Short answer
You do not need special permission or a special visa to be treated in China. Walk into a public hospital with your passport and you will be seen. The system is built for local patients, though, so the language and the queueing are the real obstacles — not access.
For anything serious, go to a public hospital. China's best specialists and equipment are there, and prices are low by Western standards. For English-language service and a calmer experience, look for a hospital's international or VIP department (国际部 / 特需门诊), or a private international hospital — same specialists in the first case, much higher fees in both.
Expect to pay before each step: registration, then tests, then medicine. Most public hospitals do not bill your insurer directly. In a genuine emergency, dial 120 for an ambulance, or take a taxi if that is faster.
Which kind of care do you need?
Decide this first, because it changes everything downstream — where you go, what you pay and how long you wait.
| Option | Good for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy (药店) | Colds, headaches, stomach upset, minor allergies | No diagnosis; staff rarely speak English (see our pharmacy guide) |
| Public hospital, ordinary outpatient | Anything needing a doctor, tests or imaging | Cheap and competent, but crowded and mostly Chinese-language |
| Public hospital, international / VIP department | English support, shorter waits, seeing a senior specialist quickly | Registration fees several times the standard tier |
| Private international hospital | 24/7 emergency, English throughout, insurance direct billing | Highest cost; the right answer mainly if your insurer covers it |
| Emergency department (急诊) | Chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke signs, heavy bleeding, major injury | Go now — do not shop around for a nicer hospital |
120 or go straight to the nearest emergency department. Emergencies are stabilised first; payment discussion comes after.
How a hospital visit actually works
Chinese hospitals are department-based and run on a step-by-step, pay-as-you-go flow. Understanding the sequence is most of the battle.
- Choose the department, not just the hospitalYou register with a department — internal medicine, dermatology, orthopaedics. Pick wrong and you will be sent back to registration.
- Register (挂号, guàhào)This assigns you a department, a doctor tier and a queue slot. Do it at the desk, at a self-service machine, or through the hospital's app or WeChat mini-programme.
- Create a patient profile with your passportYou will need your passport number, and often a Chinese mobile number for verification. Photograph your passport and insurance details in advance.
- Pay the registration feePaid up front, before you see anyone. Standard outpatient registration is inexpensive; international and VIP departments charge several times more.
- See the doctorConsultations are short by Western standards. Bring a symptom list written in Chinese if you can, a translation app helps.
- Pay for tests or imaging before they happenThe doctor orders them; you pay at a cashier or kiosk; only then do you go to the lab or imaging room.
- Collect results, then collect medicineResults are often ready within a couple of hours. Prescriptions are filled at the hospital pharmacy, and you pay before pickup.
Department cheat sheet
| What's wrong | Ask for |
|---|---|
| Fever, cough, stomach pain, general unwellness | Internal medicine / general medicine |
| Child illness | Paediatrics |
| Chest pain, palpitations, known heart condition | Cardiology (or emergency) |
| Bones, joints, sports injury | Orthopaedics |
| Rash, skin problem | Dermatology |
| Eye problem | Ophthalmology |
| Dental pain | Dentistry / stomatology |
| Pregnancy or gynaecological issue | Obstetrics and gynaecology |
Paying for care
This is where foreign visitors get caught out. Chinese hospitals are not set up to bill an overseas insurer and send you on your way.
- Pay as you go. Registration, each test and each medicine are separate payments. Budget for several transactions per visit.
- Alipay and WeChat Pay both work at hospital cashiers, and both accept foreign-issued cards once your identity is verified. Set them up before you need them, see paying in China.
- Cash in RMB remains a legitimate fallback. If a card or QR payment fails at a particular counter, cash usually does not.
- Inpatient admission needs a deposit. A hospital will ask for an advance payment on or shortly after admission, settled against the final bill at discharge. Ask the admissions desk what the deposit is and how it can be paid.
- Keep every receipt. You will need the itemised bills and reports to claim anything back.
Ambulances and emergency numbers
China has no single emergency number. You dial by problem, and all the calls are free.
- 120, medical emergency / ambulance
- 110, police
- 119, fire and rescue
- 122, traffic accidents
Dispatchers generally speak Mandarin and English support is not guaranteed; it is more likely in Beijing and Shanghai than elsewhere. Have your exact address written in Chinese ready to read out, and use a translation app on speaker if you need to. Ambulance transport is charged, typically settled at the hospital; it is not a free public service. The dispatcher normally routes you to the nearest suitable hospital and may override your preference.
If you can reach a hospital faster by taxi or ride-hailing, that is a legitimate choice. Show the driver 请送我去最近的医院, "please take me to the nearest hospital".
Insurance and medication you bring with you
- Travel insurance is not required to enter China, but going without it is a real risk. Look for a policy with high medical limits and, critically, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation cover, evacuation can cost more than the treatment.
- Check whether your policy pays private hospitals. If it only reimburses, assume you will pay everything up front and claim afterwards.
- Bring your own regular medication in its original packaging with the prescription, and a doctor's letter for anything unusual. A personal supply for the trip is normal; check China's controlled-substances rules before you fly, because some common Western medicines are restricted.
- Note the generic name of anything you take. Brand names differ in China, and you may need to explain it at a pharmacy.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners use Chinese public hospitals?
Yes. Public hospitals treat foreign patients as a matter of course, bring your passport. The barriers are language and the unfamiliar process, not eligibility. Your passport is the identity document used to create the patient record.
Do I need to book an appointment in advance?
Not always, but it helps. Many public hospitals allow online or app-based registration, and their international departments usually have their own booking line or desk. Popular specialists sell out, so book ahead if the visit is not urgent. For an emergency, walk in.
What is an international or VIP department?
A premium service tier inside a public hospital, the same institution and often the same senior doctors, but with longer appointments, less queueing, some English support and sometimes insurance direct billing. The registration fee is typically several times the standard outpatient fee.
Do I have to pay before treatment?
For outpatient care, yes, registration, then tests, then medicine are paid separately as you go. Emergency care is stabilised first, with payment dealt with afterwards. Inpatient admission requires an advance deposit, reconciled against the final bill at discharge.
Can I pay a Chinese hospital with a foreign credit card?
Often yes, through Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your foreign card, which hospital cashiers accept. Direct card acceptance at the counter varies by hospital. Carry some RMB cash as a fallback, and set up the payment apps before you travel.
Will the doctor speak English?
Sometimes, more often at international departments and in major cities, and less so at ordinary outpatient clinics. Assume you may need a translation app, and write your symptoms out in advance. Some hospitals can arrange an interpreter if you ask ahead.
What does an ambulance cost in China?
Ambulance transport is charged, usually paid at the hospital, and the amount varies by city and distance. Calling 120 itself is free. If traffic makes a taxi faster, that is a reasonable alternative.
Does my home health insurance work in China?
Usually as reimbursement, not direct billing. Most public hospitals will not bill an overseas insurer, so expect to pay up front and claim afterwards with itemised receipts and medical reports. Confirm your policy's evacuation cover before you rely on it.
Related reading
Hospital workflows, emergency numbers and payment practice follow official city government guidance (english.shanghai.gov.cn, english.beijing.gov.cn) and current hospital-patient guides, and are current as of September 2026. Fees, English-language availability, insurance direct-billing arrangements and ambulance charges vary by hospital and city, confirm the specifics with the hospital or your insurer before you rely on them.