Physical Examination for The Chinese Visa

All foreigners who come to China to study for longer than six months (i.e. those on an X1 visa) are required to go through a medical examination either before or after they enter in China. You will have to submit the relevant documents confirming that you have passed the physical examination when you apply for a residence permit in China. In some cases, you must pass the medical examination before you apply for an X1 (study) visa. You will have to submit the completed Foreigners’ Physical Exam Record with your visa application. Check with your nearest Chinese Embassy to find out if this is a requirement.

If you are not obligatory to undergo the examination in order to apply for a visa, you will need to do it in order to obtain your residence permit in China. Either you can do it in your home country or in China. In China, the exam will cost around 100 U.S dollars (may differ depending on the city). Your university should help you with this procedure.

To complete the medical examination before you reach in China, take the form to a public hospital, undergo a physical examination and consult a doctor to complete the form. On the last page of the form, the hospital must append its official seal along with the student’s photograph.

You must bring the original medical documents with you when you come to arrive in China, otherwise, you will have to re-do the physical examination in China. The physical exam must be completed within six months of applying for your student visa, otherwise, the results will no longer be considered to be valid.

Physical examination for the Chinese visa :

Health is very important than anything. This is universally proved and China (or more specifically Chinese Visa authorities and schools) are no exception to this. The people who are looking to live, work and teach or earn their living life in China will have to undergo at least one form of medical screening, it can be pre-departure, on arrival and in some cases both. Here’s a brief analysis of what you may be needed to provide to the authorities and what is to be expected after arriving in China as far as medical checks are concerned.

Physical Examination Letter
(page 1)

Your university will inform you of whether they need this to be done as part of the visa application process; if in doubt, question your Coordinator or your point of contact at the school.

We suggest, go to see your Doctor/ GP, request them to complete the form as fully as possible.  A Doctor should be able to complete most of the form from your records without having to perform additional tests. In our experience, the form can be completed at the following and will be accepted by the majority of provincial visa offices in China:

• The first page should be relatively simple for the doctor to finish;
•  On the second page/next page, in the top box, a comment such as ‘normal’ is sufficient;
•  In the chest x-ray as well as  ECG boxes, comment ‘not applicable’;
• The final/last box need to include a comment stating that you are fit;
•  Ask your doctor to sign the form with a stamp from the doctors’ surgery/ medical center
• You would also be needed to attach a recent passport photo stamped by the doctor or issuing authority.

Please check our ‘physical examination record form’ Foreigner Physical Examination Form  as an example that will usually be accepted.

To date, the above has been successful with our applicants… but please note that should this less detailed form will not be accepted and the full medical examination is required, it is more possible that you would need a full medical check from a private clinic, which can price anywhere around £200/ $300.  Some universities will cover the price of this private examination but other universities will not.

In China, if you have traveled on a Student visa or are in the process of applying for one, you will be required to have an in-country medical check and this will always take place within the first 30 days of arrival in China. It is a quite simple procedure, that depending on the number of people being processed, will take between 30-60 minutes start to finish and It is absolutely nothing to be concerned about!

Before your medical check, it is important to keep in Mind:

1. Skip breakfast in the morning of a medical check.
2. Have to Continue to take any prescribed medication and take it with you to the exam so any Doctors are aware.
3. Dressed sensibly and comfortably. As X-rays will be conducted it is not a good idea to wear a skirt or dress.

Your University will accompany you to a country level government hospital for a medical check. You will need to take the following with you :

1. Your passport.
2. Photocopies of passport material pages including; picture and information page, visa page, stamp page.
3. Five copies of passport-size photos. Very often the university teacher will take you to a government authorized photography shop beforehand, these are always located close by or next to government hospitals and Public Security Bureaus.
4. The medical check fees are usually a little over 400 RMB.

The Medical certificate will be carried out on behalf of The Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Public Security. They will be checking of the following throughout your Medical Check: Poliomyelitis, Malaria, Dengue fever, Relapsing fever, Epidemic typhus HIV and AIDS, Hepatitis B, Plague, Cholera, Influenza, Yellow fever and other infectious diseases required for disclosure by the State Council.

Entry and residence permit will be denied for those testing positive or showing condition of any of the above in addition to Infectious Tuberculosis disease, Severe Psychosis, and any other physical or mental conditions, deemed to be a threat to China’s health and safety standards.

You will usually be required to go to different rooms for the following examinations :

1. Urine Test
2. Ultrasound
3. ECG
4. Pulse regularity check
5. Stethoscope check for breathing regularity
6. X-Rays (usually of the torso)
7. Vision test
8. Height and Weight check
9. A blood test with sterile needles and gloves
10. Blood pressure check

The follow-up Health Certificate will usually take a couple of working days to process your following check. If all being well, the students will register this with the authorities.