Living in Xiamen as an International Student

Start with the exact degree, teaching language, scholarship route and named campus. Xiamen University publishes separate current guides for undergraduate, master's and doctoral applicants, and its 2026 admissions page links the current programme guides and scholarship notices in one place. It also lists Siming, Xiang'an and Zhangzhou accommodation separately, so the university name alone does not identify where you will live or study.

Use the current intake notice to confirm the programme title, language, duration, campus, tuition and application system. Then compare the documented offer with the Xiamen University profile and other options in the university directory. Do not assume that a programme, campus assignment or deadline from one intake will carry into the next one.

Xiamen University's official study-cost page lists a CNY 400 application fee for long-term students and separates tuition by degree, discipline and teaching language. It also lists course materials, meals, insurance and accommodation as separate items, while warning that fees can change with approval.

Treat those figures as Xiamen University examples, not citywide prices. Save the page used for your intake and ask the admissions office to confirm the exact programme charge before paying. Build separate totals for application, tuition, accommodation, insurance, utilities, course materials and personal spending. If another institution issues your offer, use that institution's current fee notice rather than transferring Xiamen University's figures.

Housing conditions differ sharply by campus. Xiamen University's official cost page lists per-bed daily pricing for two-person rooms on Siming campus, annual pricing for suites on Xiang'an campus and separate annual pricing for quadruple rooms on Zhangzhou campus. It also says Siming beds are limited and gives priority to students whose full scholarship covers on-campus accommodation.

Before accepting an offer, request written confirmation of the campus, room type, bed availability, payment period, utilities, deposit and move-in date. If a campus bed is not confirmed, arrange a lawful off-campus option before arrival and check whether the landlord can support accommodation registration. A scholarship label does not by itself prove which room or campus you will receive.

Read the award category line by line. Xiamen University's 2026 new-student scholarship notice distinguishes tuition-only awards from first-class postgraduate awards that include tuition and a stated living allowance. It also gives a specific application period for that completed cycle and says scholarship consideration follows admission.

That notice does not describe every scholarship in Xiamen and its 2026 dates should not be reused for a later cycle. Confirm the scholarship name, covered items, duration, annual-review conditions, campus housing status and any costs you must pay yourself. Compare the final written award with the scholarships directory, and treat any item absent from the award letter as unconfirmed.

Follow the admission letter and the university's current new-student instructions. Xiamen University's 2026 international admissions sessions included dedicated guidance on dormitory check-in, registration, insurance, visa and physical-examination procedures, which shows why applicants should use the current orientation material rather than an old checklist.

The National Immigration Administration says people staying outside hotels must complete accommodation registration within 24 hours, although a university may file it for residents it accommodates (official registration guidance). It also says a person whose visa requires a residence permit should apply within 30 days after entry. Keep your passport, admission notice, visa documents, housing confirmation and university contact details together, and use the first 30 days guide as a general checklist.

Student status does not allow unrestricted employment. The Ministry of Education's international-student work-study measures set general term-time limits of 8 hours per week and 40 hours per month and require universities to manage the process. The National Immigration Administration says off-campus work-study or internships require university approval plus a residence-permit remark recording the location and duration (official residence-permit guide).

Ask the international-student office to classify a proposed role and confirm every approval before accepting it. When comparing Xiamen offers, focus first on the documented programme, teaching language, campus, tuition, confirmed housing, scholarship coverage and arrival instructions.

If you want help turning verified offers into a practical shortlist, the $50 shortlisting session compares your documented options without submitting applications or promising admission or funding.

*CSC Path is an independent educational resource, not affiliated with the China Scholarship Council. We do not submit applications, control university decisions, or guarantee nomination, admission, or funding.*