Cross-Border Medical Care for Hong Kong & Macau Residents (2026)

Hong Kong and Macau residents can be treated at any mainland hospital with their Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (回乡证), paying the same listed prices as local self-paying patients. On top of that, Hong Kong residents have three cross-border tools: elderly health care vouchers at designated Greater Bay Area institutions, a Hospital Authority (HA) subsidy for some follow-up patients, and access to certain Hong Kong-registered drugs and devices at designated hospitals. If you live and work in the mainland, you can also join mainland medical insurance.

The demand is real. Shenzhen's health commission reported about 770,000 consultations for patients from outside the mainland in 2023, around 640,000 of them from Hong Kong and Macau.

Documents and booking

• ID: the 回乡证. HKU-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) also asks Hong Kong patients to bring their original Hong Kong identity card, which matters for vouchers and the HA pilot.
• Booking: HKU-SZH takes bookings through its WeChat account, by phone and at on-site kiosks. Its leaflet lists cash in RMB, major bank cards, WeChat Pay HK and AlipayHK as payment options.
• Other hospitals: many mainland booking systems were built for mainland ID cards and +86 phone numbers. If online booking fails, register in person at a counter on your first visit. See your first hospital visit without a Chinese ID.

HKU-SZH also runs a separate International Medical Center, which costs much more and is self-pay only. Voucher and HA pilot subsidies do not apply there. For how such departments differ, read international departments explained.

Elderly health care vouchers across the border

The Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme gives Hong Kong residents aged 65 or over with a valid Hong Kong identity card HK$2,000 a year, with an accumulation limit of HK$8,000.

• HKU-SZH has accepted vouchers since a pilot that began in October 2015. The arrangement became permanent in 2019.
• GBA Pilot Scheme: from February 2024 the government added seven more GBA institutions, which began accepting vouchers between June and September 2024. More institutions joined later. The current list, the designated departments, and claiming rules (including how HKD voucher value is converted for RMB bills) are on the HCV website.
• Scope: vouchers pay for outpatient services in designated departments of each institution. They are not a general mainland medical allowance.

Check the official list before you travel. A clinic that advertises "voucher accepted" for one department may not accept it for another.

The HA pilot for Greater Bay Area patients

The Hospital Authority runs a pilot for HA patients with scheduled follow-up appointments in certain specialist and general outpatient clinics. They can attend their follow-up at HKU-SZH instead. Per HKU-SZH, the patient pays ¥100 per visit and the pilot subsidises the rest up to ¥2,000 a year. The scheme has been extended to 31 March 2027. Episodic illness, inpatient care and emergencies are not covered.

Hong Kong and Macau drugs and devices (港澳药械通)

Under the 港澳药械通 policy, designated GBA medical institutions can use certain drugs and medical devices registered in Hong Kong or Macau that are not yet approved in the mainland. HKU-SZH was the first designated institution, and the first drugs arrived in 2021. Availability depends on the drug and the hospital, so ask the treating department rather than assuming continuity of a Hong Kong prescription.

Mainland medical insurance for residents

Under the 2019 interim measures:

• Hong Kong and Macau residents employed in the mainland must join employee social insurance, including basic medical insurance.
• Those living in the mainland without a job can join local resident medical insurance with a Hong Kong and Macao Residents' Residence Permit.
• Students at mainland universities join the same scheme as mainland students.

This insurance covers mainland care under local rules. It does not pay for treatment in Hong Kong or Macau, and HCV rules prevent a voucher claim on the same bill that mainland insurance already settles.

Macau residents

Macau residents use the same 回乡证 at mainland hospitals and fall under the same 2019 insurance measures. 港澳药械通 also covers Macau-registered products. Hong Kong's vouchers and the HA pilot do not apply to Macau residents, so unless you have mainland insurance, plan to pay as a self-paying patient.

Limits to plan around

• Records do not cross automatically. Keep copies of reports, imaging, implant cards and itemised receipts. See medical records and follow-up and getting medical records translated.
• Follow-up at home may be harder. A Hong Kong clinic may hesitate to take over work started elsewhere. Ask in advance, especially for dental implants and orthodontics.
• Price ≠ value. Cheaper ordinary-clinic prices are real, but get a written treatment plan before agreeing to extra items. See common pitfalls.
• Emergencies: call 120 in the mainland; your 回乡证 is enough to be treated. See emergencies in China.

Next steps

• Browse hospitals in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, and read the Shenzhen city guide.
• Compare options in public vs private hospitals for foreigners.
• Plan a visit, follow-up schedule and budget with the CareAtlas planner.