Seeing a Doctor in China: Hospitals, Insurance and Emergency Numbers for Foreign Visitors | ChinaPie
Language and process are the two things that slow foreigners down in a Chinese hospital. This guide covers which of the three hospital types to choose, how to book with a passport, how direct billing works at the counter, and which numbers to save before you need them.
Key takeaway
Foreign visitors in China choose between three hospital types: public general outpatient (cheapest, queues, little English), public international departments (bilingual, direct billing with international insurers, higher fees) and private clinics (English-first, priciest). Book with a passport via the hospital's own app, the city platform or Alipay's AI Hangzhou. Emergencies: 120; immigration help: 12367, 24/7 in Chinese and English.
Full report
Falling ill in a country where you do not speak the language is a specific kind of stress. Not the illness itself - the door you are supposed to walk through.
In China, the first decision is not which doctor to see. It is which type of hospital to enter, because the three types behave almost nothing alike.
The First Decision Is Not "Which Doctor
| Type | Who it suits | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Public general outpatient | Locals, budget travellers, anyone with Chinese social insurance | Cheapest. Queues start early. English support is thin to nonexistent. |
| Public international department | Foreigners, holders of international commercial insurance | Bilingual desks, direct billing, higher fees and far less waiting-room guesswork. |
| Private or foreign-owned clinic | People who want the visit itself to feel easy | Appointment-based, English-first, priced accordingly. |
The middle option is the one most visitors never hear about, and it is usually the right one.
Hangzhou, as a Worked Example
Two public hospitals there run international centres worth knowing about.
The International Medical Center at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (SAHZU) opened in October 2014 and is one of the earliest international medical services in Zhejiang. In 2025 it treated close to 27,000 foreign patients from more than 100 countries, and it holds direct-billing agreements with over 30 international insurers. The centre is at the Binjiang campus. Book through the hospital's website form, by phone on 0571-89713988, or via its official WeChat account - at least three days ahead - and bring your passport, insurance card and any previous records.
Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital's International Medical Center sits on the 11th floor of Building 6, No. 3 Qingchun East Road, in Shangcheng District. It runs bilingual service with English informed-consent forms and one-on-one guidance, plus evening and weekend clinics that need two days' notice. The number is 0571-86006118. Registration runs about 500-600 RMB per visit and tests cost roughly double the general department; the Chinese social insurance card does not work here.
Booking With a Passport
Three routes, in order of usefulness.
The hospital's own channel. Search the hospital name in Alipay or WeChat; some run English mini-programs. SAHZU's bilingual internet hospital accepts passport registration, and you can finish real-name verification, book a slot, pay the outpatient fee and pull reports without a Chinese ID.
The city platform. The "Hangzhou Internet Hospital" mini-program, searchable in WeChat and Alipay, pools municipal hospital slots and supports waitlisting. The same service sits inside the Zheliban app under "Health Hangzhou".
The foreigners' portal. In Alipay, search "AI Hangzhou", go to City Services, then Medical. It is built for people without local documents and includes real-time translation.
Insurance: Where the Counter Actually Matters
With international commercial insurance, choose a hospital that has a direct-billing agreement and call the insurer before the visit to confirm what is covered. At discharge you settle at the cashier with the "Agreement Unit Customer Billing Statement" and the "Medical Expense Guarantee Letter" - no upfront payment.
If you are admitted at two in the morning, get treated first. Direct billing can be completed with the insurer within 24 hours.
With Chinese social insurance, use the general outpatient department; reimbursement is high there. Special-needs and international departments are usually self-pay.
With neither, buy cover that includes outpatient and inpatient care before you fly. The deposit at the admissions desk is the part that hurts.
Save These Numbers
120 ambulance. 110 police. 119 fire. 12367 immigration services, staffed 24/7 in Chinese and English, also available through the 12367 app and the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs.
If you cannot speak Chinese, ask someone nearby to call 120 and say "Foreigner, needs English" - or go straight to the emergency room of the nearest Grade A tertiary hospital.
Five Minutes of Preparation
Photograph your allergy list, chronic conditions and current medications, with Chinese and English side by side. Learn three phrases: where it hurts, when it started, whether you are allergic to anything. Some hospitals have volunteer escorts - SAHZU's "Guangji Boat" team can be booked through the "SAHZU Outpatient" WeChat account.
What Still Trips People Up
"International" does not guarantee English at every desk, and evening hours vary by department, so call first. Keep paper receipts and discharge summaries, because your insurer will ask for them. And if you are on a short trip, check whether your travel policy covers outpatient visits at all - many only cover emergencies.
ChinaPie's practical guides cover the rest of the basics: how payments work, how to book high-speed rail, and the 240-hour visa-free transit rules.
What to do next
Call your insurer before the visit to confirm coverage. Book at least three days ahead and bring your passport, insurance card and previous records. Save 120 and 12367 in your phone, and photograph your medication list with a Chinese translation.
What may vary
Fees, phone numbers and clinic hours change, so confirm by phone before travelling. English coverage differs by department and time of day, and not every international department accepts every insurer.