I am returning to Kunming in January but I am trying to get the work visa in the US from the Los Angelos Chinese Consulate.

I have to get a physical exam.

Any one have recent experience getting a work visa physical in the US.

Where did you go to get it?

Any special requirements I would need to let the doctor know?

How much did it cost? (I do not have insurance)

I used the public service clinics for everything. Not sure about LA, but San Diego it was low cost (less and USD 200) for the whole thing, but there's some running around.

1. STD Check - there are public STD clinics - mostly just bloodwork. They can also do the x-ray and skin test for TB (Tuberculosis). Make sure they stamp the test with their corporate or city registered stamp. You'll need that in case you're required to get the tests authenticated. The clinic I used sent me to an outside x-ray lab - that cost about USD 75 - two visits - one to get x-rayed, second to pick up the results along with the diagnosis.

2. Physical health check - this was done at a low-cost clinic for the homeless and unemployed, assuming you qualify for poverty level (most chinese salaries are poverty level in the USA). This is simpler stuff - that populates the rest of the chinese physical exam requirements (you have the form, right?). If you don't have the Chinese form for physical exam - download it from the exit/entry bureau (china). It's bilingual with qinglish but the clinics didn't seem to have any problems filling out the form.

AFTER you get your temporary Z visa (usually up to 3 months), you MAY be required to do the health check thing again in Kunming at the provincial health check clinic down by the old airport, whose address & location I've long since forgotten, but your office should be able to get the location, should you need to do that downstream.

FYI - Either the Yunnan Foreign Expert's Office or the Entry Exit Office (probably the Foreign Expert's Office) may tell you to use the consulate authorized clinic. The consulate will get huffy about this, as they didn't have any such thing as of 2016 and they were wondering who keeps making up these idiot rules for them, which they don't have.

Has anyone done their physical exam in Kunming?

I believe it is a necessary pre-requisite for a temporary residence permit. What does it involve?

Does it really include blood tests and x-rays...?

I'm a bit nervous about visiting a Chinese hospital. There's nothing to worry about right?

The physical exam is NOT a visa requirement. It is a Foreign Expert's Office/Affairs requirement. This physical exam is done at the formal provincial clinic, NOT any chinese hospital. Requirements are clearly stated in the form, which you can download from the Foreign Expert's website (or your office should also be able to supply).

It includes blood draw for STD & drug testing (ostensibly opioids), X-ray for TB, EKG, prostate (for men), and a few other tests I can't recall, but which are clearly listed on the formal medical test form, which the clinic must fill out & sign (for each individual test).

The Foreign Expert's application process isn't quite transparent, but this process is well documented.

The clinic - you can try to search through old forums for the address, but your sponsoring office should also have that information.

To reiterate, the process in yunnan was recently overhauled in late 2016 to be compliant and standardized with the evolving national standard.

The process is exceptionally rigorous if not onerous, but given the amount of serious criminal fraud (and underground English teachers posing as students, tourists, and business reps aren't really in this category, but get swept up in the fervor) and abuse by illegal aliens in a country this size, perhaps understandable.

Thanks @michael2015. I appreciate the advice.

As a student, it seems like the medical is a requirement for extending the X1 visa beyond its initial 30 day period. I found some more helpful info here ( www.angloinfo.com/[...] but I'll also speak to my school who hopefully know more.

NOthing to worry about for blood tests and x-rays in Kunming No.2 hospital (personal experience), and I wouldn't worry about the others either.

I would have thought that the first port of call for information would be the Chinese Consulate in LA. They are issuing the visa and they can tell you exactly what THEY want. Anything else is speculation.

In the unlikely event that you are told you need a medical, after you get to Kunming, then there is an official clinic for entry/exit medicals www.gokunming.com/[...] The clinic is about 15 mins walk from the nearest subway station. If you get the health check done at this official clinic, then nobody will question it. I think it cost CNY480 for the full set of required tests. It takes about an hour (they only test mornings), and three days later I collected the report (issuing in afternoons only).