X visa application - when did you get the health check

[roddy]

It's quite normal to need to get a health check as part of the studying in China process. But when? What I've heard of, in order of frequency are:

1) Get JW-202 from uni > Apply for X visa > Get X Visa > Go to China > Get health check > Get residence permit.

2) Get JW-202 from uni > Get health check > Apply for X visa > Get X Visa > Go to China > Get residence permit (sometimes after another health check in China)

and this one, which has just happened to a friend of mine in the UK.

3) Get health check > Get JW-202 from uni > Apply for X visa > Get X Visa > Go to China > Get residence permit (possibly after yet another health check?)

That last one is the first time I've heard of anyone needing to have a health check completed just to get the JW-202. My impression is that in the UK you can skip the health check and get it done in China, while in the US you need to get it done before you get your X visa. However I'm not sure how accurate / consistent that is.

So, a quick survey for anyone who's had an X visa in the last few years.

At what stage did you need to get the health check?

What country was that in (or even specific city if you were dealing with a consulate)

If you got it done at home, did you need to get it done again in China?

Would probably also be of interest to know how much it cost.

Please note this is with reference to student X visas, not working Z visas.

[billiardsmike]

Technically, option 1. I had also heard that an exam was necessary to get the visa, but this wasn't true, at least for the Houston, Texas consulate. I had a complete exam done in the US for my own peace of mind but never thought to have a syphilis test done, so the process was repeated in Beijing. No one I contacted could tell me what the requirements were for the exam until I got here. Beijing exam was approx. 400 kuai.

My stupid mistakes include:

Not getting a Syph test done. This, AIDS and TB seem to be the big concerns.

Sending my original JW202 to the consulate without making a copy. Send them a copy. Beijing PSB seems somewhat insistent that they get the JW202 when you apply for the residence permit. The consulate couldn't even send me a fax, saying that they had lost the original. I thought I was being escorted back home for a while (or as they like to say here, "have my stay in China shortened."

Arriving 29 days prior to BLCU registration. Sightseeing is great, but you must get your residency permit within 30 days. To do this, you need documents from BLCU that will not be given to you until registration.

[longjingcha]

I did the following (got residence permit in Sept. 2006):

1) Get JW-202 from uni > Apply for X visa > Get X Visa > Go to China > Get health check > Get residence permit.

What country was that in (or even specific city if you were dealing with a consulate)

USA, San Francisco Consulate

[Lu]

I got the health check before I came to China, but this is some years ago so I don't remember if it was before or after I got my visa. My uni had told me I could go (was through a scholarship), but I also don't remember if I had that JS form already at that point. I do remember that I needed the results of that health check for getting a residence permit once arrived, so I had to bring all the paperwork and a big chest x-ray picture to China. My uni had told me that I could also get the health check in China, but obviously if one can choose between going to a Dutch and a Chinese hospital, one chooses the Dutch.

[roddy]

Thanks folks. I did a bit of checking myself.

The Chinese embassy in the US website says

The applicant who will study in China for more than one year shall also provide a Physical Examination Certificate for Foreign Citizen.

Now as your X visa is only ever a prelude to the residence permit and so on, I'm not sure what that means - if it is clear from your application that you are taking a degree course, for example?

The UK embassy says nothing about this, and I dropped a note to a visa agency who say they have checked and it is not necessary.

Quite what the university in question thinks it is doing asking for a health check before even issuing the JW-202 I have no idea.

[billiardsmike]

Ambiguous Chinese bureaucratic requirements; I'm flabbergasted! Isn't this where "everything's impossible, nothing's impossible" came from? And to think, I used to get upset when things didn't make sense!

The upside is that, if you decide to return to your native country, your expectations will be substantially lower and easily met.

[maidou]

I'm in the process of option 1, in Toronto Canada.

My acceptance letter from BNU included the JW-202 form, and the instructions were to bring the completed form to the consulate to apply for a visa, but based on the information on this forum I decided to try playing dumb and applying for the visa without this form. I received the visa with no mention of the form or health check. I go to China in september.

I'll see my doctor soon, I guess I'll bring this form in and ask him to fill it out. I'm torn between asking my doctor to do everything on the form (under the assumption that it's safer here), or delaying it until I get to china, so I can avoid having my chest x-rayed twice because china can't validate my x-ray.

[Mateusz]

In Poland, for instance, it is necessary to get your health check before getting a X visa.

[cellofallon]

The health check in the UK will cost me 150 pounds, which is about 2250 RMB is real money. 90 is for the doctor and 60 for the x ray, it will possibly cost more if more bloods are required ( most likely as they also want an AIDS test).

Back in 2001 when I did this before the X-ray cost 35 pounds and the doctor filling the form was free. I think my Salford based doctor is profiteering from my partner and I!

So good luck getting your doctor in Canada to fill it on the off chance!

I have since emailed my intended Uni and asked them if they know of somewhere cheaper locally. The added worry is that I'm not sure if they are still around as it is summer break.

[cdn_in_bj]

I'll see my doctor soon, I guess I'll bring this form in and ask him to fill it out. I'm torn between asking my doctor to do everything on the form (under the assumption that it's safer here), or delaying it until I get to china, so I can avoid having my chest x-rayed twice because china can't validate my x-ray.

Would this physical be covered under the provincial health plan or do you have to pay?

I guess the only potential "risks" with getting it done in China would be the blood test and x-ray. Though I can't imagine that they'd be reusing needles. As for the x-ray, who knows. But I've already had my chest x-rayed twice since coming here (the first time was when I got sick and went to the hospital, apparently it is standard procedure over here for anyone who gets a cough and fever).

Also, in Beijing, foreigners must go to a designated hospital for the health check. I didn't look carefully to see how this hospital differs from a "regular" Chinese hospital, but the actual examination is very straightforward and nothing to be afraid of. See this thread:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/13490-the-medical-warts-and-all-please

[mr.stinky]

us/houston consulate.

no need for health test prior to getting the x-visa. i had mine done in texas because my

insurance covered the tests for a $20 copay.

still had to go to the local clinic here, but found that even with all the official looking stamps

that my texas doctor's office could find, most were not accepted. nothing that looked like

a copy was allowed - even some originals.

wound up going through most of the procedure at a cost of 240 rmb. for some reason,

they did accept my doctor's x-ray certification (without the x-ray), so was allowed to

skip that portion.

[cdn_in_bj]

wound up going through most of the procedure at a cost of 240 rmb. for some reason, they did accept my doctor's x-ray certification (without the x-ray), so was allowed to

skip that portion.

Not to be cynical, but I'm guessing the fact that their costs are higher for the x-ray might have had something to do with it... though 240 RMB is a lot cheaper than what I paid for mine!

[roddy]

Was that for a Z visa or X? I think the costs are different, 300Y vs 700Y? If so that would change how much of a bargain 240Y was.

Edit: You specify it is an X visa. My bad.

[cdn_in_bj]

Was that for a Z visa or X? I think the costs are different, 300Y vs 700Y? If so that would change how much of a bargain 240Y was.

Actually, yes it was for a Z visa and it did cost close to 700! Didn't realize the health checks were different for Z and X visa - cost aside, are there differences in the procedures?

[roddy]

Now I'm getting confused, who paid 240Y?

I was under the impression that the charge for the medical on an X visa was in the region of 700Y, for a Z visa in the region of 300Y. There's no doubt a fair bit of regional variation. I think the procedures are the same though.

[cdn_in_bj]

I got my Z-visa exam done in Beijing. And yes, 700 RMB is a rip! The locals only pay 100 RMB for their medicals.

Anyways, I'm not sure where Mr. Stinky got his done...

[Lu]

so I can avoid having my chest x-rayed twice because china can't validate my x-ray.

That's why my uni told me to bring the X-ray photo itself to China (and not just the paper saying that the doctor looked at it and it was ok). Not that anyone there asked for it.

[mr.stinky]

oops, my mistake. checked my receipt for the exam: 223 rmb

the exam was done at the official "yunnan international travel healthcare centre," located

near kunming airport. (bus #52)