China Academic Document Guides for Degrees, Transcripts, CHSI and WES

First Identify Who Controls the Next Step

A document problem is easier to solve once you identify the body responsible for the blocked stage. The university generally controls its source records, transcript issuance and institution-specific archive procedures. CHSI/CSSD controls its account, verification and report functions within the services it provides. WES controls the Required Documents instructions, accepted delivery channels, application status and evaluation decision for a WES file. A notarial office, authentication authority or overseas recipient controls a separate notarization, Apostille or acceptance requirement.

Start with the exact message or request you received. Record the document name, purpose, submission deadline and required sender. Then compare that request with the documents you hold and any online record or report available to you. This prevents a retrieval problem from being treated as a verification problem, or a WES delivery issue from being treated as a university-record error.

Your location can affect coordination but does not change who owns the official decision. A former student outside China may be able to begin document comparison, university contact and platform troubleshooting remotely. However, a university or official system may still require the graduate’s participation, identity evidence, an accepted authorization, original documents or another institution-specific step.

Know Which Chinese Academic Document You Need

The recipient may be asking for a physical certificate, a university record, an official verification report or an overseas authentication step. These are not interchangeable.

If the distinction is unclear, see the difference between a Chinese degree certificate and graduation certificate.

Retrieval, Verification, WES and Overseas Use Are Different Routes

Translation can support one of these routes, but it does not replace the required source academic document.

Lost Certificates and Historical University Records

If an original certificate has been lost, the available response may involve a university-issued certification, archive-based evidence or another institution-specific document rather than an identical replacement original. The available form must be confirmed with the responsible university.

Older graduates may need an archive search, university confirmation or help locating the successor institution if a school has merged or changed its name. Procedures, authorization rules and available records vary by institution. Foreign graduates who are outside China can review document services for international students and former graduates, but applicant participation or university-specific authorization may still be required.

CHSI/CSSD Verification Is Not a WES Evaluation

CHSI is the public platform associated with Chinese higher-education information services, while CSSD performs designated verification functions and issues relevant reports. Qualification, degree and transcript reports have different purposes. Eligibility and availability depend on the underlying record and current official service. Check the official CHSI/CSSD platform for its current services and instructions.

WES is a separate credential-evaluation organization. It decides which documents, reports and delivery routes apply to an individual application and produces its own evaluation. A CSSD report can support an applicable WES route, but it does not itself decide equivalency or guarantee acceptance. The applicant’s current WES Required Documents instructions control the applicable WES route.

Using Chinese Academic Documents Overseas

For a degree document intended for formal overseas use, start with the current China degree Apostille requirements. The document route may depend on whether the recipient needs an original, a notarial certificate, a certified translation or an Apostille. Consult the current China MFA Apostille information alongside the receiving organization’s instructions.

A degree and a graduation certificate may follow different evidence requirements. Academic transcripts also have their own documentary issues; use the China academic transcript Apostille guide when a recipient requests authentication of a transcript.

Choose the Right Support Route

Frequently Asked Questions