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Visas and entry for medical travel to China

China has no dedicated "medical visa". Treatment visits normally use the S2 visa. Some nationalities can enter visa-free for short stays — but only Hainan's visa-free scheme lists medical treatment as a permitted purpose. This page sets out the official rules, dated.

Data as of 2026-09-25 · 20 sources · 1 items recorded as missing

The S2 route

The rows in this block are not one comparable series, so they are listed in the table below instead of being plotted.

Metric Value Year or as-of Caliber Level Source
No dedicated medical visa — treatment uses the S2 visa S2 (up to 180 days) standing official FAQ S2 covers short-term private affairs including medical treatment; S1 applies when the stay exceeds 180 days. There is no separate medical visa category. Level A https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/cjwdn_660600/201407/t20140718_961506.shtml
S2 medical-treatment documents (embassy checklist) — checklist updated 2023-12-14 (1) invitation letter, admission certificate or proposed-treatment certificate issued by the Chinese hospital that will receive the patient; (2) original bank statement of at least USD 10,000; (3) up to 2 accompanying family members with proof of relationship and a companion certificate issued by the same hospital. Level A https://ir.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsfw_1/ZYTZ/202506/t20250612_11646759.htm
S2 medical-treatment documents (second official example) — 2023 version Same two-layer structure: hospital-issued admission/proposed-treatment certificate for the patient; relationship proof plus hospital-issued companion certificate for up to 2 family-member attendants Level A https://fukuoka.china-consulate.gov.cn/chn/zlgdt/202302/P020230726602030733426.pdf
The M visa is for trade, not treatment — 2023 version M visas are issued for commercial and trade activities and are unrelated to medical treatment — applying under M for treatment is a category error Level A https://fukuoka.china-consulate.gov.cn/chn/zlgdt/202302/P020230726602030733426.pdf
Requirements vary by Chinese mission abroad — standing official FAQ Applicants must follow the checklist of the Chinese embassy or consulate handling their application; checklists differ between missions and must not be copied across countries Level A https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/cjwdn_660600/201407/t20140718_961506.shtml
Who issues the invitation / admission certificate — embassy checklist The Chinese hospital that will receive the patient — not an embassy, not an agency. The hospital first completes a records assessment before any certificate can be issued. Level A https://ir.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsfw_1/ZYTZ/202506/t20250612_11646759.htm
Hospital example — PUMCH International Medical Services (English booking) — page undated Hospital self-statement: international appointment line, English in-app booking, weekday clinics 08:00–17:00, evening and weekend clinics, 24-hour emergency. Hospital self-statements are graded B and never presented as official data. Level B https://ims.pumch.cn/reservation/1.html

Visa-free entry: what it does and does not cover

Countries eligible for visa-free entry

Countries eligible for visa-free entry240-hour transit — eligible countries: 57; Unilateral visa-free entry — eligible countries: 50240-hour transit — eligible countries57Unilateral visa-free entry — eligible countries50

Permitted visa-free stay (hours)

Permitted visa-free stay (hours)24-hour visa-free transit: 24 hours; 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit — duration: 240 hours / 10 days24-hour visa-free transit24 hours240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit — duration240 hours / 10 days
Metric Value Year or as-of Caliber Level Source
24-hour visa-free transit 24 hours page updated 2026-08-20 Available at all open ports for citizens of all countries: valid international travel document + confirmed connecting ticket, stay within the port's restricted area. Leaving that area requires a temporary-entry permit from the port immigration inspection authority. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1731205/content.html
240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit — duration 240 hours / 10 days effective 2024-12-17 The previous 72/144-hour windows were unified to 240 hours by NIA announcement No. 12 of 2024 Level A https://ka.sz.gov.cn/bmfw/bwzc/content/post_11952319.html
240-hour transit — eligible countries 57 expanded 2026-08-20 Europe 40 / Americas 6 / Oceania 2 / Asia 9; Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added on 2026-08-20. Full country list in the source document. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n794014/n1050181/n1050489/c1796294/content.html
240-hour transit — ports and regions 65 ports expanded 2025-11-05 Enter visa-free at any of the 65 ports, stay up to 10 days within the permitted areas, cross-province travel allowed inside those areas. Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang are outside the policy. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741542/c1751080/content.html
240-hour transit — permitted purposes — page updated 2026-08-20 Tourism, business, visits and family visits. Work, study and news reporting still require a visa. MEDICAL TREATMENT IS NOT LISTED among the permitted purposes. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1731205/content.html
240-hour transit — when the clock starts — local government FAQ, consistent with NIA The 240 hours start at 00:00 of the day AFTER entry, not at the arrival time (example in the source: enter 08:00 on 1 Jan → leave before 23:59 on 11 Jan). Level A https://wsb.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615716/11717334.html
240-hour transit — itinerary requirement — local government FAQ A confirmed onward ticket with a set date and seat to a THIRD country or region must be held before entry; returning to the country of departure does not qualify. Level A https://wsb.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615716/11717334.html
240-hour transit — per-province stay areas — 2026-07 official guide Most provinces: the whole province. Exceptions include Shanxi (Taiyuan, Datong), Heilongjiang (Harbin), Jiangxi (Nanchang, Jingdezhen), Guangxi (12 cities), Sichuan (11 cities), Yunnan (9 prefectures). Level A https://kgw.gz.gov.cn/xwzx/mtjj/content/post_10043543.html
Port list — 60-port baseline (working paper) 60 guide published 2026-07 Working baseline paper: no single official page lists all 65 ports (the NIA policy page's port section is empty), so the list is assembled from the baseline plus the two later expansions. Level A http://gaj.changchun.gov.cn/crj/gfqwzcwj/202607/P020260715609080030533.pdf
Port expansion (2025-11-05): +5 Guangdong ports +5 effective 2025-11-05 Guangzhou Pazhou passenger port, Hengqin, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Zhongshan port, Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong XRL West Kowloon station Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741542/c1751080/content.html
Per-province port list (cross-check) — 2025-05 Consulate re-publication of the per-province port and stay-area list, used as a second working paper for the assembled 65-port list Level A https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm
Unilateral visa-free entry — eligible countries 50 as of 2026-02-17 Europe 35 / Oceania 2 / Asia 7 / Americas 6. Ordinary passports only; entry for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges or transit. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1731154/content.html
Unilateral visa-free stay — 30 days, purposes exclude medical treatment 30 days page dated 2026-02-17 Business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, transit — medical treatment is NOT listed. The clock starts at 00:00 of the day after entry. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1731154/content.html
Unilateral visa-free — expiry ledger — page updated 2026-02-27 Brunei: no expiry set. Russia: extended to 2027-12-31. The other 48 countries: in force until 2026-12-31. Any page that quotes the 50-country list must carry these dates. Level A https://riodejaneiro.china-consulate.gov.cn/lsyw_0/zytz/202511/t20251104_11746425.htm
Russia — extension to 2027-12-31 — announced 2026-05-20 China extended unilateral visa-free entry for Russian ordinary-passport holders to 2027-12-31; purposes and the 30-day limit unchanged Level A https://www.mct.gov.cn/ggfw/cxts/202605/t20260521_965924.htm
Unilateral visa-free — passport type restriction — 2026-11 (media report) Ordinary passports only. Holders of travel documents or temporary/emergency documents cannot use visa-free entry (media relay of an NIA briefing answer — kept as B). Level B https://cn.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202511/23/WS6922a87fa310942cc4992dd0.html
Cruise group visa-free entry (15 days) 15 days page updated 2026-08-20 Foreign tour groups of 2+ organised by Chinese travel agencies arriving by cruise at 13 cruise ports (Tianjin, Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beihai, Haikou, Sanya and one more), whole group in/out, 11 coastal provinces plus Beijing Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/News/news/content.jsp?id=1726630
ASEAN group visa-free entry (6 days, Xishuangbanna / Guilin) 6 days page updated 2026-08-20 ASEAN tour groups of 2+ organised by Chinese agencies, whole group in/out, limited to Xishuangbanna prefecture (Yunnan) or Guilin (Guangxi) Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/News/news/content.jsp?id=1726630
Hong Kong / Macao group entry to Guangdong — page updated 2026-08-20 Citizens of countries having diplomatic relations with China, holding ordinary passports, must first enter Hong Kong or Macao, then join a group organised by a Hong Kong/Macao-registered travel agency to enter the nine Greater Bay Area cities plus Shantou visa-free Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/News/news/content.jsp?id=1726630

Hainan: the medical-treatment exception

Countries eligible for the Hainan visa-free scheme

Countries eligible for the Hainan visa-free schemeHainan 61-country visa-free entry — medical treatment IS listed: 61Hainan 61-country visa-free entry — medical treatment IS listed61
Metric Value Year or as-of Caliber Level Source
Hainan 61-country visa-free entry — medical treatment IS listed 61 page updated 2026-08-20 Ordinary passports, up to 30 days, for tourism, business, visits, family visits, MEDICAL TREATMENT, conferences and sports events (work and study excluded). Stay limited to Hainan province. This is the only visa-free channel found where medical treatment is an explicitly permitted purpose. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/News/news/content.jsp?id=1726630
Hainan policy — English wording confirms 'medical treatment' — page updated 2026-08-20 The NIA English page lists 'medical treatment' among the permitted purposes — useful as the English-language citation for this page Level A https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c180637/content.html
Hainan visa-free scope limit Hainan province only 2026-08-20 Visa-free entry under the Hainan scheme cannot be used to reach hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai or other provinces: the permitted stay is confined to Hainan. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/News/news/content.jsp?id=1726630

Port visas and the 65-port transit scheme

Ports where a port visa can be applied for (2025-01)

Ports where a port visa can be applied for (2025-01)Port visas — coverage: 99 ports / 73 citiesPort visas — coverage99 ports / 73 cities
Metric Value Year or as-of Caliber Level Source
Port visas — legal basis (emergency entry) — NIA page published 2025-01 A port visa is a way of applying, not a visa category. Available for urgent humanitarian, business or other emergency entry with approval documents from the competent authorities, at ports approved by the State Council. Level A https://ca.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsyw/lszj/mqzc00/kaqz00/202501/t20250122_11542725.htm
Port visas — coverage 99 ports / 73 cities 2025-01 Official coverage figure; port visas are not recommended as a routine channel for medical travel Level A https://ca.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsyw/lszj/mqzc00/kaqz00/202501/t20250122_11542725.htm
Port visas — stated purposes (no explicit medical treatment) — NIA Q&A page The official list covers business cooperation, exchanges, investment, visiting relatives, private affairs and humanitarian reasons (funerals, visiting critically ill relatives). Medical treatment is NOT explicitly listed — the site does not extrapolate. Level A https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1633724/content.html
NIA 12367 hotline +86-12367 2025-01 24-hour immigration service hotline in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Russian, Japanese and Korean Level A https://ca.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsyw/lszj/mqzc00/kaqz00/202501/t20250122_11542725.htm

Sources

Show all 20 sources

What we cannot tell you

  1. Rules change. Every figure on this page carries an as-of date; always confirm with the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate before travelling.
  2. The 240-hour visa-free transit and the 50-country unilateral visa-free scheme do not list medical treatment as a permitted purpose.
  3. Only Hainan's 61-country scheme covers medical treatment, and it confines travel to Hainan province.
  4. The S2 document list shown here comes from two Chinese missions; requirements differ by embassy or consulate.
  5. No hospital in China publishes an official "how to request a visa invitation letter" process; we record that as missing.
  6. Published hospital process for visa invitation letters — No hospital website found that publishes an official 'how to request a visa invitation letter / proposed-treatment certificate' process page. Recorded as missing rather than inferred.