Plan your trip
Insurance, payment, visas and where to stay: what a treatment trip to China involves
Most people who look at treatment in China get stuck on the same practical questions: will my insurance pay, how do I pay a Chinese hospital, do I need a visa, how long do I stay and when can I fly home. This section answers them with official sources, dated October 2026. Policies change, so check the linked sources before you book.
- 30 days
- UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand: visa-free stay per entry, for listed purposes, until 31 Dec 2026China MFA
- 240 hours
- US and 56 other countries: visa-free transit with a confirmed onward ticket to a third countryNational Immigration Administration
- USD 5,000
- Foreign cards linked to Alipay / WeChat Pay: limit per paymentPBOC, 2024
- 10 days
- UK CAA guidance: avoid flying after abdominal surgery for
Insurance & payment
Assume you are paying yourself, then check what can be claimed
US Medicare usually doesn’t cover care outside the US, the NHS S2 route doesn’t apply outside Europe, and Australia’s Medicare doesn’t cover you overseas. Most travel insurance excludes planned treatment. Some international health plans settle bills directly with hospitals in China, and large hospitals take foreign Visa and Mastercard.
Visa & entry
Visa-free entry has a list of purposes, and medical treatment isn’t on it
UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges or transit. US citizens are not on that list. For a hospital stay or longer treatment, China’s visa centres list the S2 visa (up to 180 days) with a hospital diagnosis or admission letter.
Travel & stay
Your surgeon decides when you fly; plan the stay around that
Official guidance ranges from 24 hours after a colonoscopy or cataract surgery to about 10 days after abdominal surgery, and some hospitals advise waiting 3 months before long flights after a hip or knee replacement. Book flights you can change, and stay near the hospital for the follow-up check.
We handle the China part
One coordinator from the first message to your follow-up at home
We confirm the hospital, the price and the dates in writing before you book, get the hospital letter you need for a visa, meet you at the airport, arrange a hotel near the hospital, put an interpreter beside you at every appointment, help with payment, translate your reports into English and stay in touch after you fly home.
How a treatment trip comes together
- 1
Tell us what you need
Your treatment, your reports if you have them, and when you could travel. If you’re not sure what you need yet, say so.
- 2
Written plan and price
We come back with the hospital, the expected number of days and trips, and an itemised price, before you spend anything.
- 3
Check cover and visa
Ask your insurer in writing what, if anything, they will reimburse. We provide the hospital letter if you need an S2 visa.
- 4
Book flexible travel
Flights you can change, and a hotel near the hospital for the whole stay including the follow-up check.
- 5
Treatment and fit-to-fly check
Your surgeon confirms when you can fly. You leave with your reports in English and a follow-up plan.
Planning questions
Does health insurance cover medical treatment in China?
Usually not for planned treatment. Medicare.gov says Medicare usually doesn’t cover health care outside the US; the NHS says the S2 and EU directive routes don’t apply outside Europe; Services Australia says Medicare won’t cover you overseas. Some international health plans pay hospitals in China directly. Ask your insurer in writing before you book.
Can you pay at Chinese hospitals with foreign cards or cash?
Yes at large hospitals. Beijing’s official medical guide lists Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and cash, and a 2024 State Council measure requires hospitals to accept bank cards, mobile payment and cash. You can also link a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay, up to USD 5,000 per payment.
Do you need a medical visa for treatment in China?
Visa-free entry for UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens lists business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit, not medical treatment. China’s visa centres list the S2 visa for medical treatment, with a hospital diagnosis or admission letter. Check with the Chinese embassy for your situation before you book.
How long after surgery can you fly home?
It depends on the operation and is your surgeon’s decision. The UK Civil Aviation Authority advises avoiding flights for 10 days after abdominal surgery and 24 hours after a colonoscopy; airline guidance based on IATA accepts cataract and laser eye surgery after 24 hours. One NHS orthopaedic hospital advises waiting 3 months after a hip or knee replacement before flights over 4 hours.
Nothing here fits?
Not sure what’s wrong, or just want to feel better? Ask a Chinese medicine doctor
Chinese medicine looks at the whole body rather than one diagnosis. Describe what’s going on and a Chinese medicine doctor at a partner hospital emails you their reading and suggestions. It’s free.
Questions patients ask
- Why Is US Healthcare So Expensive? Prices, Insurance, Options
Why US healthcare costs twice as much per person as peer countries, what ER visits and hospital days cost, how to get a price upfront, and when abroad fits in.
- Where to Stay Near Hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai
Where patients stay near big hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai, rough nightly costs, caregiver fees, family rules on the ward and what to check before you book.
- What a Procedure Really Costs in the US, and How to Ask
What US surgery, scans, ER visits and hospital stays cost with and without insurance, which separate fees to expect, and how to get a written estimate first.
- US Health Insurance Costs: Premiums, Deductibles, Out-of-Pocket
What US health insurance costs per month and per year, how deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums work, what Medicare costs, and when cash is cheaper.
- Travel Insurance With Pre-Existing Conditions, Over 70 or Cancer
How travel insurers treat pre-existing conditions, travellers over 70 and cancer, where to find specialist cover, and what no standard policy will pay for.
- Travel Insurance for a Medical Trip to China: What It Covers
Why standard travel insurance excludes planned treatment abroad, what specialist medical travel cover and international health plans do, and what to ask before a trip to China.
Show all 27 articles
- Recovery After Surgery Abroad: Hotel, Apartment or Recovery House
Where patients recover after surgery abroad, when a recovery house is worth it, what packages include, rough costs in China and what to pack for the stay.
- NHS, Canada and Australia Waiting Lists vs Private Cover
Official waiting times in England, Canada and Australia, what private health insurance costs and excludes, what paying yourself costs, and when to look abroad.
- Paying for Treatment Abroad: Installments, Loans and Cards
Whether hospitals abroad offer payment plans, how medical credit cards and loans work, what card travel insurance covers, and how to pay a large hospital bill in China.
- Paying a Chinese Hospital: Foreign Cards, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cash
How foreign patients pay Chinese hospitals: which cards large hospitals accept, Alipay and WeChat Pay limits for foreign cards, cash rules, deposits and what to set up before you fly.
- Does Medicare Cover Treatment in China? Advantage and Medigap Too
What Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medigap pay for care abroad, how foreign claims work, and what planned treatment in China costs if you self-pay.
- Medical Trip to China Budget: Flights, Hotels, Food and Care
What a medical trip to China costs beyond treatment: flights, hotels near the hospital, caregivers and payment fees, and how it compares with Turkey or Korea.
- Medical Bills and Debt: Financial Assistance and Payment Plans
How to get hospital financial assistance, check an itemized bill, negotiate a payment plan, and what happens to unpaid US medical bills and your credit report.
- International Health Insurance Direct Billing in China
Where international health insurance can direct-bill hospitals in China, how pre-authorisation works, how to claim if you pay upfront, and what visitors pay.
- Prior Authorization Delays: How Long Insurance Approval Takes
How long US prior authorization takes before surgery or a scan, the legal decision deadlines, what to do when approval stalls or is denied, and the self-pay route.
- How to Plan a Medical Trip to China, Step by Step
How to plan a medical trip to China: the order to do things in, packages versus booking yourself, travelling with a companion, where to stay and airport help.
- How Much Does Medical Care Cost in China for Foreigners?
What foreign patients pay in Chinese hospitals: doctor visits, scans, checkups, dental, joint and spine surgery, IVF and more, with how prices compare with the US and UK.
- How Long to Stay in China for Treatment, by Procedure
How many days to plan in China for a checkup, scan, colonoscopy, cataract surgery, dental implants, joint or spine surgery and IVF, and how many trips each takes.
- Hospital Stay and Caregiver Costs in China: Rooms, Days, Family
What a hospital stay in China costs per day and in total, what single rooms and international wards charge, what a 24-hour caregiver costs, and where family can stay.
- Health Insurance Denied? How to Appeal and Get External Review
How to appeal a US health insurance denial for a procedure: deadlines, the letter that helps, external review, disputing hospital bills, and what to do next.
- How Soon Can You Fly Home After Surgery Abroad?
How long to wait before flying home after surgery, by type of operation, from UK aviation and airline sources, plus blood clot risk and planning the flight.
- Does My Insurance Cover Treatment in China? Home Cover Explained
Whether US, UK, Canadian and Australian insurance covers treatment in China, how Chinese hospital billing works for visitors, and what you need to claim.
- Does Health Insurance Cover Treatment Abroad? Check and Claim
Which kinds of insurance pay for planned treatment abroad, how to check your own cover, how to file a claim, and what surgery costs in China when you self-pay.
- Documents and Cash to Bring for Treatment in China
What to pack for treatment in China: medical records, medicines, how much cash you can carry before declaring it, card versus cash, and paperwork for a claim.
- Do You Need a Visa for Medical Treatment in China?
Visa-free entry, 240-hour transit and the S2 visa compared for treatment in China: who qualifies, what the hospital letter must say, and what to confirm first.
- Cash Price vs Insurance: When Paying Yourself Is Cheaper
When a US cash price beats using insurance, why hospitals bill insurers more, how to find a self-pay price and a good faith estimate, and the trade-offs to know.
- Aftercare After Treatment Abroad: Nurses, Follow-Up and Home
How long to stay near the hospital after surgery abroad, when to hire a nurse or carer, getting around alone, and setting up follow-up care once you are home.