How do I see a doctor in China if I am a foreign visitor?
The short answer
You can be seen at a public or private hospital without being a resident, and you pay for the visit yourself. The practical sequence is the same almost everywhere: choose the hospital and the department, register for an outpatient slot (this is the step called guahao), see the doctor, pay for any tests before they are carried out, return with the results, then collect medicines from the hospital pharmacy. What actually varies between hospitals is language support, which booking channel accepts a passport, and whether you are entering an ordinary, VIP or international department — and those three things change the price substantially.
Guide last reviewed:
Who this applies to
Short-stay visitors and people arriving specifically for care, paying out of pocket.
Mainland China. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan run separate health systems and are not covered here.
Planned outpatient care. In an emergency, Beijing’s official guide gives (+8610) 120 for pre-hospital emergency services; call first and settle the administration afterwards.
Step by step
1 Decide the hospital tier before you pick a name
China grades hospitals in three tiers, and tertiary hospitals are the highest tier; there were 4,111 of them nationwide at the end of 2024. Shanghai’s municipal guide describes the same idea as a city, district and neighbourhood network. A famous tertiary hospital is not automatically the right choice for a routine problem, and it will usually be the most crowded. Pick the tier that matches the problem, then pick the institution.
City News Service, republished by Shanghai municipal government · Source checked:
2 Work out which department and service you are entering
Inside one public hospital there can be ordinary departments, VIP departments and an international department, each with its own fee. Shanghai’s guide notes that almost all district- and city-level public hospitals have VIP departments. PUMCH’s own outpatient notice separates ordinary, special and international services, and even sets out different arrangements for commercial-insurance registration. The hospital name therefore does not tell you what you are buying; the department does.
Peking Union Medical College Hospital · Source checked:
3 Register (guahao) through a channel that accepts your passport
Registration is a separate, paid step before you see anyone. Beijing publishes the 114 appointment platform and an “International Service Beijing” mini program on WeChat and Alipay with an English switch. Shanghai’s guide lists appointments in person, by hotline and through the hospital’s own WeChat account. Ask the institution directly which of its channels will accept your passport rather than assuming any of them will — this is the step most likely to fail for a first-time visitor.
City News Service, republished by Shanghai municipal government · Source checked:
4 Expect to pay before each test, not after the visit
Chinese hospitals generally take payment at each stage: registration first, then each imaging or laboratory test before it is performed, then the pharmacy. Alipay and WeChat Pay accept linked Visa and Mastercard credit cards, and the single-transaction limit for overseas visitors is now 5,000 US dollars with an annual cap of 50,000. Set this up before you travel and carry some cash; do not plan on paying a hospital in US dollars or euros.
Ask what the diagnosis and any test results say, in what language the report is issued, whether you can get a copy or an English summary, and how a follow-up would be booked and billed. If you will continue treatment at home, ask for imaging files and laboratory values rather than only a conclusion. A verbal explanation during a short consultation is not a record your own clinician can act on.
City News Service, republished by Shanghai municipal government · Source checked:
Worked examples
What ordinary registration actually costs
Shanghai’s municipal guide gives 25 yuan for a city-level public hospital, 18 yuan at district level and 10 yuan at a neighbourhood health centre, while private hospitals run from several hundred to over 1,000 yuan. Those are registration fees only — the consultation is the cheapest part of the day.
Our Beijing price references show the published ordinary consultation fee alongside PUMCH’s international general medicine sessions and Beijing United Family’s primary outpatient visit. The gap between them is a choice about department and service, not about medical quality.
We do not book appointments, contact hospitals on your behalf or recommend a doctor.
Published prices are references with dates and scopes, not quotes for your visit.
Availability of English-speaking staff varies by hospital, department and day, and is not guaranteed by a hospital being listed as offering foreign-language services.
This page explains administration. Whether a treatment is right for you is a decision for a qualified clinician who has seen your records.
Common questions
Do I need to be a resident or have Chinese insurance to be treated?
No. Foreign visitors can use public and private hospitals in China. You pay as a self-paying patient: China’s basic medical insurance is for people enrolled in it, and a visitor is not. Budget for the full published fee rather than any insured contribution.
Can I just walk in without an appointment?
Often yes for ordinary outpatient departments, but you still have to register and pay before being seen, and the busiest tertiary hospitals may have no slots left for sought-after departments. Booking ahead through an official channel is more reliable, and it is the only way to confirm in advance that your passport will be accepted.
What is guahao?
Guahao is the registration step that buys you a numbered outpatient slot with a department or a named doctor. It is paid, it is separate from the consultation itself, and its price differs between ordinary, VIP and international services.
Will the hospital speak English?
Beijing’s municipal guide lists major hospitals offering full-process foreign-language services, and international departments are generally set up for it. Ordinary departments frequently are not. Ask the institution about language support for the consultation, the test instructions and the written report as three separate questions.
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