Physical examination for foreigner (X1 for Nanjing University)

[yoeri]

I got accepted for a one year academic programme for Chinese Language at Nanjing University on the Confucius Institute Scholarship. According to my information, I need to apply for a X1 visa and apply for a residence permit within 30 days after arrival. According to the information from Nanjing University, I need to provide the original form of the "physical examination for foreigner", but it does not say whether I need to do this examination in my home country or after arrival in China, and I cannot get any response from the university so far. According to the visa application centre in my home country, it depends on the university when I have to do the examination.

 

Can anyone (especially someone going to Nanjing University) share his/her experience or knowledge on this? DId you have to do it before or after arrival in China?

 

Thanks!

[m000gle]

The original/completed "Physical Examination for Foreigner" form is, indeed, required as part of the application for conversion of an X1 Visa into a Residence Permit.

 

Should you still have a copy of your original (e.g. from your home country), should it still be within the six months' validity, and should the university deem it satisfactory, then it can be submitted as part of the application.  Should any of these three requirements not be met, the university may require you to re-take the medical examination, upon arrival, at your own expense (typically 60-100 CNY).

The following thread provides a fairly detailed description of the medical examination process I followed when registerring at Beijing Normal University; or, more accurately, the process I followed to have my original recognized and avoid the need to re-take the test, in China:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/48253-foreign-medical-examination-in-canada/

Perhaps someone else will be able to speak to Nanjing University's procedures, specifically; however, my impression is that these requirements are fairly standardized across the country.  The fallback in every case would be simply re-taking the test at the time of registration.

If you have any further questions, or require clarification, please let me know

[nimrev]

I just went through the same situation, applied for my residence permit a few days ago, but this was in Xiamen.

I did the physical examination in my own country, but in China I still had to go the local quarantine bureau to get the examination approved by Chinese experts. They gave me a certificate of verification, which is what I had to hand in for the residence permit application, not the actual examination.

 

If the university already sent you the invitation letter just do the test in China, that's probably just as easy as getting the document of verification.

[anonymoose]

I suggest doing it in China. It will save hassle, and may be cheaper. I can't speak for Nanjing, but 60-100 yuan sounds too cheap. If I remember correctly, it was several hundred yuan in Shanghai (300-600 yuan, or something like that).

[yoeri]

So you are sure that it is possible to just do it after arriving in China? WIll it not have any consequences for the visa or for entering China?

[m000gle]

I suggest doing it in China. It will save hassle, and may be cheaper.  -anonymoose

 

I was of the opposite attitude, as the Canadian single-payer public health coverage made such a medical exam far cheaper back home, in my case, even with some tests being considered "elective" and charged for out-of-pocket.  I was also quite confident that the results from a developed country would be accepted by the Chinese doctors performing the verification.

Should one be arriving from a country where medical costs are prohibitive, or where the results may be deemed inadequate or of insufficient quality, my calculus may not be appropriate and taking the test in China may indeed be less hassle and cheaper.

 

I can't speak for Nanjing, but 60-100 yuan sounds too cheap. If I remember correctly, it was several hundred yuan in Shanghai (300-600 yuan, or something like that). -anonymoose

 

I think prices have gone up in the past few years; but you are correct, the medical examination cost is now well into the hundreds of Renminbi.  BNU, for example, is charging a 60 CNY for a "verification fee", should you be using your original from home, or around 400 CNY to take the physical examination at the time of registration.  Nanjing university, unfortunately, doesn't appear to list the cost structure on their website.

 

So you are sure that it is possible to just do it after arriving in China? WIll it not have any consequences for the visa or for entering China? -yoeri

 

Yes, it is possible, and the standard operating procedure for anyone lacking documentation, having insufficient or unsatisfactory documentation, or whose documentation has expired since originally applying to the university or scholarship scheme.

 

There will be no consequences, assuming you are confident that you are in good health and the test won't find anything medically significant to the PSB or immigration (e.g. HIV, TB etc).

[anonymoose]

So you are sure that it is possible to just do it after arriving in China?

 

Yes. There should be a clinic in the city which handles these things. At some universities, there is even a mobile clinic that comes to the university at the beginning of term to do this.

 

Just be warned that it takes a while to get the results, so don't leave it to just a few days before your visa expires and you need to submit the residence permit application.

[Huina]

I went to Nanjing Normal University and the school took us to the clinic. It was 400 RMB to do the health check and it's pretty easy. If they don't take you there, you can go yourself. They speak basic English, enough to get the job (lots of poking and prodding) done. The results will be available within 2 days. 

 

The address is  国际旅行卫生保建中心 白下路1号  Guo Ji Lu Xing Bao Jiang Zhong Xin - Bai Xia Lu 1 hao. 

 

its near the 张府园 subway station. (Protip: There aren't a lot of ATMs in the area, hit one up before you go or you will have to hoof it to a bank)

 

If you need any nanjing tips let me know! I just finished a year of study there. 

[yoeri]

Finally got in touch with the University and it is indeed possible to just do the physical examination after arriving in China, just have to do it before getting the residence permit.

[MidnightFoxFire]

I did mine in the USA and then had to do it again once I got to China