I'm going through this procedure right now as I'm returning to China after a year. Things have changed since the last time I had to do this. I've a few things to add.

I wouldn't rely too much on the veracity of that last paragraph. There are specialist medical clinics in China but they deal with residency permits and renewals.

You need two blood samples which need to be tested for :
[A] - STIs - HIV & Syphilis
Make sure the report has your name on it! There is no place for confidentiality here.

[B] - Liver fuction
HBsAG - Hepatitis B - may be taken from [A]
Alanine transaminase (ALT) Aspartate transaminase (AST) & total bilirubin (T-BIL)
[i.e. do you drink too much?]

You may or may not need ECG & chest X ray depending on your doctor's ethical standards - will they sign a form saying "no abnormalities detected" if you haven't had the tests?

The blood test lab reports, together with the "Physical Examination Record for Foreigner" can be scanned and sent as an email attachment (or faxed ) to your employer who will then pop along to SAFEA who will probably take about 2 weeks before they get back to your waiban.

Having done all of this, all you will have achieved is the means to an invitation. Unless your waiban has excellent guanxi, you will have to go through another medical exam in China because you will need a "Certificate of Health Examination" which will probably include Anti-HCV. No matter how prestigious the institution where you had your test is, it has no reputation within China you won't get the little brown booklet based on foreign certification; besides, another medical is a nice little income generator. Unless your waiban has excellent guanxi, you will probably need to renew this every year, and definitely if you change jobs.

Get everything stamped. Get everything signed. Don't argue with the consulate staff.

I'm expecting the next reform will require CRB checks.

I will be going to China for 2 years (hopefully) for work. I took the medical exam, no AIDS, no STDs, no diseases at all--all clean and clear (including blood pressure/ekg etc)--except the liver function showed elevated levels". I don't have numbers, but is this a concern? Will I be denied because of this?

I can't answer greeniegen's question directly. If "elevated levels" of something show in the blood work, then it would be up to your physician to decide if this is a cause for concern, not the consular officials. If your physician signs off on your "Physical Examination Report for Foreigner," checks "No" in all the "diseases" boxes and "normal" in all the other boxes, without indicating any "abnormal findings," then that's probably enough for the consular people.

I wanted to share the process I went through with the "Physical Examination Report for Foreigner." My employer requested that the report be completed and the results "verified" by a Chinese consulate or embassy in the U.S.
Getting this done involved the following:
- Downloading the Report from a consular website (print on one page front and back);
- getting the report filled out by a physician, requiring an X-Ray, blood work etc. The physician's office should stamp it with whatever stamp they have around. In my case it was nothing very official: just a return address stamp. Keep all the blood and EKG reports and get a copy of the X-ray to take with you to China.
- having the physician sign the report and having the signature notarized (so you would want to check ahead of time to see if your physician's office has a notary or how one can be arranged).
- mail the notarized report to the Secretary of State for your state to get an "apostille," a certification that the notary's signature is genuine. This isn't as much of a hassle as it sounds: the web page of the nearest Chinese consulate should have a link that gives you the necessary information on how to get the apostille. For those in the region of the Chicago consulate the web page dealing with authentication is: <http://www.chinaconsulatechicago.org/eng/qzhz/>. In Canada and other countries, there is some state or provincial office that handles these authentications.
- mail the Medical Report along with the apostille to a Chinese consulate that services your region. Instructions about how to do so are on the Consulate website. The "verification" should be returned to you in a week or two. You can then transmit the report + apostille + consular "verification" (an elaborate stamp) to your employer in China, who will then issue the documents you need to apply for a Z visa.

if you are a british applying in britian NO medical is needed for z visa.You just have medical in china not uk which would be expensive

Hi mickmud I am about to embark on a teaching contract qingdao. Can you tell me how you know about the medical information, please. I am short on time and would welcome the opportunity to have the medical in China. Thanks, garryd2b.

Hi Garry

Unfortunately visa advice resources are a little disparate over here as details vary by country and regulations are often changing.

However, assuming you are from the US or Europe, you do not need to do the medical in your home country if you are coming on a Z visa. A Z visa is basically valid for one month to get you into the country. During that month your company will have it transferred into a working permit and resident's permit that allow you to remain in China. A medical check is required for these but must be done by the official entry-exit bureau in your city of residence. There's a good article here that gives a pretty thorough low-down on what to expect:

http://www.expatica.com/hr/story/whos-afraid-of-the-shanghai-medical-check-26667.html?ppager=1

If you're still not sure, I'd advise checking with your future employer and perhaps getting in touch with a visa agent in Qingdao, try:

http://qdto.com/english/show_2484.html

You could also try contacting the Shandong entry-exit bureau directly:

http://www.sdciq.gov.cn/cjfw/englishlswm.html

Hi Aimee,

I'm going through this process now, to work for a company in Beijing.
May I ask you how is it possible to obtain the Z Visa without having a Work Permit?
(you said that the work permit would be done by the company during the first month in China)

Also, I wonder if the "Certificate of Health" that's required to obtain the Work Permit is in fact the "Physical Examinatin Record for Foreigner"?

Thanks!

Hi Ninho

I see from your profile you are based in the US and so assuming you are a US citizen, here goes:

"Employment Visa (Z Visa) is issued to an alien who comes to China for a post or employment, commercial performance or academic exchanges, and to his/her accompanying family members.
Z visa is usually valid for one entry within 3 months and with no duration of stay (that is 000 day of stay). Holder of Z visa should enter China within the validity of the visa. He or she should go through the formalities for a Residence Permit at a local public security authority within 30 days after entry into China. The period of validity of the residence permit is its holder's duration of stay in China." (Definition from Chinese Embassy in Washington)

To get this Z visa for entry to China, you will need a certificate which is called "Work Permit for Aliens" (see list of required docs on weblink below) but this is NOT the actual work permit--it's the terminology that is confusing--it's a certificate that proves you have an employer in China and so are eligible to apply for a Z visa and therefore the residents permit and work permit when you arrive. Your employer will provide this document and no medical check is required to get it. See an example of what it looks like here: http://tinyurl.com/3ackkcp

When you arrive, you will be required to register at the PSB and do the medical check at an approved Entry/Exit Quarantine and Health Bureau who will then provide you with "the Certificate of Health/Physical Examination of Foreigner". With these documents in hand you can then apply for a resident's permit (see example here: http://tinyurl.com/36jr96x) and the actual work permit, which comes in the form of a little passport-sized red book (see example here: http://tinyurl.com/3yk49yx )

Your resident's permit replaces the "Z visa" originally issued in your home country (see example here http://tinyurl.com/33rdhep - note it is only valid for 30 days and one entry only). The resident's permit allows you to reside in China and come and go as you please. The work permit means you can legally work for your employer. Both are valid for the duration of your contract.

There is a flow chart here http://tinyurl.com/37qjydy that does a good job of showing the process. This does actually state that sometimes local Chinese Embassies do require the applicant to do a medical check in their home country. If that's the case then unfortunately you'll just have to suck it up - they're the ones that approve the visa and what they say goes or they won't approve you, even though you'll probably have to do it all again when you reach China anyway.

However, no medical documents are listed as required for Z visa application on the website for the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States, Washington, so you should be OK. See their website for the full list:

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ywzn/lsyw/vpna/rap/t710627.htm#Reqirements)

It's all very confusing and can get frustrating as regulations can change without notice or explanation (you'll get used to this when you move over here) so my advice should be taken as a guide only, but I do hope it is of some help.

Thank you Aimee for the detailed response!

I don't know how some people are able to get the "Allien Employment License" without the "Certificate of Health"?!

I was told I need one, and it's a pain. Nobody in the consulate can point me to a hospital to go to. They say to go to a public hospital, which is not common in the U.S. Is it really necessary to be done in a public hospital?

And I can't imagine that I have to repeat all the exams again once I get to China.

Also, finally I found out that the requested "Certificate of Health" is the "Physical Examination Record for Foreigners"...

Hi there, I have a question, I am about to embark on a 9 month stint teaching English in the province of Shandong, I have already received my visa and no medical form was required, I sent the embassy/ visa services my medical form (sent to me from china) but they sent it back, and just gave me the visa, this is a little last minute but I want to make sure all bases are covered, am I right in understanding that I apply for the health certificate when I get my work permit out there?

Look forward to someone's reply.