For many mainland families, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) sit near the top of the wish list: strong global reputations, an English-medium education, and a short flight home. Applying to NUS NTU from China is very achievable, but the process differs from the gaokao-and-national-placement system you grew up with. Here each university runs its own admissions, weighs your results in its own way, and expects you to arrange a Student’s Pass afterwards. This guide maps out the routes, documents, and steps so you can plan with confidence. It is general orientation only, and you should always defer to each university’s admissions office and to ICA for the pass.
NUS and NTU: Two Different Applications
The first thing to understand is that NUS and NTU are separate institutions with separate application systems. There is no single central portal that sends one form to both, the way a unified national system might. You apply to each university directly through its own online admissions portal, choosing your programmes and submitting your documents to each one.
This means you can, and many students do, apply to both to keep options open. Track each application separately, since deadlines, required documents, and portal steps are not identical. Read each university’s official international admissions pages carefully, because they set out exactly which qualifications they accept from mainland applicants and how to present them.
Give yourself a generous runway. Gathering transcripts, arranging translations, sitting an English test, and preparing supporting documents all take time, and admissions timelines open well before the intake.
Entry Routes: Gaokao, A-Levels, and More
Both universities admit international students through several qualification routes, and the right one depends on the schooling you have done. Common paths for students from China include the gaokao, Singapore-Cambridge A-Levels, the International Baccalaureate, and various other recognised high-school qualifications taken at international schools.
If you are applying with gaokao results, the universities consider your scores as part of a holistic assessment, alongside the specific subjects relevant to your intended course. If you studied an international curriculum, you apply with those results instead. Some applicants also come through recognised diploma or foundation pathways. Because each university sets and updates its own expectations for each qualification, do not rely on old forum posts or a friend’s experience from a few years ago. Check the current requirements on the official admissions site for the exact intake you are targeting.
Whatever route you take, competitive programmes are exactly that: competitive. Present your strongest, most accurate record, and choose programmes that genuinely match your results and interests.
English Requirements and Documents
Because teaching is in English, both universities generally expect evidence of English proficiency from international applicants whose prior schooling was not in English. This is commonly demonstrated through a recognised test such as IELTS or TOEFL, though each university specifies which tests it accepts and how scores are considered. Confirm the accepted tests and any thresholds directly with the university, and book your test early, since seats and results both take time.
Beyond the English test, prepare a core set of documents. The exact list belongs to each university, but you can expect to need most of the following:
- Academic transcripts and certificates, with certified English translations where the originals are in Chinese.
- Your qualification results, such as gaokao scores or international exam results.
- English proficiency test results, if required for your background.
- A valid passport, which you will also need for the Student’s Pass later.
- Any programme-specific materials, such as portfolios, essays, or interviews for certain courses.
Keep originals safe and make clean scans early. A missing or late document is one of the most avoidable reasons an otherwise strong application stalls.
The Student’s Pass and ICA
Admission is only half the journey. To study in Singapore as an international student, you need a Student’s Pass, which is issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Once a university makes you an offer and you accept, the university typically guides you to register through ICA’s student pass system, often known by the name SOLAR, where you submit your details and required documents.
The general flow is: receive and accept your offer, register the application through the university and ICA, complete the required forms and medical or supporting documents as instructed, and then collect your pass after arrival following ICA’s process. Do not book flights or make firm commitments assuming the pass is guaranteed, since approval rests with ICA. Follow the timelines the university gives you and respond promptly to any request, because the pass must be sorted before your studies can properly begin.
Because immigration rules and steps change, always follow ICA’s current official instructions and your university’s guidance rather than an older account of how it worked.
NUS vs NTU Application at a Glance
Both universities share a broad shape but run independently. This table orients you to the parallels, not the fine detail, which lives on each official site.
| Step | NUS | NTU |
|---|---|---|
| Where you apply | NUS online admissions portal | NTU online admissions portal |
| Accepted qualifications | Gaokao, A-Levels, IB, others | Gaokao, A-Levels, IB, others |
| English evidence | Recognised test if required | Recognised test if required |
| After an offer | Register Student’s Pass via ICA | Register Student’s Pass via ICA |
| Where to confirm details | NUS admissions office | NTU admissions office |
The pattern is reassuringly similar on both sides, which makes applying to both quite manageable as long as you keep each application’s documents and deadlines clearly separate.
Planning Your Application With Confidence
Applying from the mainland is a project, not a single form, so treat it like one. Start early, build a checklist for each university, and diarise every deadline and test date. Prepare certified translations, sit your English test in good time, and keep your passport valid well beyond your expected start. Above all, use the official sources: each university’s admissions office for entry requirements and any scholarships, and ICA for the Student’s Pass. Requirements, accepted qualifications, and processes are updated over time, so verify the current details for your exact intake rather than relying on general guidance or last year’s story.
Explore more
If you are thinking further ahead in your studies or career, our guide on doing a master’s in Singapore as a China professional covers postgraduate options, and to keep mainland documents and records within reach during your move, read using China government and service apps from Singapore.