studyinchina.helpPapers with an expiry date in a CSC application: passport, medical form and police certificate
Three papers in section VI of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship can go out of date before you apply: the passport (item 2), the medical examination results (item 12) and the non-criminal record certificate (item 13). The rules in this article are conditions of that scholarship, as stated by the China Scholarship Council in the Application Guide. Each item sets its own time reference, so check them one at a time.
| Item | What the item says | Time reference in the item |
|---|---|---|
| 2 (passport) | Renew the passport if its validity is less than 12 months, calculated from the expected start date of study | 12 months, calculated from the expected start date of study |
| 12 (medical examination) | Medical examination results are valid for only six months | six months |
| 13 (non-criminal record certificate) | A valid certificate usually issued within six months prior to the submission date of the application | usually within six months prior to the submission date |
Item 2: passport validity
Item 2 asks for a clear scanned copy of the information page of your ordinary passport. It then says: "If the validity period of the currently held passport is less than 12 months (calculated from the expected start date of study), please renew the passport and use it to complete the scholarship application."
So the test in item 2 is the 12-month period counted back from your expected start date of study, not from the day you apply. If your passport falls short of that period, item 2 tells you to renew it first and to use the new passport for the application.
Item 2 also sets out an exception. An applicant who could not apply for a passport for objective reasons may submit valid documentation that carries the applicant's full English name, gender, nationality and date of birth. Item 2 says this is "upon the approval of the application receiving agency." The exception needs that approval. The text of item 2 does not describe the approval process.
Item 12: medical examination results
Item 12 applies to an applicant who will study in China for more than six months. The applicant submits a photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. The original is printed by Chinese quarantine authorities, is filled in in English, and is kept by the applicant.
Item 12 states: "Medical examination results are valid for only six months." Item 12 also says that the medical examinations must cover all the items listed in the Foreigner Physical Examination Form.
Item 12 names four conditions under which a record is invalid. Incomplete records are invalid. Records without the signature of the attending physician are invalid. Records without the official stamp of the hospital are invalid. Records without a sealed photograph of the applicant are invalid.
Item 12 does not say from which date the six months are counted.
Item 13: non-criminal record certificate
Item 13 requires "a valid Certificate of Non-Criminal Record (or Police Clearance Certificate) issued by the local public security (such as the police station)."
The time reference in item 13 is the word "usually": the certificate is "usually issued within six months prior to the submission date of the application." Because the text says "usually", item 13 describes a typical period and does not set a fixed cut-off. Keep the word "usually" in mind when you plan the request for the certificate.
Suggestion for planning
This is a suggestion, not a rule from the Application Guide. Before you request any of the three papers, write down your expected start date of study, the date you plan to submit, and the date each paper was or will be issued. Then compare those dates against the time references in items 2, 12 and 13.
Check the current notice from the China Scholarship Council for the intake you are applying to. The notice for that intake prevails over this summary if they differ.
Sources
Checked 10 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It 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 it is not legal advice. The official text and the current notice of the office handling your case prevail if they differ.