How to See a Doctor in China as a Foreigner

Key takeaways

• Pick the hospital type first: a public hospital's general clinic, its International Medical Department (VIP clinic), or a private international hospital. Each has a different price, waiting time and language level.
• Register with the same passport you will carry on the day, and keep your patient number once the hospital creates it.
• Treat the appointment time as a check-in window, not an exact start time.
• Tests and medicines are usually ordered and paid for separately after the consultation, and results may come back later that day or on another date.
• Before you leave, make sure you know the diagnosis (or what is still uncertain), how to take your medicines, how results will be reviewed and which symptoms mean you should come back urgently.

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Most international patients expect the medicine to be the unfamiliar part. What actually surprises them is the rhythm of a Chinese hospital visit: register, see the doctor, pay for an order, do the test, come back with the result. Each step can take place at a different counter, on a different floor, at a different time.

The system is fast and efficient once you understand it. This guide walks through each stage so you know what to expect and what to prepare.

Step 1: Choose the right kind of hospital

Public tertiary hospitals ("3A" hospitals) are the largest and best-equipped hospitals in China. They have the widest range of specialists and see very large numbers of patients. General outpatient clinics are inexpensive, but they are busy, consultations are short and staff rarely speak English.

International Medical Departments (国际医疗部) and VIP clinics (特需门诊) operate inside many major public hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other large cities. You see the same senior doctors in a quieter setting, with longer consultations, shorter waits and often some English-speaking staff. Fees are significantly higher.

Private international hospitals and clinics are designed around foreign patients. They usually offer English-speaking doctors, direct billing with some international insurers and a more familiar experience. They are the most expensive option, and for complex conditions they may refer you to a public hospital.

When you choose, think about:

• How specialised your problem is. Complex or rare conditions are often best handled at the top public hospital for that specialty.
• How much language support you need.
• Your budget and whether your insurer has a direct-billing network.
• How quickly you need to be seen.

Step 2: Book an appointment

Most public hospitals take bookings through their official WeChat account, a mini-program in WeChat or Alipay, their own app, or a city-wide appointment platform. Popular specialists can be fully booked days or weeks ahead.

To register, you will usually need:

• Your passport (choose "passport" as the document type, not a Chinese ID card)
• Your name exactly as it appears in the passport, in the same order
• A phone number that can receive verification codes, often a Chinese mobile number
• A way to pay the registration fee, usually WeChat Pay or Alipay

Use the same spelling of your name everywhere. A missing middle name or a swapped surname can create two separate records, which scatters your test results and bills.

If online booking does not accept your passport, call the hospital or its international department. Walk-in registration at the counter is still possible at most hospitals, but popular clinics may already be full.

Step 3: Prepare before the day

A short, well-organised file helps the doctor far more than a thick stack of papers. Bring:

• A one-page summary of your problem: main symptoms, when they started and what has been tried
• A list of current medicines with generic names, doses and how often you take them
• Allergies and any serious past reactions
• The reports that relate directly to this visit, ideally with a translation
• Original imaging files (DICOM) on a USB drive or disc if the doctor needs to see your scans
• A short list of your questions, most important first

Check the hospital name and the exact campus. Many hospital groups run several locations, and a booking at one campus is not valid at another.

Step 4: Check in at the hospital

On your first visit, arrive early. The hospital may need to create your patient record, verify your passport and take payment before you can join the queue.

Depending on the hospital, check-in may happen at a registration counter, an international service desk, a self-service kiosk or inside the hospital app. Staff will usually ask for your appointment code, passport and phone number. Keep any paper slip or digital queue number you receive.

Large hospitals spread outpatient clinics, imaging, laboratories and the pharmacy across several buildings. Take a screenshot of your department name in Chinese and ask staff to point out the building and floor. Hospital volunteers in vests are usually happy to help.

If the screen says you are absent, ask whether there is a separate arrival step. An online booking does not always put you into the doctor's live queue by itself.

Step 5: The consultation

Many clinics check your blood pressure, temperature or weight before you see the doctor. If your symptoms have become much worse since you booked, tell the nurse immediately.

Consultations at busy public clinics can be short, sometimes only a few minutes. Use the time well:

• Start with why you came: "I want to know whether I need surgery" or "I need a second opinion on this result."
• Give the timeline with dates, and hand over your one-page summary with the most important report on top.
• Ask the doctor to write down the diagnosis and medicine names.

If you have an interpreter, they should translate in the first person and let you answer for yourself. If you are asked to sign a consent form, make sure you understand the purpose, the main risks and the alternatives before you sign.

Step 6: Orders, payment and tests

After the consultation, the doctor enters orders into the system: blood tests, imaging, medicines or a referral. In most public hospitals, each order must be paid for before it is carried out. You can usually pay at a kiosk, in the app or at a payment counter.

Before you walk away, ask:

• Where is the test done?
• Do I need to fast or prepare in any way?
• When will the result be ready?
• Who will explain the result to me?

Some results appear in the app or can be printed at a kiosk. Others must be collected from the department. A doctor may repeat a test you had elsewhere if the method, image quality or timing makes the earlier result unreliable.

Step 7: Going back with your results

A test order does not automatically include a second review by the doctor. Depending on the hospital, you may:

• Return to the same clinic later the same day
• Book a separate follow-up appointment
• Use an online follow-up service
• Seek urgent care if a result is flagged as critical

Write down which route applies before you leave. If you are travelling on to another city, arrange in advance who will review results that arrive after you go.

Step 8: Collecting your medicines

Hospital pharmacies dispense prescriptions written by that hospital's doctors, usually after payment. At the window, check the patient name, the generic medicine name, the dose, the form and the quantity.

Ask how long to take the medicine, what to do if you miss a dose and whether it interacts with anything you already take. Brand names in China may differ from those abroad, so take a photo of the label and keep the printed prescription.

Before you leave the hospital

Check that you can explain, in your own words:

• What the doctor considers confirmed, and what is still uncertain
• Which medicines to start or stop
• Which test or appointment comes next
• When and how your results will be reviewed
• Which symptoms mean you should seek urgent care

Keep every invoice, receipt and report. You will need them for insurance claims and for your doctor at home.

How we can help

Our coordinators help you choose the right hospital and department, book appointments with your passport, meet you on the day, guide you between counters, interpret during the consultation and translate your reports afterwards, in English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, French, Spanish, German and Arabic.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Hospital procedures vary by institution and change over time. In an emergency, call 120.