Pre-Employment Health Check in China (入职体检)
A standard pre-employment health check (入职体检) in China costs roughly ¥100–400 ($15–55) at a public hospital checkup centre, takes about an hour on a fasting morning, and returns a report HR can use in 1–3 working days. If you're a foreign hire on a work (Z) visa, note the trap in the paperwork: the 入职体检 is not the government work-permit medical — that's a separate exam on the standardized 体检表 form, usually done at an International Travel Healthcare Center (ITHC) for roughly ¥300–700. Many foreign employees need both, and they are not interchangeable.
Budget ¥100–400 at a public hospital checkup centre for the company onboarding physical (¥600–1,500 at private/international clinics), and — if you're on a Z visa — plan the separate ITHC work-permit medical (~¥300–700) as well. Ask HR two questions before booking: which exams they need, and how recent the report must be (3–6 months validity is typical; some companies want 1–3).
Two different exams — don't book the wrong one
This is the single most common mix-up for foreign hires, and the reason offers stall at the residence-permit stage:
| 入职体检 (company onboarding physical) | Work-permit medical (体检表) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who requires it | Your employer's HR policy | Government (work permit / residence permit) |
| Where it's done | Any hospital checkup centre or clinic HR accepts | Normally an ITHC (International Travel Healthcare Center); other reports often need notarization or re-verification |
| Cost | ¥100–400 public · ¥600–1,500 private | ¥300–700 by city and add-ons |
| Output | Hospital checkup report (usually Chinese) | Stamped Physical Examination Record for Foreigner + health certificate, typically ~4 working days |
| Covered in depth | This page | China visa medical exam guide |
If HR simply says "go do a 体检," ask which of the two they mean. Some employers accept the ITHC medical as covering both purposes; others insist on their own onboarding panel too, especially state-owned enterprises, schools, and food-industry roles (which may additionally require a health certificate 健康证 — a third, food-safety-specific document).
What the 入职体检 includes
Panels vary slightly by hospital and employer, but a standard onboarding package looks like this:
| Component | What's checked |
|---|---|
| Vitals & basics | Height, weight, blood pressure; vision and color-vision (relevant for driving/technical roles) |
| Physician exam | Internal medicine + surgical exam (heart/lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, spine and limbs); ENT at some centres |
| Blood tests | Blood routine (CBC) and liver function (ALT); some packages add fasting glucose and lipids |
| Urine | Urine routine |
| Imaging & cardiac | Chest X-ray and resting ECG; abdominal ultrasound in fuller packages |
Two legal protections worth knowing. Since 2010, Chinese regulations prohibit mandatory hepatitis B testing (HBsAg) as a hiring condition for ordinary jobs — checkup centres routinely omit it from 入职 panels, and an employer demanding it for a normal office role is out of step with the rules. Similarly, pregnancy status may not be used as a hiring condition. If a panel you're handed includes items you're not comfortable with, you can raise it with HR — the standard panel above satisfies the typical policy.
Where to do it, and what it costs
| Route | 2026 planning range | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Public hospital checkup centre (体检中心) | ¥100–400 | Default route — fast, cheap, report accepted by virtually all employers; Chinese-language environment |
| Dedicated checkup chains (Meinian 美年, iKang 爱康国宾) | ¥150–600 | Employer-arranged batch checks; heavy WeChat booking; results in an app |
| Private / international clinics | ¥600–1,500 | You want English end to end and a same-visit English report — see English-speaking hospital routes |
Booking works like any checkup: WeChat mini-program, hospital app, or walk-in registration on a fasting morning — the full playbook is in our appointment-booking guide. Bring your passport; arrive before 9:30am so blood draws are processed same-day. The report is usually in Chinese at public centres — if your HR is overseas or you want the results for your own records, an English report or translation can be arranged (see getting results in English).
Timing, validity, and what HR actually wants
- Exam time: ~1 hour for the standard panel, fasting from midnight (water is fine — details in the prep checklist).
- Report turnaround: 1–3 working days at public centres; many hospitals push an e-report through their WeChat account you can forward to HR directly.
- Validity window: most employers accept a report issued within 3–6 months; conservative HR policies want 1–3 months. A recent comprehensive checkup report often substitutes — ask before paying for a duplicate panel.
- Foreign hires: sequence matters. The ITHC work-permit medical feeds the residence-permit clock, so book it first (slots and the ~4-day certificate are the bottleneck); the 入职体检 can be done any morning after arrival. City specifics: Shanghai ITHC · Guangzhou ITHC.
Upgrading: onboarding check vs a real annual physical
The 入职体检 is a compliance document, not a health assessment — the panel is deliberately minimal. If you're relocating to China anyway, the pragmatic move many expats make is to upgrade the same morning: a Grade IIIA health-management-centre comprehensive package (roughly $200–500) covers the entire onboarding panel and adds the imaging and labs that actually tell you something — see the annual physical cost guide and the full cost guide for what each tier buys. One visit, one fasting morning, both boxes ticked.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pre-employment health check cost in China?
Roughly ¥100–400 ($15–55) at a public hospital checkup centre as a 2026 planning range; ¥600–1,500 at private or international clinics. The separate ITHC work-permit medical for Z-visa holders runs about ¥300–700.
Is the 入职体检 the same as the work-visa medical exam?
No. The onboarding physical is an employer requirement done at a hospital of your choice; the work-permit medical is a government exam on the standardized 体检表 form, normally done at an ITHC. Many foreign hires need both — confirm with HR which they mean.
What tests are included?
Vitals, vision, internal-medicine and surgical exam, blood routine, urine routine, liver function (ALT), chest X-ray, and ECG; fuller packages add ultrasound and fasting labs. Mandatory hepatitis B testing for ordinary hiring has been prohibited since 2010.
How recent must the report be, and how fast are results?
Most employers accept reports issued within 3–6 months (some want 1–3 — ask HR). The exam takes about an hour; reports arrive in 1–3 working days, often as an e-report via WeChat.