Thursday, September 17, 2009

Physical Examinations

It's quite a palaver trying to sort out what needs to be done for the medical examinations that are needed when applying for a Z-Visa in China. Googling doesn't really throw much light on it because everyone's experience seems to be different and some types of visa, length of stay etc don't need the examination and perhaps the rules have changed over the past few years.

The thing is, I've asked questions about this to my company's Chinese office's Chinese Visa consultant and they don't seem to understand the problems: they seem used to the bureaucracy and so can't understand why I wouldn't just walk into a hospital and ask for an physical examination. Probably they've only dealt with Americans needing these Visas before: hospitals in the UK don't work like that, apart from Accident and Emergency you need a referral to go to a hospital.

What my GP will make of the form I wonder. In the UK , you just know that such a form would have a 172-page accompanying document with a Crystal Mark explaining exactly what was required. But the Chinese form is all you get. Little boxes with headings like "Nose" and "Ears". No clue what they are expecting as an answer: "Yes" perhaps, or maybe a quantity "1", "2"... but then what is supposed to be in the box marked "Abdomen", surely this must be "Yes" and/or "1" or the person would be dead...

Then there's the section on disorders endangering the public: Do you have Mental confusion? Not until I tried to fill out this form...

With all of this, apparently all they really care about is that you're not a psycho and you don't have a venereal disease. So why all the other badly-put questions?

And then there's the officialness of it. Some places suggest the doctor needs to sign, stamp with an official stamp, seal it (!) then you need to get it notarized and legalized by the FCO.

And you have to do this for all adults in the party. Or perhaps just me. Or perhaps everyone over 12, or over 18 or everyone but kids don't have to have the AIDS test.

I think we should probably just make a best guess and then be prepared to have to redo it if they don't accept it.

So this is all before I can get the Z Visa invitation letter and employment permit. Then I have to provide 10 copies of my passport photo, a CV, Degree certificate and an "employment certificate for past 2 years". Sorry, but you just don't get such things in the UK... what do you mean? "Errr.. just a standard certificate of employment." Arrragh! Give us an example of one, then!

And perhaps all those need to be notarized. And legalized. Maybe.

And then when you get to China, the internet seems to tell me that you may have to go through the whole palaver of the medical again as they won't accept foreign medicals for residence permits or something. Grrr. Oh, and I need my Marriage Certificate and the children's Birth Certificates then.

At least the relocation company/my company will be paying for it all, but goodness knows how much time and money is wasted with all this. Nice little earner for the notaries and medical exam places, though.

And then you read stories like this one about the Police coming around and checking up that all your documentation is in order for no apparent reason and nitpicking: making you do it all again!

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