1.28+ million

International patient visits to China – 2025

73.6% growth over three years. China is now a major global healthcare destination, driven by unprecedented scale, speed, and clinical innovation.

413,000+

Dedicated inbound medical tourists

Up 63% from 2022

+73.6%

Growth since 2022

Accelerating year-on-year

Source: NHC, 2025

The Global Standard, Redefined

Four reasons patients and families find hard to ignore

Faster treatment access, stronger cost efficiency, deeper clinical experience, and a more human recovery model all make China a serious medical option.

Speed

Treatment in days, not months

3 days to see a specialist (vs. 4–8 weeks in Western Europe). Xiangya Hospital saw 1,761 foreign patients in 2025 – 6× year-on-year growth.

Source: Regional Health Commission Data, 2025

Cost

40–60% lower than Western Europe

Dental implant: UK £2,500–3,000 vs. China £500–600. Comparable savings across orthopaedics, oncology, and cardiac care.

Source: Independent Market Analysis, 2024

Innovation

Technology at scale

4,751 innovative drugs in pipeline – #1 globally. 112 JCI-accredited hospitals.

Source: Global Pharma Innovation Index, 2025

Expertise

Unmatched clinical volume

100M+ surgeries annually. 3,850+ Grade 3A hospitals nationwide – ensuring high-volume, complex case experience.

Source: NHC Annual Report

Standards & Credentials

International standards, verifiable anywhere

JCI

112 hospitals

JCI-accredited. On par with Mayo Clinic (US) and Charité Berlin (DE).

Grade 3A

3,850+ hospitals

China's top-tier public rating. Comparable to UK Teaching Hospitals or German Maximalversorger.

Int'l Services

850+ institutions

Across 57 cities offering international services. Most have dedicated International Medical Centres with multilingual support.

All credentials are independently verifiable.

JCI Official Website China NHC Official Website

Policy & City Ecosystem

A national strategy, delivered city by city

This is not just a hospital-level effort — it is a systematic project combining national top-level design, local legislation, and on-the-ground city delivery.

National and regional policy support

National

Policy 01 / 05

12-ministry action plan

In 2025, 12 ministries (Commerce, NHC, Tourism, and others) issued a joint action plan supporting medical tourism in free-trade zones and ports, easing market access for mid-to-high-end healthcare.

Shanghai

Policy 02 / 05

First-ever local standard

In 2024, Shanghai released DB31/T 1487-2024 – China's first local standard for international medical services. Covers facilities, staffing, insurance billing, and more. International inpatient discharges grew 25% YoY post-implementation. Now referenced by Shenzhen, Zhejiang, and Guangdong.

Hainan Boao

Policy 03 / 05

Biomedical regulations

Effective 1 February 2025, the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone regulations support cell therapy, gene therapy, and tissue engineering. Foreign-invested enterprises may participate. The zone has imported 512 innovative drugs/devices, benefiting 180,000+ patients.

Guangzhou

Policy 04 / 05

12 measures + one-stop centre

In April 2026, Guangzhou launched 12 measures for international medical services – including wholly foreign-owned hospitals and international accreditation. Opened a one-stop service centre coordinating 17 pilot hospitals (visa, transfers, interpretation, accommodation). In 2025, Guangzhou received 3.2M+ inbound foreigners.

Visa

Policy 05 / 05

Medical visa pilots

Shanghai is piloting a dedicated medical visa with immigration authorities. Combined with the 240-hour transit-visa-free policy, entry barriers continue to decline. Guangzhou has also streamlined procedures for medical visitors.

Regional hubs – real patient data

Shanghai

Hainan Boao

Zhejiang (Yiwu)

Hangzhou

Hunan (Xiangya)

Guangzhou

Beijing

Wuhan

Chongqing

Tianjin

Shanghai

73,200

foreign patient visits (2025, +8% YoY); 13 designated international pilot hospitals

Hainan Boao

860,000+

medical tourism visits (+109% YoY); 9,300+ overseas patients from 14 countries

Zhejiang (Yiwu)

26,500+

foreign patients at a single university hospital (+33% YoY)

Hangzhou

18,200

foreign patient visits (2025, +9% YoY); digital healthcare & 12 international clinics

Hunan (Xiangya)

1,761

foreign patients (2025, 6× growth); full English consultations + direct insurance billing

Guangzhou

pilot hospitals; 3.2M+ inbound foreigners in 2025

Beijing

54,300

foreign patient visits (2025, +11% YoY); 32 designated international medical institutions

Wuhan

12,600

foreign patient visits (2025); Tongji & Union hospital international departments

Chongqing

9,400

foreign patient visits (2025); western China international medical hub

Tianjin

7,800

foreign patient visits (2025); Binhai international medical services pilot

Our Elite Hospital Network

Selected hospitals with stronger specialty depth and international readiness

We work selectively with top hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou so families can compare serious treatment options with greater confidence.

Start with the shortlist

On this page, we highlight a smaller set of standout hospitals first. If you want to compare more cities or specialties, you can open the full hospital directory.

45+

Hospital Directory

View all partner hospitals