Foreigner Physical Examination Form: what makes it valid for a China scholarship application

If you will study in mainland China for more than six months on a Chinese Government Scholarship, you must submit a photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form; the original stays with you (section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide). The form is valid only when it is complete and carries the attending physician's signature, the hospital's official stamp and your sealed photograph, and the examination is no older than six months.

Who must submit the form

Section VI, item 12 of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship states that an applicant to study in China for more than six months shall submit a photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. The original document, printed by Chinese quarantine authorities, shall be filled in in English and kept by the applicant.

What makes the form valid

The medical examinations must cover all the items listed in the Foreigner Physical Examination Form (section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide).

A record is invalid if it is incomplete, or if it lacks any one of these three things (section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide):

• the signature of the attending physician;
• the official stamp of the hospital;
• a sealed photograph of the applicant.

Medical examination results are valid for only six months (section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide).

After you arrive in China

Where this article gives the English of a Chinese-language provision, that English is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

Order No. 42, Article 39 of the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students says that at the time of enrollment an international student shall, in accordance with the provisions of China's health administrative department, go to China's health quarantine authority to complete the confirmation procedures for the Foreigner Physical Examination Record or undergo a physical examination. The same article adds that a student diagnosed with severe mental disorder, infectious tuberculosis, or another communicable disease that may cause major harm to public health, as specified in the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the PRC, shall be handled by the public security department according to law.

The residence permit guide from the National Immigration Administration states that a foreigner applying for a residence permit valid for one year or more shall, as required, submit a health certificate issued by the local health quarantine department or a county-level or higher health/medical department, certifying that the applicant does not suffer from severe mental disorder, infectious tuberculosis, or another communicable disease that may cause major harm to public health (residence permit guide, section 6(2)).

The original form and the 2009 health-verification step

The Ministry's 2009 page on health verification (dated 17 September 2009) states that scholarship students who are going to stay for more than 6 months must bring their passports, Admission Notice, and the original copies of Foreigner Physical Examination Form and the Blood Test Report to the local quarantine office within the time set to have their medical examinations verified. International students whose Foreigner Physical Examination Forms do not meet the requirements will have to re-take their medical examinations; those who refuse, or are diagnosed with diseases not permitted to enter China under Chinese laws and regulations, will be required to leave China, and the costs of the examination and travel are borne by the student.

The same 2009 page on document handling states that application documents will not be returned whether the applicant is admitted or not, and that the original Foreigner Physical Examination Form must NOT be sent as an application document.

Questions people ask

Do I send the original form with my application?

No. Section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide says you submit a photocopy and keep the original, and the Ministry's 2009 page states that the original Foreigner Physical Examination Form must NOT be sent as an application document.

How long is the medical examination valid?

Medical examination results are valid for only six months (section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide).

What if my form is incomplete or missing a mark?

It is invalid. Section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide says incomplete records, or those without the attending physician's signature, the hospital's official stamp, or a sealed photograph, are invalid.

Is the form required for study of six months or less?

Section VI, item 12 of the scholarship guide addresses only study of more than six months and states no requirement for shorter periods.

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
• Application for the Scholarship of Chinese Government (page dated 2009-09-17) — Ministry of Education of the PRC, English website
• National Immigration Administration — residence permit service guide — National Immigration Administration

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university, is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail if they differ.