Job Discussion Forums

Matthew H · Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 28 Location: Kashiwa

So I accepted a position working at a university in Nanyang but now I have a problem. The Chinese man in charge of Human resources at the university is saying that it before I can begin to get the z-visa it is required that I do the health check. Most people and friends I have spoken to living in China say that you don't have to do this until you arrive.

The problem is that some of the tests he wants me to do are not readily available on the U.K. NHS.
Tests such as, Chest X-Ray, ECG etc.
I was really hoping for some advice. First from people about whether this is common i.e. having a physical before arriving in China (he has stated that I will have to have a second one on arrival in China)
Second for U.K. members where can I go to get all of these checks, or do I need to tell him that this is not possible in the U.K. without spending hundreds of pounds on private medical care.

daCabbie · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 244

You have a couple of options:

1) call the Chinese embassy (closest your home) and ask what test they want (if any). You can ask them where is the best and quickest place to go. Remind them that you will need a new physical to switch the Z visa to a RP.

2) go to your regular doctor/or walk-in clinic and ask for a pre-employment physical. They will do some basic test. Get the doctor to sign and date the form you got from the embassy website. The tests the doctor doesn't do, write in: N/A or just leave them blank.

3) Ask you little brother with the shaky handwriting to sing the document.

4) Get an agent with a good reputation to handle the Z visa application and see if they can do it without the physical.

Are you getting the feeling the document is not so important? Good, because most of the time its not an issue.

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

#3 might not work. some embassies will be looking for
the official stamp or embossed seal from the hospital
or clinic. (required by chiang mai, thailand consulate)

other than the seal, they weren't much interested in the
numbers and stuff on the form.

the top half of the first page is filled out by the victim.

the cllinic can insert your height, weight, bp, and vision.
the remainder of the first page can all be "normal."

for the x-ray and ekg, you could ask the doc
to insert some comment like "not required."

i had an older chest x-ray (showing the lovely metal twist-ties
holding my sternum together after surgery) and ekg. doc
looked at these and just wrote "normal."

for the disease listing (cholera, leprosy, etc), he wrote
"none present."

under suggestion, he added "healthy."

tomhume89 · Joined: 15 Feb 2011 Posts: 103 Location: Changsha

I went to my GP and got it done- it was supposed to be �90 for the test and �90 for a blood test, but he waived the latter. Was pretty simple- scanned it and sent it off after.

sister_sunshine · Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Shenzhen

I got told I needed a medical before I came...

So I had to go to a private hospital and paid about 250quid. Turned out I didnt need it for getting my Z visa in London, and then when i got to China I was told I needed to get another one at a specific hospital here.

So you should definitely check with the embassy before you fork out for one!

Matthew H · Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 28 Location: Kashiwa

Thanks for the responses everyone. I will have to see if i can get things done on the cheap. Hopefully if i can contact the embassy they will help me out.

If not i will just have to try the doctors.

Thanks again.

El Macho · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 200

When I took mine in, the NHS physician said that for the expensive procedures (chest x-ray, for example) he would simply write "no indication of necessity" (or something like that) in the box rather than having the procedure done. He thought it was stupid/not a good idea to do a number of the tests, and would simply sign off on & stamp the form without doing them. Since the embassy will probably only look at for the stamp and to see that the boxes are all filled, that should do you.

MADAMELEACH · Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 46 Location: WELLINGTON

This is odd. My Chinese recruiter asked me to do it on arrival in Shanghai.
So who is right?

daCabbie · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 244

xjgirl · Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 242

Does anyone know where I could get a copy of a medical form?
Something I can just get my GP to fill in

dog backwards · Joined: 27 Jan 2011 Posts: 178

The website of your local Chinese consulate should have a downloadable (and hopefully current) form.

I was required to present a copy of my physical to the Chinese consulate in Washington, D.C.. Upon arrival, I submitted to yet another physical exam.

The procedure may vary from province to province.