Journey To ChinaLast updated
International visitors can use emergency and outpatient medical services in China. Call 120 for a life-threatening emergency. For a stable illness or injury, take the passport to a nearby hospital and register as a self-paying patient. Large public hospitals organise care by department, appointment and queue number.
Emergency care and 120
Call 120 immediately for loss of consciousness, severe breathing difficulty, intense chest pain, heavy bleeding, major trauma or another potentially life-threatening condition. Give the city, full address, floor or entrance, main symptoms, whether the patient is conscious and breathing normally, and a number that can receive a return call. Hotel staff can explain the address in Chinese and meet the ambulance at the entrance.
The call itself is free. Ambulance transport, pre-hospital care, tests or treatment during the journey, medicines and supplies are charged under local rules. China has no single national ambulance tariff; cities commonly combine a starting charge with distance and the treatment actually provided.
Beijing's published example is CNY 70 for transport within three kilometres, then CNY 7 for each additional kilometre, plus CNY 80 for emergency pre-hospital care. A ten-kilometre journey would therefore be about CNY 199 before any added tests, medicines or supplies. This shows the likely scale only; the city, distance and treatment determine the actual bill.
This differs from the United States, where a ground-ambulance bill is often hundreds or more than a thousand US dollars. Chinese city tariffs commonly start with much lower transport, distance and treatment charges. Do not let the expected American cost of an ambulance delay a 120 call during a life-threatening emergency.
Choosing a public hospital
For non-emergency care, start with a nearby public Class III Grade A hospital that has the right department. This is the highest tier in China's hospital classification system: Class III means the hospital provides a high level of comprehensive or specialist care, while Grade A is the higher assessment tier within that class.
These hospitals usually have broad specialist coverage and major diagnostic equipment, which helps when a condition requires specialist tests or coordination between departments. Public specialist hospitals can also be suitable for ophthalmology, dentistry, obstetrics, paediatrics or infectious diseases. Check the campus as well as the hospital name because different branches can serve different departments.
Secondary and other public hospitals can treat common conditions and provide basic tests. A private hospital is generally a fallback when no suitable Class III Grade A public hospital is nearby and the private facility is the closest practical option. It may have a shorter queue than a large public hospital, but consultations, tests and treatment usually cost more.
Booking with a passport
Hospitals commonly open appointments through an official WeChat account or Mini Program, an Alipay Mini Program, their own app or website. Ordinary outpatient appointments are often available a few days ahead and, where capacity remains, on the same day. Specialist appointments are fewer and usually need earlier booking. Select the correct campus, department, date and doctor; a specialist appointment also has a higher registration fee.
Visitors without a local social-security card can choose Passport as the document type and create a self-paying patient record. Enter the name, passport number, date of birth and nationality exactly as shown in the passport. Some hospitals complete this online; others ask a first-time visitor to bring the original passport to the registration or general-service desk and create a patient card in person.
On the appointment day, follow the app or text-message instructions to collect or activate the queue number and verify the identity. The hospital may issue a paper number or use an electronic one. Then go to the named floor and waiting area for the number to appear on a screen or be called.
Consultation and tests
Tell the doctor when the symptoms began, how they changed, any pain or fever, medicines already taken, known allergies and important medical history. A short bilingual note and the generic names and doses of regular medicines can make the conversation faster.
Most ordinary consultations and common blood, urine, ECG, X-ray and some CT tests can be completed on the same day. After the consultation, pay for the tests in the hospital Mini Program, at a self-service machine or at a staffed counter, then go to the specified testing area. Return to the doctor as instructed when the results are ready.
MRI, endoscopy, tests needing special preparation and specialist procedures may require another appointment. Large hospitals often schedule these within several days to about a week, depending on the procedure and available slots. Ask about the earliest test, how to receive the report and whether a new follow-up appointment is needed.
Typical medical costs
Public hospitals usually bill registration or consultation, laboratory tests, imaging, medicines and treatment separately. A visitor without local health-insurance settlement pays the self-pay price.
Beijing's published fees at Class III hospitals provide one reference point: CNY 50 for an ordinary outpatient appointment, CNY 60 for an associate chief physician, CNY 80 for a chief physician and CNY 100 for a well-known specialist. These charges cover registration or consultation only; tests, medicines and treatment are additional, and other cities use different tariffs.
Imaging prices vary by city, body area and equipment. Published Shanghai public-hospital prices place a single-area non-contrast CT at roughly CNY 170–200, a contrast CT at CNY 270–300 and a single-area MRI at about CNY 260–460. Contrast agents, special imaging and additional body areas can add to the bill.
For scale, China's average outpatient cost in the first nine months of 2025 was about CNY 377 at Class III public hospitals and CNY 232 at Class II public hospitals, though an individual bill can be much higher or lower. A US office visit commonly has a total cost in the hundreds of dollars; an ordinary Chinese public-hospital registration is usually tens of yuan, while a visit with basic tests is often hundreds of yuan. The insurance systems and billing units differ, so these are not like-for-like quotations.
Language and translation
Doctors and nurses at large Class III Grade A public hospitals often have some medical English ability. Some public hospitals also have an international department, English-language clinic or interpreting service. Ask the relevant department whether English consultation is available and whether it carries an extra charge.
Where direct English conversation is difficult, use a translation app for the location and duration of pain, medicine names, allergies and previous diagnoses. Present one point at a time so both sides can confirm it. For surgery, anaesthesia, major risks or medication changes, ask the medical team to explain the essential information clearly.
Some doctors offer follow-up through the hospital's online clinic, a patient group or WeChat. If the doctor provides a WeChat contact, written messages and WeChat's translation can support communication. Follow-up appointments, prescriptions and diagnoses should still use the channels accepted by the hospital.
Insurance and medical records
Foreign social health insurance normally cannot be settled at a public-hospital counter like a Chinese local health-insurance card. Travel or international medical insurance may reimburse the bill later, and a small number of insurers and medical facilities offer direct billing depending on the policy network, deductible and pre-authorisation rules.
Contact the insurer's travel-assistance line to confirm any preferred hospital and required paperwork. Hospitals can provide the outpatient record or diagnosis, test reports, prescription, itemised bill and official receipts. Many documents can be viewed, downloaded or printed through a machine, service counter or hospital Mini Program. English certificates, imaging media and extra translation may carry separate charges.
Before leaving, check that the name and passport number are correct and confirm how to obtain any report that is still pending. Store the documents securely and submit them later under the insurer's rules, exchange rate and reimbursement limits.
