chinasun
Registered Member
Foreigners flock to China for affordable medical treatment, drawn by free visa policy
The increasing flow of foreign travellers to China in recent years has been given a shot in the arm with many people coming to the country to seek medical treatment.
The trend has attracted attention online recently after overseas bloggers shared their experiences of visiting Chinese hospitals.
A prominent case involved a British woman called Amie who told of her trip to China in December, to treat her long-standing stomach problem.
She said she could not see a doctor because of long waiting lists in the UK’s public healthcare system.
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1.28 million people come to China for medical treatment.
According to 2025 data from China's National Health Commission, 1.28 million foreign patient visits were recorded at major hospitals, a 73.6% increase from three years prior. Driven by affordable costs, high efficiency, and visa-free travel, top services include dentistry, ophthalmology, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The increasing flow of foreign travellers to China in recent years has been given a shot in the arm with many people coming to the country to seek medical treatment.
The trend has attracted attention online recently after overseas bloggers shared their experiences of visiting Chinese hospitals.
A prominent case involved a British woman called Amie who told of her trip to China in December, to treat her long-standing stomach problem.
She said she could not see a doctor because of long waiting lists in the UK’s public healthcare system.
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1.28 million people come to China for medical treatment.
According to 2025 data from China's National Health Commission, 1.28 million foreign patient visits were recorded at major hospitals, a 73.6% increase from three years prior. Driven by affordable costs, high efficiency, and visa-free travel, top services include dentistry, ophthalmology, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- Key Drivers: Foreigners, particularly from Western countries, seek treatment due to long wait times at home and lower costs, with some estimates for routine care running significantly cheaper than in the US.
- Most Popular Services: The top services requested by international patients include dental procedures, ophthalmic (eye) services, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, and cupping.
- Key Locations: International medical tourism is flourishing in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hainan, which host specialized international departments for foreign patients.
- Impact: Although international visits have increased significantly, they constitute a small portion of the 10 billion total annual hospital visits in China.
- Growth: The Chinese medical-tourism market is projected to grow from around
