Triage urgency
Emergency symptoms should go straight to urgent or emergency care. Do not wait for a routine appointment if symptoms are severe.
Medical Logistics Guide
How Foreign Visitors Can See a Doctor in China
A practical guide to emergency triage, hospital choices, appointment channels, registration, payment, insurance paperwork, and translation support.
Choose care level
International clinic, international department, public hospital specialist clinic, or emergency department each has different language, cost, and insurance tradeoffs.
Prepare documents
Passport, insurance card, policy hotline, hotel address in Chinese, medication list, allergies, prior test reports, and symptom timeline.
Book appointment
Use official hospital channels, city appointment platforms, insurer assistance, hotel concierge, or hospital international department phone lines.
Register on arrival
Expect registration, outpatient card creation, department selection, queue number, deposit or fee payment, and possible pre-consultation tests.
Pay and document
Confirm mobile wallet, card, cash, insurer direct billing, deposits, invoices, and reimbursement forms before treatment whenever possible.
Close the loop
Request diagnosis notes, prescriptions, lab or imaging reports, invoices, and follow-up instructions before leaving the hospital.
Choose the right door
International clinic vs public hospital vs emergency department
International clinics and international departments are usually easier for English support and insurance coordination, but can cost more. Public hospital specialist clinics may be stronger for certain specialties, but require more language and process preparation. Emergency departments are for urgent medical conditions, not convenience scheduling.
Payment and insurance
Do not assume direct billing works
Some international clinics can coordinate direct billing with selected insurers, but many visits still require upfront payment, deposits, or reimbursement paperwork. Confirm accepted payment methods, request invoices, and keep all medical reports before leaving.
Do not buy treatment claims
No page on this site should promise outcomes, rank doctors by disease, sell prescription drugs, or recommend a treatment path.
Do not skip translation
Prepare short written Chinese notes for symptoms, allergies, medicine names, hotel address, and emergency contact.
Do not leave without records
Insurance claims often need invoices, diagnosis notes, prescriptions, lab reports, and discharge or follow-up instructions.
Source trail
Official and reference links to verify before publishing
- Beijing Medical Guide for Foreigners
- Beijing multilingual appointment support update
- Shanghai global medical service hub update
- Shanghai international medical tourism capacity update
- PBOC payment services guide report
Last verified in this build: 2026-06-12. Hospital processes, appointment channels, payment support, and insurance billing can change.