They include the Golden Globe-nominated Toni Erdmann from Germany and The Salesman from Iran.
But there is no place for French thriller Elle, starring Isabelle Huppert, who has herself been tipped for a best actress Oscar nomination.
The nine films will be whittled down to five when the Academy Award nominations are announced on 24 January.
Other films in the running include Australia's Tanna, which is set in the South Pacific and filmed in the Navhal and Nafe languages. It won the audience award at the Venice International Film Festival.
Xavier Dolan's Canadian drama It's Only the End of  the World, which won the Cannes Grand Prix prize, has also made the list.
Other notable omissions include Chile's Neruda, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, and Julieta, by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.
The full list of movies in contention for best foreign language film:
The Academy Awards takes place on 26 February at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with Jimmy Kimmel as host.
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Nine movies have been put forward for the next stage of the contest for best foreign-language film at the Oscars.