Suspension, maximum period of study and withdrawal: the student-status rules a Chinese university applies

Yes. A student at a Chinese university may suspend study with the university's approval, and the university may also require a suspension (Order No. 41, Article 25). The university may remove an international student from the register through a withdrawal decision on any of the six grounds in Order No. 41, Article 30; when it does, it must file the decision for the record under Order No. 42, Article 31.

The national rules and how they reach international students

Order No. 41 (Provisions on the Administration of Students in Regular Higher Education Institutions) sets the general student-status rules. Its Article 66 provides that schools manage international students by reference to these provisions. Order No. 42, Article 31 states that higher schools manage international students' student status by reference to the rules for Chinese students. So the articles below are the general national rules that a university applies to international students by reference; the university's own published rules for international students give the actual periods and the procedure. The English wording in this article is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

Suspending your studies

A student may complete studies in stages. A student who applies for suspension, or a university that considers suspension necessary, may suspend with the university's approval (Order No. 41, Article 25). The number of suspensions and their length are set by the university.

A suspended student shall complete the procedures and leave the campus (Order No. 41, Article 28). During the suspension the university shall retain the student's status, but the student does not enjoy the treatment of an attending student. Medical costs for a student suspended on grounds of illness are handled under national and local rules.

The maximum period of study

A student shall complete studies within the university's maximum period of study, which includes suspension and retention of status (Order No. 41, Article 25). The exact maximum period is set by the university.

Resuming after suspension

Before the suspension period ends, the student shall apply to resume within the period set by the university; only after the university's re-examination finds the student qualified may the student resume (Order No. 41, Article 29).

Withdrawal: when the university may remove you

The university may treat a student as withdrawn in any of these six cases (Order No. 41, Article 30):

1. Academic performance does not meet the university's requirement, or the student has not completed studies within the university's set period of study;
2. The suspension or status-retention period has expired and the student has not applied to resume within the university's set period, or the application to resume fails re-examination;
3. On diagnosis by the university-designated hospital, the student has an illness or accidental disability that prevents continued study on campus;
4. The student has been absent, without approval, from the university's required teaching activities for two consecutive weeks;
5. The student has exceeded the university's set period without registering and has not completed deferred-registration procedures;
6. Other circumstances in which, under the university's rules, the student cannot complete studies and should be withdrawn.

Where the student applies for withdrawal, after the university's review and approval the student completes withdrawal procedures (Order No. 41, Article 30).

Filing requirement for international students

When a university makes a withdrawal or expulsion decision for an international student, it shall file the decision for the record in accordance with the rules of the State Council education administrative department (Order No. 42, Article 31).

Your residence permit during suspension

Order No. 41, Articles 25, 28 and 29 do not state what happens to a residence permit during a suspension. For that, ask the university's international student office.

The university's own student-status rules

The Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), section 10.1, require higher schools to improve their student-status management system, to standardise the management of international students' status, and to implement the electronic registration system for international student status and academic credentials. The actual periods, procedures and any conditions for suspension and withdrawal are those published in the university's own rules for international students.

A planning suggestion: read the university's published student-status rules for international students before you enrol, so you know the maximum period, the suspension procedure and the withdrawal grounds it applies.

Questions people ask

Can I suspend my studies more than once?

The number of suspensions and their length are set by the university (Order No. 41, Article 25). Order No. 41, Article 25 gives no number of suspensions.

Does a suspension count toward the maximum period of study?

Yes. The maximum period of study includes suspension and retention of status (Order No. 41, Article 25).

If I apply to withdraw myself, do I still need the university's approval?

Where the student applies for withdrawal, the university reviews and approves, after which the student completes withdrawal procedures (Order No. 41, Article 30).

What happens to my residence permit while I am suspended?

Order No. 41, Articles 25, 28 and 29 do not state what happens to a residence permit during a suspension. Ask the university's international student office.

Sources

• Provisions on the Administration of Students in Regular Higher Education Institutions (Order No. 41) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
• Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42) — Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security of the PRC
• Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) — Ministry of Education of the PRC

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary and is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university. It is not legal advice. If the official text or the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differs, that text or notice prevails.