We found no national rule in China that requires hospitals to give patients from abroad an interpreter. National plans only ask hospitals to improve their foreign-language service, most recently in March 2026. A voluntary national standard for healthcare interpreting has applied since 1 November 2024. We found no national price for interpreting at a hospital. Please ask the hospital before you go what language help it offers.
| Topic | What we found | Issued by | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interpreters at hospitals | No national rule found that requires them | Searched on national government sites | Checked 2026-10-21 |
| Foreign-language service at medical institutions | A national plan asks to improve it | Ministry of Commerce, National Health Commission and seven other bodies | 2026-03-16 |
| Standard for healthcare interpreting (GB/T 43980-2024) | Voluntary; the same as the international standard ISO 21998:2020 | National standards body (SAMR) | In force since 2024-11-01 |
| English in health settings (GB/T 30240.7-2017) | Voluntary; how to write English signs and names in medical places | National standards body (SAMR) | In force since 2017-12-01 |
| Interpreting services (GB/T 19363.2-2006) | Voluntary; still valid after a review in 2023 | National standards body (SAMR) | In force since 2006-12-01 |
| Immigration hotline 12367 | Answers in Chinese and English, and is linked with the 12345 hotline; medical help is not named | Ministry of Commerce and six other bodies | 2024-07-01 |
| A fee for interpreting | No national price item found | National Healthcare Security Administration price lists searched | Checked 2026-10-21 |
Must a hospital give you an interpreter?
We searched the national health, government and planning sites, and we found no such rule. No national law or notice says a hospital must give patients from abroad an interpreter or help in their language.
National plans encourage this service instead. In March 2026, nine national bodies, including the National Health Commission, published a plan to bring more visitors to China. It asks hospitals, restaurants, hotels and public offices to offer better help in foreign languages.
A 2017 guide on health tourism asks for language training for health staff. Both papers ask for this help, but neither makes it a duty.
National standards for medical interpreting
China has three national standards that touch language help in hospitals. All three are voluntary. A hospital does not have to follow them. We found no compulsory national standard on this topic.
The newest standard sets rules for interpreting in health care. It has applied since 1 November 2024. It is the same as the international standard for this work. A second standard explains how to write English on signs and names in medical places. A third standard covers interpreting services in general.
A hospital or an interpreting company may say that it follows one of these standards. You can ask which standard it means.
How to get language help
We found no national source that tells patients how to book an interpreter at a hospital. Language help depends on each hospital. Many large hospitals have an international department, and this is the first place to ask. In June 2025, Beijing's health commission said 52 hospitals in the city had an international department, and 156 offered foreign-language service for the whole visit.
When you contact the international department, ask whether a staff member who speaks English can help you on the day. Ask if they can go with you to registration, tests and payment, and whether there is a charge. These staff help many patients from abroad, but they are not interpreters for medical decisions. Ask your doctor if anything is unclear.
Since July 2024, the national immigration hotline 12367 answers questions in Chinese and English. It is linked with the 12345 government hotline. The national notice lists policy questions, information and complaints. It does not list help with interpreting at a hospital.
To see which hospitals list language help for patients from abroad, use our table of international patient services. Each tick links to the hospital's own notice.
Who pays for an interpreter
We found no item called an interpreting fee in the national lists of hospital service prices. We also found none in the provincial lists we searched.
One province shows how a charge can appear. Guangdong has a price notice for hospital care without family carers, in force since 1 April 2025. It lets hospitals set their own extra charge for help in a foreign language. This is part of a care service. It is not a separate interpreting fee.
So please ask the hospital before your visit whether it charges for language help.
What changed recently
On 1 November 2024, the national standard for healthcare interpreting came into force. In March 2026, the national plan for more visitors asked medical institutions to improve their foreign-language service. It also asked for better service standards in areas such as medical care. We found no newer national rule on language help for patients from abroad.
Before your trip, read our guide to medical visas for China. To plan your costs, see our guide to paying at Chinese hospitals.
Common questions
Does a Chinese hospital have to give me an interpreter?
No, we found no national rule that requires this. National plans only ask hospitals to improve their foreign-language service.
Is there a national standard for medical interpreters?
Yes, a voluntary standard for healthcare interpreting has applied since 1 November 2024. Hospitals do not have to follow it.
Whom should I ask about language help?
Ask the hospital's international department before your visit. Language help depends on each hospital.
Can the 12367 hotline interpret at my hospital visit?
The national notice says it answers policy questions in Chinese and English. It does not name medical interpreting.
Is interpreting included in the hospital bill?
We found no national price item for it. Please ask the hospital if it charges for language help.
