Plan your trip
Planning your trip for treatment in China
Draft: visa and payment details to be checked before launch
What to prepare
- Passport. International departments register foreign patients with their passport.
- Medical records: diagnosis, recent test results, scans on disc or as files, and a list of current medicines. English is fine.
- The hospital’s written opinion and itemised quote. We suggest not booking flights until you have it.
Visa and entry
- Visa rules change. Check the current requirements with the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country before you apply.
- If you need an invitation letter, the hospital’s international department can issue one. We can ask them for you.
Paying hospital bills
- Hospitals usually accept bank cards and bank transfers. Foreign bank cards can be linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay for day-to-day spending.
- Most hospitals ask for a deposit on admission. The amount is in the hospital’s quote.
Food, prayer and language
- Many large Chinese cities have halal restaurants. Ask the international department before you travel whether the hospital can arrange halal meals.
- Ask the international department about interpreters and a quiet room for prayer.
After you go home
- Ask for an English discharge summary and copies of your scans before you leave.
- Ask how to contact the treating doctor for follow-up questions.