Hello GoKunming Community!

my name is Nikolai and I am coming to study in Kunming with an X1 Visa from end of August 2014 for 1 year.

The medical exam in Germany is quite expansive (since there are lots of tests to take, like xray, blood test etc.)

How much is the medical exam in Kunming and is it ok (concerning hygiene, other conditions etc.) to take?

What would you recommend? What are your experiences?

Thanks a lot!
Nikolai

Are you allowed to get the medical examine outside of China? If so, I recommend doing it in Kunming. It costs about 420 RMB, and "hygiene and conditions" are perfectly fine, as they are in most of China. The doctors and staff are professional, efficient (maybe not as much as Germans haha), and quick. And they caught a health problem that I actually had, and it helped me to treat it. Overall, it was a very good experience.

Thank you for the info :)

Niko, my pleasure. And if you need to know how to get there, let me know, as I have been there a few times. It is pretty easy to find once you know where to look.

I hope I will find out how to go there once I am in Kunming on 28th August.

I guess I will stay in "The hump hostel" for as long as I find a flat with chinese flatmates. Really wish I will succeed! Do you maybe know anything about where to start looking? (I guess it is futile to start before I am in China?)

Why do you need a medical exam? Who is asking you to do an exam? If China requires the exam for your visa then I suggest you do the exam in China near the airport. This will also save you a lot of money.

As HF notes - if the medical exam is "required", which is usually true for most long-term visas, you will need to have the medical exam done HERE in China at the OFFICIAL medical exam office(s). Your school should provide the address, phone number, and help you make an appointment - you'll need to bring stuff, pictures, passport, lots of cash - last time I had a medical exam it was around ¥700 (can't remember if that was just for me or the entire family though).

You school should help you make an appointment - you CANNOT just show up (well, you can try - but if it's busy - kiss off that day).

As far as I know medical exam is required to get a student visa, so it has to be done outside of China. I got mine done in my home country and arrived in China where no one asked me to retake it. Now I'm applying for another student visa to go back to China and it's the same - papers signed by a local physician are enough as I don't have to attach test results.

@Serrure My memories are a little different on that, never needed medical exam to get student visa but I did when I got my residence visa later on!

And my memories are different too! Same setup as most countries, China is really not so complicated:

medical exam for a student visa over 12 months, less than that doesnt require a medical. The medical can be done inside or outside China. Safer to get it done in China.

The residence paper is not a visa, its just a permit. And in fact its not even a permit, its just a civic registration, same like in pretty much every country in the world. No need for a medical.

However as we can see from the thread above, there are mixed experiences, perceptions, perceptions of experiences and experiences of perceptions. Wow i blew my own mind. Golden rule is dont take shit from agents, paper pushers, and piggies-in-the-middle who tell u you need this and you need that. Follow logic, kick ass, disgrace, then ask for the bosSs!

Sound advice to the Op: change your plan, to study for 11 months and 29 days. At the university visa office grab your registration paper. You probably already have JW202 and acceptance letter. Get a rental contract, any one, and register residence at the local cops. Take your residence slip and school documents to the PSB yourself. Do NOT let an agent or university do it for you - they havent a clue. Do not give your passport to ANYONE except a police officer. Assume a MODEST chinese name and always use black ink.