Updated: Medical Check for the Residence Permit
In this article, we will discuss:
- The procedures for completing the medical exam at the state medical center. This medical check is for applicants coming to China with a "z" visa for working or a long term "x" visa as a student. It is required for the conversion of the initial visa to a residence permit
- The laws related to medical care in China
The reason that another medical exam is required once applicants enter China is for the residence permit application. The medical review done overseas was for the visa allowing the applicant to come for work or study.
We have also heard that submitting a medical form is required for some cities annually, but a full medical is not necessarily needed. It is also sometimes needed when changing cities, or employers, or if applicants have been in China for a long time.
You must do the medical exam at a specific medical center for this purpose. You should check online or have a friend check regarding the details for this kind of medical center in the city you are in for specific detailed information. Usually, there is just one of these centers per town or city, which means that during peak times of the day, the medical center will be very busy with long queues. In some places, you need to make an appointment, and you should bring the confirmation number.
The below documents are a general rule of thumb, but specific cities' medical centers may have other requirements.
Original passport
Copy of:
Passport main page
Visa page
Latest entry stamp (if not on the adjoining page)
Four passport size photos
Some of the required documents in some cities are not necessarily needed, but the website will not differentiate between "required" and "suggested" materials.
The medical centers usually only accept cash, and the medical exam costs vary. Some cities are as low as 350RMB, where as others are as much as 1,200 RMB!
After verifying your documents, usually, the procedures are quite orderly requiring you to go from room to room to do the relevant medical tests and then submit your completed documents back at the receptionist, once you are finished. There is also staff that will guide you through the process. The team at the medical center usually know a minimal amount of English.
If you are going to have your medical results mailed to you, you will have to pay a small fee for that as a separate service. Most centers do it at cost. You should have a mailing address in Mainland China available in Chinese characters and a contact person’s phone number available if you will use this service.
Please find below links to some of the medical centers in major cities:
Beijing: Haidian Clinic of Beijing International Travel Healthcare Center, 20 Hepingli North Street, Andingmen, Dongcheng District
(website: http://www.bithc.org.cn)
Shanghai: Shanghai International Travel Health Care Center:
(Headquarters) 15 Jinbang Road,Changning District
(Pudong Branch) 2090 Jingqiao Road,Pudong New Area
(website: http://sithc.chinaport-sh.com.cn/sithcen/)
Guangzhou: Health Care Center of Guangdong International Travel, 33 Shamian North Street, Liwan District, Guangzhou
(website:http://www.gdwbzx.com)
Shenzhen: Shenzhen International Travel Healthcare Center, 1159 Heping Road, Renmin South Road, Luohu, Shenzhen,Guangdong, China
(website: http://sz.ithc.cn/)
Laws relating to medical care in China
In accordance to the relevant provisions of the "Frontier Health Quarantine Law"(中华人民共和国国境卫生检疫法) and the "detailed rules for the implementation of the law on entry and exit of aliens" (中华人民共和国外国人入境出境管理法实施细则) , the relevant provisions concerning health certificates to foreigners who have settled in or residing in China for more than one year are stipulated as follows:
Annex 1: Subjects requiring health certificates:
1. Aliens (including their accompanying family members) who apply for residence in China, or who have been in China for one year or more for employment or study
2. Foreigners who temporarily come to China with F, L visa, and other temporary requests to stay in China to change their status and settle down, employment, and study abroad in China. After approval by the competent authorities, they need to apply for residence permits to the public security organs
3. Other foreigners who are required to under go health examination or re-examination as required
4. The following foreigners residing in China do not need to provide health certificates:
Personnel of embassies, consulates, offices in China and representatives of organizations of the United Nations system and their accompanying families;
Those who have obtained a residence permit before the promulgation of the Rules for the Implementation of the Law on the Entry and Exit of Aliens;
Aliens who have received a residence permit request an extension of their stay in China;
Children under the age of 16.
Annex 2: Requirements for health examination and re-examination of foreigners, in addition to identifying plague, cholera, and yellow fever:
1. Sexually transmitted diseases, including soft chancre, gonorrhea, sexually transmitted lymphogranuloma, infectious syphilis (性病，包括软下疳、淋病、性病性淋巴肉芽瘤、传染期梅毒);
2. Contagious leprosy (传染性麻风病);
3. Active tuberculosis (开放性肺结核);
4. AIDS;
5. Mental illness (精神病).
For foreigners who are applying for a work visa (Z-visa), the visa authority shall require them to provide health certificates issued by the public hospitals in the host country.
If a private hospital issues the document, then the applicant may need to notarize the report by the notary office of the state in which he/she lives.
The health certificate is valid for six months from the date of issuance.
If a foreigner holds a health certificate issued by the health quarantine office or the relevant health and medical department of the country where it is required to be confirmed by the unit in charge of physical examination, the person who has passed the verification shall be recognized and issued acertificate (Annex 2): chest X-ray and serological tests.
If the healthcare department finds that a foreigner suffers from the diseases listed in Article 2 of this regulation, it shall immediately report to the Ministry of Health whether to deport the foreign subject.
If deportation needs to happen immediately, it shall be examined and approved by one of the followings:
- The public security department
- Bureau of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government
The local health and medical departments and relevant reception units shall be responsible for supervising their exit, and the public security organs shall assist.
For people with a mental health condition, the public security bureau can decide tolet them leave the country ahead of time, and the health and medical departments assist.
The provisions of this article do not apply to foreigners who have settled in China (holding a green card).
About the Authors:
Julian is based in Shanghai but travels often for work and runs a company that works with individuals and organizations doing business between the US, China, and Africa. He has been based in China for a number of years.
Ikky is an R&D Manager working in Shanghai. He has been living in China for over 11 years.
Jatin (known by the nickname "Prince Jatin" ) is a Multi-cloud DevOps Engineer working in Shanghai. He has been living in China for over eight years and owns three Indian community WeChat groups known for"Helping Indians" with their specific inquiries.