Physical examination form for China: who needs it and how long it is valid
Three separate texts set out medical requirements for studying in China, and each applies at a different moment. For the Chinese Government Scholarship, item 12 of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship asks an applicant who will study in China for more than six months to submit a photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. Every condition taken from that guide is a condition of the scholarship. Article 39 of Order No. 42 applies on enrolment, and the National Immigration Administration's service guide sets a health certificate requirement for residence permits valid for one year or more. Order No. 42 and the National Immigration Administration guide are Chinese texts; the English wording on this page is this site's translation of them.
Item 12: the scholarship application
Item 12 applies to "an applicant to study in China for more than six months". For that applicant, item 12 requires:
- a photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form;
- medical examinations that cover all the items listed in the Foreigner Physical Examination Form.
Item 12 says that the original form is printed by Chinese quarantine authorities, is filled in in English, and is kept by the applicant.
Item 12 states that medical examination results are valid for only six months. It states no date by which the examination must be taken, either before the application or before arrival. Item 12 does not address stays of six months or less.
What makes a record invalid
Item 12 states that the following records are invalid:
- incomplete records;
- records without the signature of the attending physician;
- records without the official stamp of the hospital;
- records without a sealed photograph of the applicant.
Enrolment: Article 39 of Order No. 42
Article 39 of the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法), Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security, concerns enrolment. It says that international students shall, on enrolment, follow the rules of the Chinese health administration authority. Under those rules they go to the Chinese health quarantine authority and either complete the confirmation of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form or undergo a medical examination.
Article 39 also states that if the examination confirms a serious mental disorder, infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, or another infectious disease that may cause major harm to public health, the public security authority handles the case in accordance with law. The disorders and diseases are those set out in the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China.
Article 39 gives no time limit for the confirmation or the examination. Neither item 12 nor Article 39 states whether a record from item 12 can be used for the enrolment confirmation.
Residence permit: the health certificate
Item (II) of the National Immigration Administration service guide, headed "Documents required for applying for a residence permit", sets out two rules.
- Where a visa states that a residence permit must be obtained after entry, the applicant shall apply within 30 days from the day of entry, to the exit-entry administration of the public security authority of the intended place of residence.
- An applicant for a residence permit valid for one year or more shall submit a health certificate, as required, issued by the local health quarantine authority or by a health and medical authority at county level or above. The certificate confirms that the applicant does not have a serious mental disorder, infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, or another infectious disease that may cause major harm to public health.
Item (II) gives no validity period for the health certificate. It does not state whether the certificate must be dated before the residence permit application.
Timing at a glance
| Text | Moment | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Item 12, scholarship guide | Application documents, for stays of more than six months | Photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form; results valid for only six months |
| Article 39, Order No. 42 | Enrolment | Confirmation of the form with the health quarantine authority, or a medical examination |
| Item (II), National Immigration Administration guide | After entry, where the visa requires a residence permit; permits valid for one year or more | Application within 30 days of entry; health certificate |
Questions people ask
When do I take the medical examination?
No single provision gives one date. Item 12 concerns the scholarship application documents. Article 39 concerns enrolment. Item (II) of the National Immigration Administration guide concerns the residence permit application. Neither item 12 nor Article 39 states whether one examination can serve for all three moments.
How long is a medical examination result valid?
Item 12 states that medical examination results are valid for only six months. Item (II) of the National Immigration Administration guide gives no validity period for its health certificate.
Does a missing physician signature make the record invalid?
Yes. Item 12 states that records without the signature of the attending physician are invalid.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China)
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students, Order No. 42, Ministry of Education of the PRC
- National Immigration Administration service guide on residence permits (Chinese text), National Immigration Administration
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text differs from this page, the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail.