  • submit application materials online;
  • track the application process.

Deadlines by start month

Section III lists four deadline items, numbered 1 to 4. Times are Beijing Time. Keep the numbering when you compare them with the official text.

Item Programmes commencing Applicants must complete applications by Recommending and Host Institutions must complete review by
1 July April 15 April 25
2 September May 15 May 25
3 December September 15 September 25
4 March 2026 October 31 November 10

Section III says that CLEC will entrust an expert panel to review the applications. It also says that decisions will be based on HSK and HSKK levels and scores, geographical distribution, and other factors. Section III adds that the results will be announced about three months before the program starts.

After a decision

Section III sets out two steps for a successful applicant. The first is that the successful applicant must confirm with the Host Institutions to go through the procedures of studying in China. The second is that the successful applicant must register at the Host Institution on the designated date as per the Letter of Admission.

Application materials

Appendix 2 is titled "List of Application Materials for the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship." The labels below are the ones printed in Appendix 2.

A. For all applicants

  • a) A scanned copy of the passport photo page;
  • b) A scanned copy of score reports of the HSK/HSKK tests (within the two-year validity);
  • c) A reference letter by the head of the Recommending Institution.

B. For degree program applicants

  • d) A certificate of the highest diploma (or proof of expected graduation) and an official transcript;
  • e) Applicants of the Scholarship for a Doctor's Degree in International Chinese Language Education are required to provide two reference letters from professors or associate professors or experts with equivalent professional titles in relevant fields and a 3,000-word personal statement written in Chinese (including knowledge of the intended area of study and research proposal). Priority will be given to applicants who may provide an employment contract with a teaching institution upon completing their studies in China or proof to the same effect.
  • f) Applicants of the Scholarship for a Master's Degree in International Chinese Language Education are required to provide two reference letters from professors or associate professors. Priority will be given to applicants who may provide an employment contract with a teaching institution upon completing their studies in China.

C. In-service Chinese language teachers

  • Item C says in-service Chinese language teachers shall provide proof of employment and a reference letter from the employer.

D. Applicants under 18

  • Item D says applicants under 18 shall provide certified documents of designation signed by their entrusted legal guardians in China.

E. Additional documents

  • Item E says applicants shall provide additional documents as required by the Host Institutions.

The preamble describes the scholarship as one for eligible Chinese language teachers outside of China. It also says that Recommending Institutions include, among others, Confucius Institutes, selected HSK test centers and Chinese embassies (consulates) abroad.

Suggestion, not a rule: start with the reference letters in item c) and items e) and f), since those depend on other people's time.

Questions people ask

Does every applicant need a reference letter?

Appendix 2, item c), asks for a reference letter by the head of the Recommending Institution under heading A, "For all applicants." Items e) and f) add further reference-letter requirements for doctoral and master's applicants.

What must an applicant under 18 provide?

Appendix 2, item D, requires certified documents of designation signed by the entrusted legal guardians in China.

How long is an HSK or HSKK score report valid?

Appendix 2, item b), says the score reports must be within the two-year validity.

Sources

Checked 10 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, the National Immigration Administration, any embassy or any university, and is not legal advice. If the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.