How to Book a Hospital Appointment in China (2026): Apps & Passports

Yes — in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen you can book a public-hospital appointment yourself with a passport, though not through every channel; in other cities it depends on the hospital. The official city routes that accept foreign documents are Beijing's 114 platform, in English through the "International Service Beijing" mini program^[1], Shanghai's Suishenban app, where you add the patient as "Foreigner"^[2], and Guangzhou's 广州健康通 platform at participating hospitals^[3]. Elsewhere, use the hospital's own WeChat account, its international department or the staffed window. Expect real-name booking — national policy promotes it^[15][26] and Beijing requires it^[4]: show the same original document you booked with^[4], collect or check in before the deadline, and never pay anyone for a "guaranteed" expert slot.

For what happens once you are inside the hospital, see your first hospital visit without a Chinese ID.

Quick answer: what works with a passport, city by city

City	Official booking channel	Passport and permits	English
Beijing	114 platform: 京通 (Jingtong) mini program, "北京114预约挂号" WeChat account, phone 010-114 (domestic line; may not work from abroad)[5][6]	City rules name passports and Hong Kong/Macau permits[4]	"International Service Beijing" mini program, tap "En"[1]
Shanghai	Suishenban (随申办) app → Healthcare → Registration Reservation[2]	Add the patient as "Foreigner"[2]	Steps published in English; some basic Chinese may be needed[2]
Guangzhou	广州健康通: website, WeChat, 穗好办 app[7]	At participating hospitals only[3]; Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card since 2024[8]; registration needs a mainland number, HK01 found[11]	Not stated
Shenzhen	"Health Shenzhen" (健康深圳) account and app[9]; Health 160[10]	Health Shenzhen takes a passport or 回乡证 but needs a mainland number, HK01 found[11]	English line at HKU–Shenzhen Hospital[12]
Chengdu	天府市民云 app, 天府医健通 WeChat account[13]	Not confirmed by any official source	None found
Hangzhou	Zhejiang's 浙里办 and 浙江健康导航 platforms; phones 12580, 114, 96365 (domestic lines; may not work from abroad)[14]	Accepted at Hangzhou Third People's Hospital; you open a file at a window when you collect the slot[14]	None found

If no online channel works, there are two fallbacks: the hospital's international department, if it has one — a paid tier with English-speaking staff (international departments explained) — or the staffed window, which can only sell slots that are still free; some hospitals, such as 301, register outpatients by appointment only, though 301's VIP (特需) clinic also registers patients in person on the day^[6].

Emergencies need no booking — Beijing's rules exempt them^[4]. If it is urgent, go straight to a hospital emergency department (急诊) or call 120, mainland China's emergency number^[1]; see emergency in China.

The booking channels and what each needs

China's National Health Commission tells secondary and tertiary hospitals to run appointment systems with time slots of 30 minutes or less and to promote real-name booking^[15].

Hospital WeChat accounts, Alipay mini programs and apps

This is how most local patients book, and each hospital sets its own rules: Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, for example, asks for the patient's original resident ID card^[16], while other hospitals offer a passport option. Registration often needs a mainland (+86) number for SMS codes^[11] — see apps and connectivity. Some hospitals also refuse online bookings until you have a hospital file; Guangzhou's platform quotes one such error message, which sends the patient to the hospital's window^[3].

City-wide platforms

Beijing (114). The platform covers more than 290 secondary and tertiary hospitals and campuses^[5]. In October 2025 the city listed 15 hospitals or campuses with full English online booking, including PUMCH, Peking University Third Hospital, Xuanwu, Fuwai, Tiantan and three Jishuitan campuses^[17]; by November 2025, 28 institutions offered it, after log-in and identity verification^[18]. The platform may not charge a booking fee^[19].

Shanghai (Suishenban). Tap Healthcare → Registration Reservation, choose the hospital, department and doctor, then Reserve. On a first booking, tap Patient → Add Patient → Foreigner, enter your details and save; the system then texts a verification code to your phone^[2].

Guangzhou (广州健康通, Guangzhou Health Connect). The city health commission runs it free of charge^[3]. Accounts can be opened with a Chinese ID card, passport, Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan travel permit or residence permit^[7], but a passport or permit works only at hospitals that have switched it on — 14 in the commission's 2023 FAQ, among them Guangzhou First People's Hospital and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center^[3]. The Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card was added in January 2024, initially at 17 hospitals^[8]. Phone booking on 020-12320 (domestic line; may not work from abroad) asks for a Chinese ID number^[20].

Shenzhen. A Futian District guide for foreigners points to hospitals' own accounts, Health 160 and Health Shenzhen^[10]. HK01 found in 2024 that Health 160 accepts Hong Kong and Macau numbers and checks a 回乡证 or passport within 24 hours^[11]. Shenzhen police say a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card works at any hospital kiosk or window in the city^[21].

Chengdu and Hangzhou. Chengdu First People's Hospital lists eight booking channels, including the two city channels above^[13]; we found no official statement on whether they accept passports. Hangzhou Third People's Hospital tells international patients who booked with a passport number to open a file at window 8 on floor 1 before collecting the slot^[14].

International departments by phone or email

International departments (国际医疗部) are a separate, higher-priced tier with English-speaking coordinators, and many take bookings by phone or email. Examples: China-Japan Friendship Hospital's International Department, bookings +86 10 8420 5071 (enquiries +86 10 8420 5121)^[22]; HKU–Shenzhen Hospital's International Medical Center, +86 755 8691 3388, and its English line for ordinary outpatient bookings, +86 755 8691 3366 (Monday–Saturday 8:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30, not on public holidays)^[12]. More contacts are in our Beijing and Shanghai guides.

Kiosks and staffed windows

Walking in is getting harder. Beijing requires appointments for non-emergency care at secondary and tertiary hospitals, keeping a share of on-site slots for older people and other groups with special needs^[4]. 301 Hospital has no on-site outpatient registration outside the emergency department, with two exceptions: its VIP (特需) clinic also registers patients in person on the clinic day, at a desk on the 10th floor of the outpatient building, and military card holders can register on the day^[6]. Ruijin registers same-day patients only for slots left unbooked^[16]. Our guides to 301 Hospital and Ruijin Hospital cover both hospitals' booking rules in more detail. With a passport, the staffed window is a safer bet than a kiosk.

Real-name rules: which document to book with

You are…	Book with	Why
A foreign national	Your passport	Named in Beijing's booking rules[4] and accepted by Guangzhou's platform[7]
A foreign permanent resident	Your Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card (the "five-star card")	It can be used on its own to prove identity, including for medical care[23]
A Hong Kong or Macau resident	Your 回乡证 (Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents) or residence permit	Beijing's rules name Hong Kong/Macau permits[4]; Guangzhou also takes residence permits[7]
A Taiwan resident	Your 台胞证 (Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents) or residence permit	Accepted by Guangzhou's platform[7]; see Taiwan residents' care
A Chinese citizen abroad with a valid resident ID card (e.g. studying abroad, or working abroad on an official posting or as dispatched labour — not counted as 华侨[25])	Your ID card	Many hospitals' booking rules are written around it[16]
A Chinese citizen settled abroad (华侨)	Your Chinese passport	The law lets it prove identity for medical matters[24], including online appointment booking[25]
Ethnic Chinese with another nationality	Your foreign passport	That is your identity document in China[25]

• Same document, start to finish. Beijing's rules say you are seen with the document you booked with; if the details don't match at triage, the booking is void^[4].
• Someone else can book for you if they also give their own name, ID number and phone^[4]; Ruijin asks them to show their own ID card too^[16]. A Chinese-speaking friend can book for you — with your passport details exactly as printed.
• Names must match exactly — see the first-visit guide.

When an app rejects your passport

1. Look for a document switch — 证件类型 → 护照 (passport), or a "Foreigner" option as in Suishenban^[2].
2. Try the city platform or phone line. 301 Hospital tells foreigners to book through 114 and collect the slot at a staffed window with their passport^[6].
3. Open a file first at the window if the hospital books only registered patients, then book online^[3]. (Hangzhou Third People's reverses the order: book with your passport number, then open the file at window 8 when collecting the slot^[14].)
4. Use the international department by phone or email.
5. Ask at the help desk. National policy tells hospitals to offer booking through several channels and with several kinds of valid document^[26].

Ticket types and what they cost

You book a "number" (号) for one department, one doctor rank and one half-day session^[4][6][13].

Ticket	Who you see	Registration fee examples
普通号 (ordinary)	Attending doctor or below	Beijing tertiary hospitals ¥50[27]; Shanghai city-level hospitals ¥25[28]; Ruijin ¥25[16]
专家号 (expert)	Associate chief or chief physician	Beijing tertiary ¥60 / ¥80[27]; Ruijin ¥40 / ¥50[16]
知名专家 / 特约专家 (renowned or named expert)	Senior named specialists	Beijing ¥100[27]; Ruijin tiers from ¥68 to ¥1,000[16]
特需号 (VIP, "special needs")	Senior doctors in a separate clinic	301 Hospital ¥100 / ¥200 / ¥300[6]; Ruijin weekend VIP clinic, tiers from ¥108 to ¥1,000[16]; Shanghai public VIP services "several hundred yuan"[28]
国际医疗部 (international department)	Doctors in the international clinic, with English support	China-Japan Friendship Hospital: international chief physician ¥500–600 vs ordinary attending ¥50[42][43]; confirm the fee in writing when booking. Private international hospitals in Shanghai: several hundred to over ¥1,000[28]

• The Beijing amounts are the city's published tiers for tertiary public hospitals: insured Beijing residents get ¥40 back, visitors pay in full^[27]. Beijing's 2026 price reform renamed the charge "outpatient consultation fee" (门诊诊查费) from 11 July 2026^[29][30]; in September 2026 the city's Healthcare Security Administration confirmed that the amounts and the ¥40 insurance payment did not change^[41].
• Ruijin's fee table is dated 2019 but was still online in October 2026^[16]. HK01 put consultation fees at ¥10–100 in Shenzhen and ¥10–80 in Guangzhou in 2024^[11].
• China-Japan Friendship Hospital's fee listings carry no date but were still online in October 2026: an international chief-physician number is ¥500 on its clinic-schedule page, the same as a VIP (特需) expert number there, and ¥600 on one cardiologist's profile^[42][43].
• The fee covers the consultation only; tests and medicines are extra. Beijing's and Guangzhou's official platforms add no booking fee^[19][3].

When slots open and how far ahead

Expert slots at well-known hospitals can be gone moments after release^[31], so be ready at the release time, in China time (UTC+8). More than 290 Beijing hospitals now release at 7:00, 11:00 or 15:00, and more than 110 also release same-day slots^[32].

Hospital or platform	Release time	Window
PUMCH, Peking University Third, Fuwai, China-Japan Friendship (Beijing)	15:00	8th day ahead[33]
Tiantan, Xuanwu, Beijing Friendship	15:00	15th day ahead[33]
301 Hospital, First Medical Center	7:00	14 days in the hospital's 2024 guide[6]; 7th day ahead in the 114 platform's January 2025 list[33]
Ruijin, Shanghai	7:30	Experts 4 weeks; ordinary and specialty clinics 12 weeks[16]
Guangzhou Health Connect	Set by each hospital	Usually 7 days[7]
Chengdu First People's	20:00	14th day ahead[13]
Hangzhou Third People's	0:00 for kiosk, in-clinic, discharge follow-up and community-referral bookings; 14:00 on all other platforms	14 days[14]

The Beijing list dates from January 2025, with windows from the 4th to the 29th day ahead depending on the hospital, and the platform says times can change^[33]; check the department page. Platforms also cap bookings: Guangzhou allows two a day and nine a month per person^[7].

Cancelling, no-shows and penalties

In Beijing, a no-show means you neither saw the doctor nor cancelled before the half-day session ended^[4]. Rules differ:

Where	Cancel by	No-show rule
Beijing, citywide	Before the session ends, for a refund[4]	3 unexcused no-shows in a calendar year: no booking for 3 months[34]
301 Hospital	Before the clinic opens (8:00 ordinary, 8:30 expert), or the day before through the original channel	3 no-shows or cancellations in a month: booking-restriction list[6]
Ruijin, Shanghai	17:00 on the previous working day (desk or phone), or 23:00 the night before (mobile)	2 breaches: no advance booking for 6 months; ordinary registration still allowed[16]
Guangzhou Health Connect	24:00 the day before (some hospitals earlier)	3 in total: blacklisted for 3 months; three slots collected in a row cancel out one no-show[7]
Chengdu First People's	10:00 on the day (online bookings)	3 uncollected bookings in a row: no booking for 6 months[13]

Arriving late can count too: Ruijin does not hold a slot once its time has passed^[16], and Guangzhou treats a slot cancelled for lateness as a no-show, with no refund^[3].

Waitlists (候补) and add-ons (加号)

Waitlists. Beijing's rules tell hospitals to run a waitlist for returned slots^[4]. On the 114 platform, a "候补" (waitlist) button appears when a slot is full; if someone cancels, the slot goes automatically, at random, to a waitlisted patient — more than 90 hospitals offered this in October 2025^[35]. You can hold up to five requests, choose only morning or afternoon, and requests close at 23:00 the night before; nothing is booked until the platform confirms it^[36].

Add-ons. An add-on is a slot beyond the doctor's quota. Beijing requires hospitals to set clear add-on procedures, keep numbers tightly limited and make every add-on traceable^[4]. A typical legitimate case: at 301, an expert who sees you in the morning can add an afternoon ordinary slot in the same department for your test results^[6]. Ask the doctor or nurse, don't count on it — and treat anyone selling an add-on as a scalper.

On the day: collecting the slot and checking in

• Bring the original document you booked with, plus the booking message.
• Meet the deadline. At 301, slots booked through 114 must be collected — by foreigners at a staffed window with their passport — before 11:00 for the morning or 16:30 for the afternoon, or they lapse^[6]. Ruijin and Guangzhou Health Connect ask you to arrive 30 minutes before your time slot^[16][7]. Chengdu First People's collects 114 bookings between 7:40 and 11:00 or 13:00 and 16:00^[13]; Hangzhou Third People's, by 11:45 or 16:45^[14].
• One ticket, one session, valid only for the booked department and half-day^[6].
• Then come triage, the consultation and paying for each step — see your first hospital visit.

Scalpers (号贩子) and fake booking apps

Reselling hospital slots is illegal, and national health authorities have ordered a crackdown on scalpers^[26]. In September 2024, police in Beijing's Haidian district detained 33 people who grabbed expert slots with plug-in software and resold them for hundreds to thousands of yuan^[37]. In 2025, Nanjing police broke up three gangs; state radio reported a ¥300 expert slot resold for ¥1,200, with second-tier sellers posing as patient escorts (陪诊)^[31]. An investigation republished on a Beijing government website found escorts charging ¥500–600 to get a slot in a fully booked clinic^[38]. And in Shanghai, patients who paid two or three hundred yuan in an app called "上海挂号预约" could not be seen: it was a scalper's front, not an official channel^[39].

The risk is not only money. A scalper needs your name, ID number and phone; Sichuan's health commission describes a patient whose details were used to grab and cancel slots until the hospital locked the card as abnormal^[40].

• Book only through the hospital's own account, app or website, your city's official platform, or a phone line the hospital publishes.
• A Shanghai hospital official's test: regular hospitals never charge a "booking fee" before registration^[39].
• Never send your passport number or SMS codes to a stranger, and never pay a deposit for a "guaranteed" expert.
• A legitimate escort accompanies you — see medical escort services.

Before you book: a short checklist

• Choose the hospital, department and ticket type in the hospital directory.
• Pick your document from the table above and type the name exactly as printed.
• Set up a phone number and mobile payment: apps and connectivity, Alipay and WeChat Pay.
• Note the release time in China time; join the waitlist if the clinic is full.
• Keep a fallback: the international department or the staffed window.
• Prepare the medical records to bring, or start with an online consultation before you travel.

Next steps

• Hospitals by city: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou.
• City details: Beijing hospitals for foreigners, Shanghai hospitals for foreigners; for Hong Kong and Macau residents, cross-border care.
• Write to an international department in English and Chinese with the inquiry letter tool.
• If you will be admitted, read hospital admission and inpatient stays.
• Urgent? Read emergency in China and carry the emergency card.
• Fit appointments, travel and recovery into one plan with the CareAtlas planner.