How hospital fees work in China for international patients: registration, payment and admission

A City News Service article on the Shanghai government English site says that at international hospitals and clinics, the registration fee usually ranges from several hundreds to over 1,000 yuan.

Registration fees in Shanghai

The article says the registration for an ordinary outpatient is 25 yuan for public city-level hospital, 18 yuan for district-level and 10 yuan for neighborhood health center.

The article says the fee is several hundreds yuan for a VIP service in a public hospital, depending on different type of VIP service and levels of the specialist.

The registration fee in Guangzhou

A news item on the Guangzhou International portal, updated 2024-01-10, gives steps for eligible expats to make online medical appointments. It says that after creating an account, the user chooses a hospital, department, and doctor for the appointment, and will need to pay the registration fee.

Paying during a visit

A guide on the Shanghai government English portal, dated February 10, 2025, says that after arriving at the hospital, the patient should first register (guahao) at the admission desk and pay an admission fee.

The Shanghai guide says that after the doctor gives you a prescription (chufang), the patient needs to pay the fee and then can get the medicine from the hospital pharmacy (yaofang).

The Shanghai guide says the patient could go to the section where the examinations are carried out with a receipt after paying for the examination.

The Shanghai guide says that if hospitalization and/or surgery is required, the doctor will check when a bed and surgery are available, and then the patients need to pay all the potential costs.

A page on the Beijing Municipal People's Government English portal, dated 2020-06-28, says to pay at the charge window or self-service payment machine after consultation. It says that if there are medications, the patient goes to the pharmacy, queuing for the medicine with the receipt after payment.

The same Beijing page says that, if necessary, the patient goes to corresponding departments for follow-up examinations after payment.

The same Beijing page says a patient who needs to be hospitalized for further medical treatment goes to the special window in the hall for admission procedures with the inpatient form.

Payment methods and the charge standard in Beijing

The Beijing Municipal People's Government English medical guide for foreigners lists these payment options for international patients: RMB cash, credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Global Network, Diners Club, JCB), Union Pay debit cards and WeChat Pay or Alipay. The guide says that when paying in a foreign currency through a bank card, the amount will be converted according to the day's exchange rate.

The Beijing page dated 2020-06-28 says bank card payment is available in most hospitals, and patients do not need to bring a lot of cash.

The Beijing guide says that when international patients seek medical treatment, the charge standard is the same as that of Chinese residents. It says patients can choose to pay out of pocket or buy commercial medical insurance to cover their medical expenses.

The guide says international patients with high-end commercial health insurance may access direct billing services when seeking medical treatment. It says that if their insurer has a direct billing arrangement with the medical institution, patients can simply present their insurance card and passport for identity verification, and that they will not need to pay medical expenses upfront, as the hospital will settle claims with the insurance company directly.

The Beijing page dated 2020-06-28 says that for emergency or severe cases, you can dial 120 for the ambulance that charges by the mile.

National averages for insured patients

The National Healthcare Security Administration's 2025 statistical bulletin says the average hospitalisation cost per admission for people insured under employee medical insurance in 2025 was 11522 yuan. It gives 13335 yuan, 8146 yuan and 6440 yuan for tertiary, secondary and first-level-and-below institutions respectively, including unrated ones.

The bulletin gives 7339 yuan for people insured under resident medical insurance, with 11278 yuan, 5547 yuan and 2645 yuan for tertiary, secondary and first-level-and-below institutions respectively.

Questions people ask

How much is a registration fee in a Shanghai public hospital?

The Shanghai article says the registration for an ordinary outpatient is 25 yuan for public city-level hospital, 18 yuan for district-level and 10 yuan for neighborhood health center.

What charge standard applies to international patients in Beijing?

The Beijing Municipal People's Government English medical guide for foreigners says that when international patients seek medical treatment, the charge standard is the same as that of Chinese residents.

What does the Guangzhou news item say about paying the registration fee?

Sources

Each source above was read on the date shown. This page is an unofficial summary of general information. It is not published by the bodies named above and is not medical advice. If it differs from their own pages, their own pages prevail, and details may change after the check date.

Details come from the hospital’s own English or bilingual page as read on the dates shown in each source note; this is an unofficial summary, not medical advice, and may have changed since. Medical and legal notice.