Directory
Hospitals in China for International Patients
China has tens of thousands of hospitals, but only some are set up to receive patients from abroad. This page explains how the system is organised, what to look for, and which hospitals we have profiled so far.
How hospitals in China are graded
Chinese hospitals are graded by function and scale. Grade I hospitals are primary and community facilities, Grade II hospitals serve a wider district, and Grade III hospitals provide high-level specialist care across a region and carry out teaching and research.[1] Within a grade, hospitals are assigned a class through periodic accreditation. In practice, Grade III, Class A (三级甲等, often shortened to 三甲) is the top tier; accreditation is organised by provincial health authorities against national standards that are revised every few years.[2],[3]
According to the National Health Commission's statistical bulletin, at the end of 2024 China had 38,710 hospitals — 11,754 public and 26,956 private. Of these, 4,111 were Grade III, including 1,876 rated Grade III, Class A.[4]
A grade describes a hospital's scale and scope. It is not a judgement about any individual doctor or treatment, and it does not tell you whether the hospital can serve patients who do not speak Chinese.
International medical departments
Many large public hospitals run an international medical department (国际医疗部) or a special-needs clinic (特需门诊) alongside their general service. What these units offer varies by hospital: some describe separate outpatient and inpatient facilities, English-language booking and direct billing with commercial insurers — see the individual profiles below. National policy limits special services to no more than 10% of a public hospital's total medical services, so capacity is limited.[5]
An official of the National Health Commission has said that foreign patients seen in international departments pay by commercial insurance or out of pocket, not through China's public medical insurance.[6] China also has foreign-invested hospitals and clinics, and since late 2024 has been piloting wholly foreign-owned hospitals in nine cities and regions.[7]
How to evaluate a hospital from abroad
- Does it have an international or special-service department? Check the hospital's own website, not a third-party claim.
- Which languages are actually supported? An English web page does not guarantee an English-speaking clinician. Ask.
- How do you book and pay? Ask about appointment channels, deposits, accepted cards and whether your insurer has a direct-billing agreement.
- Will they review your records first? Some departments will look at records before you travel; many will not. We mark this per hospital.
- Which campus? Large hospitals have several campuses, sometimes far apart. The international department is often on only one of them.
Our guide to how medical care in China works covers registration, payment and records in more detail.
Browse hospitals by city
- 01Beijing 北京How international patients book and pay at Beijing hospitals, based on the city's official guide for foreigners, and the Beijing hospitals we have profiled so far.
- 02Shanghai 上海How international patients register, book and pay at Shanghai hospitals, and the Shanghai hospitals we have profiled so far.
- 03Guangzhou 广州What international patients should know about hospitals in Guangzhou, and the Guangzhou hospitals we have profiled so far.
Hospital profiles
Listed alphabetically. 3 profiles published so far; we add hospitals only once their information is sourced.
- Huashan Hospital, Fudan University 复旦大学附属华山医院 · Shanghai A Grade III, Class A general hospital in central Shanghai whose International Medical Center has offered outpatient and inpatient care to foreign patients since 1989. Grade III, Class A (三级甲等) ✓ International department on official site
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital 北京协和医院 · Beijing A Grade III, Class A general hospital in central Beijing with a separate International Medical Services department that has its own outpatient clinic, emergency room and wards. Grade III, Class A (三级甲等) ✓ International department on official site
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University 中山大学附属第一医院 · Guangzhou A university general hospital in Guangzhou with a private medical service centre on its main campus and an International Medical Center at its Nansha campus, opened in 2023. ✓ International department on official site
What our labels mean
- Identity Verified
- We checked this provider’s legal identity and basic details against official sources. It is not a judgement of clinical quality.
- Contact Confirmed
- An authorised contact at the institution confirmed this profile. It does not guarantee that a treatment is available.
- International Patient Services Confirmed
- The provider confirmed it can currently serve international patients. It does not guarantee acceptance of any individual case.
- Partner Provider
- ChinaMedMap has a commercial relationship with this provider. Partnership does not mean the provider is clinically better than others.
- Sponsored
- This placement is paid for. Payment never changes verification labels or medical content.
A profile without a label has been compiled from official sources but not yet verified by our team. See the verification methodology.
Sources
- 医院分级管理办法（试行草案）, Ministry of Health, 1989 (reprint)Peking University Health Science Center (reprint of Ministry of Health text) · Chinese · dated 1989-11-29 · retrieved 21 September 2026
- 江苏省医院评审办法 (2018)Wuxi Municipal Health Commission · Chinese · dated 2018-07-24 · retrieved 21 September 2026
- 《三级医院评审标准（2020年版）》解读State Council (gov.cn) · Chinese · dated 2020-12-28 · retrieved 21 September 2026
- 2024年我国卫生健康事业发展统计公报National Health Commission · Chinese · dated 2025-12 · retrieved 21 September 2026
- 国办发〔2015〕38号 城市公立医院综合改革试点指导意见 (reprint)State Council General Office (reprinted by Beijing Municipal Government) · Chinese · dated 2015-05-06 · retrieved 21 September 2026
- Xinhua report quoting NHC Medical Administration Bureau on international medical servicesXinhua News Agency · Chinese · dated 2026-01-20 · retrieved 21 September 2026
- China to allow wholly foreign-owned hospitals in nine regions (pilot work plan)State Council (english.www.gov.cn, carrying Xinhua) · English · dated 2024-11-30 · retrieved 21 September 2026
- Beijing government — Medical Guide for ForeignersBeijing Municipal Government · English · retrieved 21 September 2026
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