Recently, the Study Abroad Government Service Hall (trial operation) hosted by the Ministry of Education's Service Center for Scholarly Exchange issued the "Notice on the Launch of the New Overseas Academic Degree Authentication System for Trial Operation", outlining adjustments to the new degree authentication for returning international students.
Notice Details
Dear applicants for overseas academic degree authentication:
To implement the State Council's requirements for "Internet Plus" government services and in accordance with the "Several Provisions of the State Council on Online Government Services," our center will upgrade and revamp the overseas academic degree authentication system. The new authentication system will go live for trial operation on June 28, 2019. The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:
1. System upgrade on June 28. The new authentication system will officially open to applicants at 10:00 AM. At that time, applicants can log in to the Study Abroad Government Service Platform on the China Study Abroad website to submit authentication applications online.
2. For applicants already in the evaluation process, the authentication evaluation will continue as normal. Applications submitted in the old system must still check progress and request subsequent services in the old system. The old system will no longer accept new authentication applications.
3. The new authentication system has been adjusted in the following aspects:
A. Connected to the China Government Service Platform. Registered users from mainland China will need to undergo unified identity real-person verification;
B. After the system goes live, the "certificate issuance" service will be adjusted immediately. For details, see the "Notice on Adjusting the 'Certificate Issuance' Service";
C. After the new system goes live, authentication results will be issued as electronic certificates, and paper certificates will no longer be provided. For details, see the "Notice on Cancelling Paper Authentication Results for Overseas Academic Degrees";
D. Mainland Chinese residents who pass real-person verification may omit the entry/exit stamp pages from their passport or travel permit during study abroad that are within 10 years of the application date. Details in the new "List of Application Materials for Overseas Academic Degree Authentication" (applicable after the new system launch).
4. After the new system launch, the "List of Application Materials," "FAQ," and "User Manual for Authentication Applicants" have been updated for users registering and applying online through the new system.
5. If you encounter problems during the use of the new system, applicants can send an email to rzxxtzx@cscse.edu.cn for consultation (for system operation issues, attaching a screenshot of the problem page is recommended), or call 010-62677750 (system operation issues), 010-62677925 (system technical issues).
This is hereby notified.
Ministry of Education Service Center for Scholarly Exchange
June 25, 2019
So, what do you, who need degree authentication now or in the future, have to do?
I. Application Materials
1. Foreign diploma to be authenticated
(1) The foreign diploma to be authenticated is generally written in the official language of the country where it was issued. If you have a bilingual diploma, the original language diploma must be uploaded, and the other language version may be uploaded optionally;
(2) If the front and back of the foreign degree certificate or higher education diploma both contain text or images, scanned copies of both sides should be provided;
(3) If the applicant cannot provide the awarded diploma, the Service Center is unable to provide authentication services in principle. However, if the diploma is lost and cannot be reissued, or if the degree has indeed been conferred but the certificate is delayed, please read the following carefully to ensure you meet the conditions before submitting the application materials as required.
Please note that such "certificate letters" are often difficult to verify, so the evaluation may take longer than the normal authentication period for a diploma, and may even fail the authentication evaluation.
The authentication result obtained with a "certificate letter" may differ from that obtained with a diploma. After the evaluation is completed, the Service Center will no longer accept requests for re-evaluation to replace the authentication object.
Degree Conferred but Diploma Not Yet Issued
If you have an urgent need for employment, further studies, etc., and the expected interval until the certificate is issued is long, you may provide rationale and evidence for the urgent authentication service (such as an employer letter, admission notice, exam notice, etc.), submit an official letter from the institution confirming the degree has been conferred (usually issued by the student registration or academic affairs office; the letter must clearly state that the degree/diploma has been awarded, the name of the degree/diploma, and the date of conferral), and provide the "Declaration of Inability to Submit Degree Certificate" (download the template from the "Application Materials for Overseas Academic Degree Authentication" in the Study Abroad Government Service Hall (trial operation), fill it out, and upload).
Please note that such applicants must also submit a complete transcript of the study period.
Lost Certificate
If the certificate is lost, applicants should apply to the issuing institution for a reissued certificate before submitting the authentication application. If the institution cannot reissue the certificate, a copy of the certificate or an official degree conferral certificate from the institution (usually issued by the registration or academic affairs office) must be provided, along with the "Declaration of Inability to Submit Degree Certificate" (download the template from the "Application Materials for Overseas Academic Degree Authentication" in the Study Abroad Government Service Hall (trial operation), fill it out, and upload).
Please note that such applicants must also submit a complete transcript of the study period.
Passport used during study abroad
The passport used during study abroad is used to verify the applicant's personal information, place of study, and duration, and is an important material for the authentication evaluation.
Applicants who studied abroad should provide the travel document used during study (including passport, travel permit, etc.), and the scanned pages to upload include: the first page (personal information page), and the visa pages during study (electronic visas or residence cards not in the passport also need to be provided).
If the diploma to be authenticated was issued more than 10 years ago, applicants must also provide all entry/exit stamps in the passport during study abroad.
A two-inch passport photo
A recent standard passport photo of the applicant, background color not specified.
Authorization for Verification of Overseas Diploma
According to the requirements of various countries and institutions, the Service Center needs written authorization from the certificate holder to verify the authenticity of the diploma.
The general version of the "Authorization Statement" is applicable to most countries and institutions (downloadable in the application system). Applicants should fill in the blank spaces in English or the source language of the country of study, and must sign by hand at the signature field to ensure verification validity.
A few institutions have special requirements for the authorization content. For details, click on the country under "Application Materials for Overseas Academic Degree Authentication" in the Study Abroad Government Service Hall (trial operation).
Other related materials
(1) Applicants whose study period at the issuing institution does not meet the program length requirements must provide a complete transcript or research proof during the study period;
(2) Applicants with study experience in multiple countries or institutions, or who studied in a second country and received a diploma from a third country, must submit a complete transcript during the study period, as well as all entry/exit stamps in the passport for the country of study;
(3) To accurately determine the applicant's field of study, it is recommended to submit a complete transcript during the study period;
(4) Due to differences in the education systems of a few countries, additional application materials are required for Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Philippines, Pakistan, Malaysia, Italy, Spain, France, Hungary, Ireland, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine (for details, click on the country under "Application Materials for Overseas Academic Degree Authentication" in the Study Abroad Government Service Hall (trial operation)).
II. Application Process
III. Special Notes
1. All materials required for the authentication application only need to be in electronic format. Do not send original application materials to the Service Center to avoid loss or other mishaps.
2. Scanned copies of application materials must be color scans of the originals, faithful to the originals, and clear and complete. Otherwise, it may affect the evaluation progress or even result in a failed evaluation.
3. If you need to authenticate multiple diplomas, be sure to submit a separate authentication application for each. Do not upload multiple diplomas in one application.
4. Format and file size requirements for application materials
When uploading materials on the Study Abroad Government Service Platform, the system page will display examples of qualified and unqualified submissions. Please refer to the sample images to upload the corresponding files.
The file size and format requirements for various application materials are as follows:
Diploma: PDF format, not larger than 5MB;
Authorization statement: PDF format, not larger than 1MB;
Photo, passport personal information page, passport visa pages, other supplementary materials: JPG format, not larger than 1MB.
Finally, we wish all international students a successful graduation and a speedy return home after completing your studies!
News link: "Notice on the Launch of the New Overseas Academic Degree Authentication System for Trial Operation"
