International department of a hospital in China: what hospitals publish on booking, hours and billing

Some large hospitals in China run a separate international department with its own clinic, a published booking route and, in some cases, English-language service lines. This page sets out what three such hospitals and two city governments say about booking, clinic hours, languages and payment. It describes what is published. It does not rate, rank or recommend any hospital.

What a hospital's international department is

The hospitals describe these units in their own terms. Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) says its International Medical Department operates independently, with its own outpatient clinic, emergency room and inpatient wards. Shanghai General Hospital says its International Medical Care Center was founded in 1993 and offers 24-hour emergency, outpatient and inpatient treatment.

The Beijing municipal government's English guide for foreigners lists major medical institutions that provide full-process foreign language services. The list begins with the International Medical Services of PUMCH and the International Department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital. It also names, among others, Beijing United Family Hospital, Sanfine International Hospital and Peking University International Hospital.

How each hospital lists booking and contact routes

Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Beijing)

The hospital's English page for foreigners says international patients can book online on its English website or download its bilingual app to make an appointment. The Beijing government's page for the same unit adds that a WeChat mini program and the hospital's official WeChat account also take appointments.

The hospital's International Visit page gives a telephone line for international patients, +86-10-69156699, and says to press 2 for English.

The Beijing government's page gives the languages of service as English, Japanese, French, Korean, Russian and German. It lists two campuses with different arrangements: the Dongdan campus provides emergency services around the clock, and the page says emergency services at the Xidan campus are not available.

China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Beijing)

The Beijing government's page for the hospital's international department gives its address as 2 Yinghuayuan East Street, Chaoyang District. It lists three routes for booking: the hospital's WeChat mini program, its WeChat official account and its app. The page says the app is currently available for iOS, while the Android version is under development.

The same government page lists three telephone numbers for booking: +86-10-84205071, +86-10-84206420 and +86-10-84206419.

The hospital's own international department page, which mixes Chinese, English and Japanese, gives a foreign-language hotline in English and Japanese. It lists the numbers 010-84205121 and 64222952 for that hotline. It lists 010-84205071 and 84206420 for telephone booking.

Shanghai General Hospital (Shanghai)

The hospital's English page for its International Medical Care Center lists a 24-hour appointment and service hotline. Its contact section gives No. 100 Haining Road, Hongkou District, and No. 650 Songjiang Road, with the telephone number 021-63240090 for both.

Clinic hours and emergency lines

PUMCH's English page for foreigners lists its hours for the international clinic. The daytime clinic runs Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. The nighttime clinic runs Monday to Thursday, 5pm to 7pm. The weekend clinic runs Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 12pm. The same page lists 24hr ER Service, and it lists Appointment Service on Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm.

The Beijing government guide says that in an emergency in Beijing, people can dial 120 to request pre-hospital emergency medical services. It also lists 24-hour emergency lines for three international institutions, including +86-10-69155288 for PUMCH's International Medical Services.

Payment and insurance billing

The Beijing government guide lists payment options for international patients, including RMB cash, credit cards, Union Pay debit cards and WeChat Pay or Alipay. It says the charge standard for international patients is the same as for Chinese residents.

On direct billing, the same guide says international patients with high-end commercial health insurance may access direct billing, and that if their insurer has a direct billing arrangement with the medical institution they can present their insurance card and passport. It says the hospital then settles the claim with the insurer directly, and that each institution keeps its own list of signed insurers.

PUMCH's English page links procedures for outpatients and inpatients with commercial insurance on a direct billing basis. Shanghai General Hospital's page says cash, cheque and credit card are accepted at its International Medical Care Center.

How an inpatient stay starts at PUMCH

PUMCH's page sets out the order in four steps:

A patient first sees a doctor in the outpatient clinic.
If admission is needed, the doctors write the admission order and request a bed.
When a bed is available, the ward doctor contacts the patient one day before to say what to prepare.
The patient checks in at the time and address given in the doctor's message.

Registering at a local hospital

The Shanghai government's English guide describes the general steps at a local Chinese hospital. It says patients first register at the admission desk and pay an admission fee. It says the materials needed for registration include the passport and perhaps a piece of paper with the name of the department. The guide was marked as updated on 26 May 2026.

What this page does not cover

Other hospitals. Only the hospitals named above were read. Other international departments and clinics may publish different routes, hours and languages.
Live availability. Opening hours, telephone lines and appointment channels can change, and nothing here shows whether a line is answered or a slot is open.
Fees and packages. No prices or health-check packages are given.
Quality. The page does not compare hospitals and does not judge the care any of them provides.

Questions people ask

Do international departments in China have their own booking channels?

The pages above list booking routes for each: an English website and app at PUMCH, WeChat routes and an app at China-Japan Friendship Hospital (on the Beijing government page), and a hotline listed by Shanghai General Hospital. Whether you can book a given slot is for the hospital to confirm.

Can an international department bill my insurer directly?

The Beijing government guide says direct billing is possible where the insurer has an arrangement with the institution. Questions about your own appointment, fees or insurance claim are for the hospital or your insurer to answer.

Do international departments use English?

PUMCH's page on the Beijing government site lists English among six service languages. China-Japan Friendship Hospital's page lists an English and Japanese hotline. Shanghai General Hospital's page says its nursing staff include many who speak English, Japanese or German.

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 hospitals or governments 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.