Medical insurance on a China scholarship: CNY 800 a year and the rule that every international student is insured
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
Medical insurance is part of the scholarship in every programme notice reviewed here, and the Chinese Government Scholarship guide states a premium of CNY 800 per person per year, reduced to CNY 400 per person for programmes lasting less than six months. Insurance is also compulsory, separately from who pays for it: Article 40 of Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security obliges schools to run an insurance system covering all international students and obliges students to take out cover. Each figure below belongs to the notice that states it; the terms of one programme are not the terms of another.
What the Chinese Government Scholarship guide states
The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship lists comprehensive medical insurance as the fourth item of scholarship coverage:
- CNY 800 per person per year;
- CNY 400 per person for programmes lasting less than six months.
The page carries no publication date and no academic year, so the guide does not tell you which intake the figures were written for. It also does not say who purchases the policy.
What the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship guidelines state
The Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 is dated January 2025 and written for programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026 — those are the dates of that cycle. Appendix 1 states that comprehensive medical insurance is purchased by the host institutions in accordance with the applicable regulations on overseas students stipulated by the Ministry of Education of China, and gives three premiums:
| Programme length | Premium stated |
|---|---|
| Four-week study | RMB 100 per person |
| One-semester study | RMB 400 per person |
| More than one year | RMB 800 per person per year |
The guidelines do not state a premium for the one-year study programme. The notice covers four-week, one-semester, one-year and degree programmes, but only three of them appear in the insurance sentence.
What the other notices state
| Programme | What the notice says | Premium stated |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship | Covered by the programme; policy and claims are checked against the Comprehensive Insurance & Protection Scheme for Foreigners Staying in China | 800 CNY per person per academic year |
| ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship | Covered by the programme; policy and claims are checked against the same scheme | No amount given |
| MOFCOM Scholarship–CSC Program | Free medical insurance for international students | No amount given |
The Silk Road figure sits in the table "Coverage and Standard (per person per academic year)" alongside accommodation at 8,400 CNY, stipend at 36,000 CNY and tuition at 25,000 CNY. The ACYLS guidebook describes insurance as covered but attaches no number to it, and the MOFCOM enrollment guide calls it free without a premium per person. Where a notice is silent on the amount, the amount is not stated anywhere else in these documents.
The rule that makes insurance compulsory
Article 40 of the Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools (Order No. 42) reads in Chinese:
第四十条 学校实行国际学生全员保险制度。国际学生必须按照国家有关规定和学校要求投保。对未按照规定购买保险的，应限期投保，逾期不投保的，学校不予录取；对于已在学校学习的，应予退学或不予注册。
The following is our translation of that Chinese text, not an official English version:
Article 40 Schools shall operate an insurance system covering all international students. International students must take out insurance in accordance with the relevant provisions of the state and the requirements of the school. Those who have not purchased insurance as required shall be given a deadline to do so; those who still fail to purchase it after the deadline shall not be admitted by the school, and those already studying at the school shall be withdrawn or shall not be registered.
The measures have been in force since 1 July 2017, which Article 48 states. The obligation runs to the student: the scholarship paying the premium does not remove the requirement to be insured, and the consequence named in the article is refusal of admission, or withdrawal or non-registration for a student already enrolled.
Where the official texts leave gaps
The notices do not agree because they are written for different programmes, and several points are simply not addressed:
- No notice here states what the policy covers, what it excludes, or how claims are settled; the Silk Road and ACYLS notices refer readers to the Comprehensive Insurance & Protection Scheme for Foreigners Staying in China for the policy and claims, and the terms of that scheme are not in these documents.
- The CGS guide does not name the purchaser of the policy; the ICLT guidelines name the host institution.
- The ICLT guidelines give no premium for the one-year programme; the ACYLS guidebook and the MOFCOM guide give no premium at all.
- Nothing in these texts addresses dependants, pre-existing conditions, or insurance during periods outside the scholarship duration.
Questions people ask
Is medical insurance included in the Chinese Government Scholarship?
Yes. The guide lists comprehensive medical insurance as one of the four items of coverage, at CNY 800 per person per year and CNY 400 per person for programmes of less than six months.
Do I pay the premium myself?
None of the notices reviewed states that the student pays the premium separately. The ICLT guidelines say the host institutions purchase the insurance; the Silk Road and ACYLS notices say it is covered by the programme; the MOFCOM guide calls it free medical insurance for international students.
Is insurance compulsory if my scholarship already covers it?
Yes, as a separate requirement. Article 40 of Order No. 42 requires schools to insure all international students and requires students to take out cover under state provisions and school requirements, regardless of who funds it.
Does the six-month cut-off apply to every programme?
No. The CNY 400 figure for programmes of less than six months appears in the Chinese Government Scholarship guide. The ICLT guidelines use different bands: RMB 100 for four-week study, RMB 400 for one-semester study and RMB 800 per person per year for study of more than one year.
Where do I check what the policy actually covers?
The Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship and ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship notices both direct readers to the Comprehensive Insurance & Protection Scheme for Foreigners Staying in China for the insurance policy and insurance claims. The terms of that scheme are not reproduced in those notices.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
- Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
- Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
- MOFCOM Scholarship–CSC Program (Enrollment Guide), China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
- Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools, Order No. 42, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (moe.gov.cn)
Checked 10 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary prepared for applicants; it is not published by the China Scholarship Council, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, the Ministry of Education or any university, and the official notice prevails wherever this summary differs from it.