🏥

China Medical Tourism Guide
for Foreign Visitors 2026

Dental implants, LASIK eye surgery, health checkups, and international hospitals — save 60–80% compared to US or UK prices, with world-class care.

60–85%

savings vs USA

$70

MRI at public hospital

$620

dental implant (govt cap)

1.28M

foreign patients in 2024

🦷 Dental Treatment in China

China is one of Asia's top dental tourism destinations. Since the government's 2023 Volume-Based Procurement (VBP) policy capped implant service fees at public hospitals at ¥4,500 (~$620), costs dropped by an average of 55%.

Price Comparison: China vs USA

Procedure	China Public	China International	USA
Dental cleaning	¥80–200	¥800–1,200	$100–300
Root canal	¥800–2,000	¥3,000–5,000	$700–1,500
Porcelain crown	¥1,800–3,500	¥4,000–8,000	$1,000–2,500
Dental implant (single)	¥4,500–12,000	¥15,000–30,000	$3,000–6,000
All-on-4 full arch	¥38,000–60,000	¥65,000–100,000	$20,000–40,000

Best dental clinic options for foreigners:

UFH (United Family) Dental — full English service, international standard, highest price
Riel Dental (瑞尔齿科) — chain clinic, bilingual staff, reasonable prices
Bybo Dental (拜博口腔) — nationwide chain, competitive pricing, book via Meituan for discounts
Public hospital dental dept — cheapest, no English, bring a translator

💡 Tip: Book chain clinics through Meituan (美团) for 30–50% discounts vs walk-in prices. Use WeChat Pay or Alipay to pay.

👁️ LASIK Eye Surgery in China

China is a global leader in laser eye surgery volume. LASIK and SMILE procedures at top hospitals cost $800–1,500 for both eyes — 70–80% less than the US.

LASIK (standard)

¥4,000–8,000

per eye · China public hospital

SMILE (femtosecond)

¥8,000–12,000

per eye · premium procedure

USA equivalent

$2,000–4,000

per eye · 3–4x more expensive

Top hospitals for LASIK:

Beijing Tongren Hospital Eye Center (北京同仁医院)
Shanghai Eye & ENT Hospital (上海五官科医院)
Aier Eye Hospital (爱尔眼科) — chain, available in 100+ cities
Bright Eye (明视康) — newer chain, competitive pricing

What to bring: Passport, contact lens prescription (stop wearing contacts 2 weeks before), RMB or WeChat Pay. English coordinators available at most major eye hospitals.

🩺 Health Checkups & Medical Screening

Annual health checkups in China cost a fraction of Western prices. A premium full-body checkup including MRI, CT, blood panels and ultrasound costs $300–800 at public hospitals, or $1,500–3,000 at international hospitals — vs $5,000–10,000 in the USA.

Checkup Package Tiers

Basic · ¥200–500

Blood panel (CBC, lipids)
Urine test
ECG
Chest X-ray
Blood pressure

Standard · ¥500–1,500

Everything in Basic
Liver & kidney function
Thyroid panel
Abdominal ultrasound
Tumor markers (CEA, AFP)

VIP · ¥3,000–8,000

Everything in Standard
Full MRI / PET-CT
Cardiac ultrasound
English report & doctor consult
Same-day results

Best platforms to book checkups (with discounts):

Meituan (美团) — book chain clinic packages at 30–50% off walk-in price
Meinian Health (美年大健康) — nationwide chain, reliable, budget-friendly
iKang (爱康国宾) — premium chain, some English-language reports available
UFH / SinoUnited — full English reports, highest price, international insurance accepted

⚠️ Residents staying 1+ year must complete a mandatory health exam at the city's International Travel Healthcare Center for their residence permit.

🏨 International Hospitals & Public Hospital International Departments

China has two main options for foreigners: full international hospitals (Western-standard, English throughout, expensive) and public hospital international departments (国际部) — same world-class doctors, much lower cost.

International Hospitals (Full English)

Hospital	City	Consultation	Contact
UFH United Family	Beijing / Shanghai	¥800–2,000	+86-10-5927-7000
Parkway Health	Shanghai	¥600–1,500	+86-21-6445-5999
SinoUnited Health	Shanghai	¥500–1,200	English hotline available

Public Hospital International Departments (Best Value)

Hospital	City	Consultation	Known For
PUMCH 协和医院	Beijing	¥300–600	Rare & complex diseases
West China Hospital 华西	Chengdu	¥300–600	Surgery, oncology (#2 in China)
Ruijin Hospital 瑞金	Shanghai	¥300–600	Internal medicine, haematology
Sun Yat-sen 1st 中山一院	Guangzhou	¥300–600	Oncology, organ transplant
Zhongshan Hospital 中山	Shanghai	¥300–500	Cardiology, hepatology

💡 Public hospital international departments are 50–70% cheaper than full international hospitals and have the same (often better) specialists. Bring your passport and WeChat Pay.

🔪 Major Surgeries & Procedures

For planned procedures, China offers some of the world's best value. The savings are large enough to cover flights, accommodation, and recovery — often multiple times over.

Procedure	China	USA	Savings
Knee replacement	$8,000–20,000	$35,000–50,000	~60%
Hip replacement	$7,000–18,000	$32,000–45,000	~65%
Cardiac bypass	$15,000–35,000	$130,000+	~75%
IVF (per cycle)	$3,000–6,000	$12,000–17,000	~65%
Cancer chemo+radio (6 mo)	$10,000–30,000	$100,000+	~75%

✅ Practical Tips for Foreign Medical Tourists

Bring your passport — required for all hospital registration in China.
Payment: Set up WeChat Pay or Alipay with your foreign Visa/Mastercard before you go. Works at virtually every hospital. International hospitals also accept Visa/MC directly.
Language: International hospitals have full English staff. Public hospital international departments have English coordinators. Download Google Translate offline as backup.
Insurance: International insurers (AXA, Cigna, BUPA, Allianz) are accepted at UFH and Parkway for direct billing. Public hospitals require you to pay and claim later.
Emergency: Dial 120 for ambulance. UFH 24h English ER (Beijing): +86-10-5927-7120.
Book early: Specialist appointments at public hospitals can take 2–4 weeks. International hospitals usually have same-week slots.
Medications: Bring generic drug names and dosages. Take prescriptions to a street pharmacy (药店) — 20–40% cheaper than in-hospital pharmacy.
Records: Photograph all prescriptions, test results and receipts before leaving — records aren't always easily obtainable afterwards.

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Sources & further reading:
Lost in China — Medical Tourism Cost Guide 2026 · China Access Health — Cost of Treatment · MedBridge NZ — Dental Implants Guide

China Medical Tourism Guidefor Foreign Visitors 2026