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Compulsory insurance for international students in China: Article 40 and the standard

Sources checked · Unofficial summary

Article 40 of Order No. 42, issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security for schools that recruit and educate international students in China, requires international students to take out insurance under the relevant national rules and the school's requirements. The same article sets out what happens to students who have not insured as required. This page follows Article 40 one sentence at a time, then covers the insurance undertaking in Article 21 of the 2007 interim provisions and the insurance paragraph of the 2018 quality standards. For the register's admission section, see this register's section page.

Article 40, sentence by sentence

The English below is this site's own translation of the Chinese text.

  1. The first sentence says the school implements a full-coverage insurance system for international students.
  2. The second sentence says international students must take out insurance in accordance with the relevant national rules and the school's requirements. Article 40 does not name the national rules.
  3. The third sentence covers students who have not bought insurance as required. For them, a deadline shall be set for them to insure. If they do not insure by that deadline, the school shall not admit them. Article 40 gives no length for the deadline.
  4. The fourth sentence covers students who are already studying at the school. They shall be withdrawn from school or not registered. This sentence does not repeat the insurance condition in the third sentence.

Article 40 names no premium amount and no insurance product.

Article 21 of the 2007 interim provisions

Article 21 is in the Interim Provisions on Quality Control Standards for Undergraduate Medical Education in English for International Students, annex 1 to notice 教外来〔2007〕39号. The English below is this site's translation of the Chinese.

Article 21 says applicants to study in China shall have a reliable financial guarantee and a guarantor for their affairs in China. It also says they must undertake to buy medical insurance for the period of study at the school, as the school stipulates.

Article 20 of the same provisions concerns applicants to undergraduate medical education taught in English. Article 21 uses the general term "applicants to study in China". Article 21 names no amount and no insurer.

Section 15.4 of the 2018 quality standards

The Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) were issued by Ministry of Education notice 教外〔2018〕50号, dated 3 September 2018. They are trial standards addressed to higher education institutions.

Section 15.4 says higher education institutions shall implement the full-coverage insurance system for international students in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students. It says they shall ensure that international students receive insurance coverage meeting the prescribed requirements during their study. It also says they shall provide the necessary assistance on insurance matters. Section 15.4 names no insurance product.

These texts are Chinese documents. This page does not describe the insurance rules of any home-country regulator.

Questions people ask

Does Article 40 require insurance for every international student?

Article 40 says the school implements a full-coverage insurance system for international students. It also says international students must take out insurance in accordance with the relevant national rules and the school's requirements. Article 40 does not name the national rules.

What does Article 40 say about students who have not insured?

For those who have not bought insurance as required, a deadline shall be set for them to insure. If they do not insure by that deadline, the school shall not admit them. The fourth sentence covers students already studying at the school and says they shall be withdrawn from school or not registered. Article 40 gives no length for the deadline.

What must applicants undertake under Article 21?

Article 21 says applicants to study in China must undertake to buy medical insurance for the period of study at the school, as the school stipulates. The undertaking is in the 2007 interim provisions.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal, medical or professional-licensing advice, is not published by the bodies named, and promises no admission, examination or registration outcome; the official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.

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