Booking, paying and getting around are where visitors from abroad most often get stuck.
Booking
Some hospitals make it easy in English: Peking Union Medical College Hospital has an app with an English interface and a phone line with an English option. Others, such as HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, book through a WeChat account, by phone or in person, and our sources don't say whether English is offered. Guangzhou announced in April 2026 that it will set up a medical tourism service centre to help with visas and translation.
Problems visitors often hit
- Mobile payment accounts (Alipay, WeChat Pay) frozen or limited after linking a foreign card
- Hotels that cannot register foreign guests
- Train tickets refused when the name does not match the passport exactly
- Google and many foreign apps and sites not working on Chinese networks
- Menus and signs only in Chinese
Plan for
A second way to pay, a hotel that confirms it takes foreign guests, your name written exactly as on your passport, and the hospital's address in Chinese saved on your phone.
Sources
- PUMCH booking in English (Beijing government)
- HKU-Shenzhen booking (Bowtie)
- Guangzhou medical tourism measures (Yicai Global)
- Common problems for visitors to China (China for Travelers)
Checked 28 Oct 2026. Prices and rules change; confirm with the hospital or embassy before you book.