How to See a Doctor in China
A step-by-step guide to booking, checking in, and navigating the pay-first hospital flow.
Quick answer
Book through WeChat or Alipay, bring your passport, and expect to pay before each step at public hospitals.
Choose your track: public vs. VIP/international
Major public hospitals offer ordinary outpatient (普通门诊) and international/VIP (国际医疗部 / 特需门诊) tracks.
Ordinary outpatient is cheap but crowded with limited English; VIP is pricier (often 300-1,000 RMB) with shorter lines and more privacy.
Pre-arrival appointment booking
In 2026 most hospitals require booking through WeChat or Alipay mini-programs.
Create a patient profile with your passport number and choose the department and doctor type before selecting a time slot.
- Search for the hospital’s full name in WeChat/Alipay
- Register a profile using your passport number
- Select department and doctor type (general vs. specialist)
- Choose a morning/afternoon slot and save the QR code
- Some systems require a Chinese phone number for SMS
At the hospital: pay-as-you-go flow
China’s public hospitals operate on a pay-first, treat-later model. You pay for each step before it happens.
- Check in for guahao (挂号) to receive a queue number
- Sign in on the department floor and watch screens for your name
- Consultations are brief; use a translation app if needed
- Pay for tests before labs/radiology and collect results at report machines
- Pay for prescriptions before the pharmacy dispenses medicine
Essential survival kit
Bring your physical passport and keep it accessible for registration.
WeChat/Alipay with a linked card and a translation app with OCR make the visit smoother. Carry some cash as backup.
- Passport (original, not a photocopy)
- WeChat/Alipay linked to a bank card
- Translation app with camera/OCR
- Backup cash for rare payment issues
- Plan 2-4 hours for a standard visit
Emergency situations
In true emergencies, bypass appointments and go straight to the Emergency Department (急诊).
In life-threatening cases, hospitals stabilize first and handle registration later.