Since 31 March 2025, public hospitals in China no longer ask for a deposit before an outpatient visit, with a few exceptions. For a hospital stay, the deposit must follow the average cost of the same illness. National rules ask large hospitals to accept bank cards, mobile payment and cash. You can link a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay. We found no national rule for direct billing to foreign insurers.
| Topic | What the rule says | Issued by | In force from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outpatient deposit | Public hospitals stop asking for it (some groups, such as emergency patients, may choose to keep one) | National Health Commission and five other national bodies | 2025-03-31 |
| Hospital stay deposit | Set from the average cost of the same illness; amounts for common illnesses are shown in public | National Health Commission and five other national bodies | 2025-06-30 |
| Cards and cash at hospitals | Large hospitals must be able to take mobile payment, bank cards and cash | General Office of the State Council | 2024-03-01 |
| Foreign card in a mobile wallet | Up to USD 5,000 per payment and USD 50,000 per year | People's Bank of China | 2024-03-01 |
| Cash brought into China | Declare more than RMB 20,000, or foreign cash worth more than USD 5,000 | General Administration of Customs | 2025-04-01 |
| Changing money into yuan | Up to USD 50,000 a year per person without extra papers | State Administration of Foreign Exchange | 2020-08-28 |
| Medical receipt | One national receipt format, which also shows how you paid | Ministry of Finance, National Health Commission and National Healthcare Security Administration | 2019-07-22 |
Deposits: what a hospital may ask for first
A deposit (预交金) is money a hospital asks for before treatment. In March 2025, six national bodies, led by the National Health Commission, set new rules for deposits at public hospitals. The rules cover all public hospitals and hospitals run by the military. Private hospitals may follow them but do not have to.
Outpatient visits
Since 31 March 2025, public hospitals must stop asking for deposits before outpatient care. Some patients may still choose to pay one, for example for emergency care or day surgery. The hospital must record these cases.
A stay in hospital
Since 30 June 2025, a hospital must set the deposit from what the same illness cost in the last three years. It must also show in public how much it asks for common illnesses. After you leave hospital, the bill must be settled within three working days.
These rules limit the deposit, but they do not set a price.
Paying by bank card
In March 2024, the General Office of the State Council asked for easier payment for visitors from abroad. Its rule names hospitals as key places. Large hospitals must be able to take mobile payment, bank cards and cash, so that you can choose how to pay.
The same rule asks local governments to list hospitals and other key places where foreign bank cards should be accepted. It also asks banks to update cash machines so visitors can take out yuan with a foreign card.
The rule does not promise that every counter takes every card. Please carry a second way to pay, and ask the hospital which cards it takes.
Paying with Alipay or WeChat Pay
You can link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay. You then pay by scanning a code.
On 1 March 2024, the People's Bank of China said it had raised the limits for visitors from abroad. One payment can be up to USD 5,000. The total can be up to USD 50,000 in one year. The payment apps apply these limits, so a large hospital bill may need another way to pay.
Bringing cash and changing money
Cash at the border
Customs rules changed on 1 April 2025, but the cash amounts stayed the same. You may bring up to RMB 20,000 in Chinese cash. You must declare foreign cash worth more than USD 5,000 to customs in writing.
Changing money into yuan
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange lets each person change up to USD 50,000 a year into yuan with a valid ID. A visitor from abroad can change more by showing papers about what the money will pay for. If one exchange is more than USD 50,000, the bank sends the yuan straight to the account of the person or body you are paying.
Changing yuan back
You can change unused yuan back with your ID and the original exchange receipt, within 24 months. Without the receipt, the limit is USD 500 a day, or USD 1,000 a day in the departure area before you leave China.
Insurance and direct billing
Direct billing means the hospital sends the bill to your insurance company. We found no national rule that sets this up for patients from abroad. Each hospital agrees it with each insurer itself.
Some hospitals publish that they bill international insurers directly. Our table of international patient services marks these hospitals, with a link to each hospital's own notice.
Before you travel, ask your insurer if it pays a hospital in China directly, and which hospitals it works with. Then ask the hospital's international department to confirm it for your policy.
A 2026 national health plan asks for more health insurance products, but it does not set up direct billing.
Your hospital receipt
Since 2019, hospitals in China use one national receipt format, often as an electronic receipt. There are separate receipts for outpatient care and for a stay in hospital. A detailed list of charges comes with the receipt.
The receipt shows your ID number, with some digits hidden for privacy. For a patient from abroad, this is your passport number. It also shows how much you paid yourself, by cash, card, WeChat Pay or Alipay. Keep it if you plan to claim from your insurance.
What changed recently
In March 2024, the State Council asked large hospitals to accept bank cards, mobile payment and cash. On 31 March 2025, outpatient deposits stopped at public hospitals. On 1 April 2025, new customs rules for luggage came into force. On 30 June 2025, the new rules for hospital stay deposits started.
In July 2026, the national health plan for 2026 to 2030 said China will widen its pilots for international medical services. We found no newer national rule about how patients from abroad pay.
Before you pay, you may need a visa. Read our guide to medical visas for China. For language help at the counter, see our guide to medical interpreters.
Common questions
Do I have to pay a deposit before I see a doctor?
No, public hospitals stopped asking for outpatient deposits on 31 March 2025. A few patients, for example in emergency care, may choose to pay one.
How is the deposit for a hospital stay set?
The hospital must base it on what the same illness cost in the last three years. It must also show the amounts for common illnesses in public.
Can I pay with my foreign bank card?
National rules ask large hospitals to accept bank cards and to work toward foreign cards. Please ask the hospital which cards it takes, and carry a second way to pay.
Can I use Alipay or WeChat Pay?
Yes, you can link a foreign bank card to either app. The People's Bank of China sets limits per payment and per year, so a large bill may need another way to pay.
Will the hospital bill my insurance company directly?
We found no national rule for this. Some hospitals arrange it themselves, so please ask the hospital and your insurer before you travel.
Does this guide tell me the price of treatment?
No, this guide explains how payment works. It does not list hospital prices.
