Seeing a doctor and being admitted in China: what a foreign patient should expect

This guide describes the ordinary path through a Chinese hospital – registering, being seen, having tests and being admitted – so that a first visit is easier to follow. It describes the process only, and it is not advice about treatment.

Before you go: registering

A visit usually starts with a registration, or guahao (挂号). You book a slot for a department through the hospital’s app or website, by phone, or at the desk on the day; the busiest hospitals release a limited number of slots, and the most sought-after specialists fill quickly.

Bring your passport, which becomes the basis of a patient number, and any records you already have. It also helps to know the difference between an ordinary appointment and a specialist appointment: the first is easier to get and costs less, the second puts you in front of a named senior doctor and is harder to book.

At the outpatient department

On the day, you register or confirm at the department, wait to be called, and see the doctor. Consultations at large hospitals are short because the volume is high; a doctor may spend a few minutes and then write orders for tests or a prescription. In many hospitals you pay before each step – for the consultation, for the test, for the medicine – rather than at the end.

Keep a folder for paper. Departments issue printed slips and reports that you will be asked to show again, and different hospitals do not always share records with each other.

Tests, and waiting for results

Common blood tests and some imaging come back the same day; other scans and specialised tests are booked for a later date and may need preparation. Results are usually collected from a machine or a desk and taken back to the doctor. If you are only in the country briefly, ask at the outset how long each test will take, and build the extra days into your plans.

If admission is needed

If a stay in hospital is needed, the doctor issues an admission notice, and you present it to the ward. A deposit is normally required at admission, settled against the final bill. A bed is allocated rather than chosen, and on a busy ward you may first be placed wherever one is free.

Day-to-day care in hospital is often supported by a family member or a hired attendant (护工), and visiting hours are set. Ask what the ward expects, because routines vary between hospitals.

Paying, and insurance

Hospital charges are usually paid at the counter or through a mobile payment, and receipts are kept in case you claim later. Basic medical insurance is a system for residents of China; a visitor who is not enrolled pays the published prices or uses private insurance. International insurance is not billed directly by every hospital, so confirm in advance whether the hospital you plan to use can invoice your insurer, or whether you will pay first and claim back.

Language and help

English is not spoken everywhere. Some large hospitals have an international department with staff who can help, but many do not. Two things make the visit easier: translations of your key medical documents, and a professional medical interpreter for anything serious. If you arrange help, do it before the appointment rather than at the desk.

What to expect, honestly

Waiting times at the largest hospitals are long and appointments can run out; the process is administrative and moves at its own pace. None of that is a comment on the care itself. Knowing the steps in advance is most of what makes a first visit manageable, and it is the reason this guide exists.

Sources

• National Health Commission of China, 2023 年我国卫生健康事业发展统计公报 (published August 2024) – national outpatient and inpatient volumes, and hospital bed occupancy.