Visas and immigration

Most patients from North America and Europe can enter without a visa. China has no separate “medical visa”: if treatment runs longer, you extend your stay locally with a letter from the hospital. We prepare the paperwork and go with you.

Abroad → any open port

China 30-day visa-free entry

Who: Citizens of 50 countries, including Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany and Spain. The current scheme runs to 31 Dec 2026
Purpose: Tourism, business, visiting family and friends, exchanges, transit
Rules: Check the end date before booking travel in 2027.

30days

Abroad → China → third country

240-hour visa-free transit

Who: Citizens of 55 countries, including the US
Purpose: Transit to a different country
Rules: Onward ticket to a third country required. Useful for short consultations.

10days

Apply before you fly

Visa with a hospital invitation

Who: Anyone planning treatment longer than 30 days
Purpose: Planned long treatment such as cell therapy or radiotherapy
Rules: Apply at a Chinese Visa Application Service Centre with the hospital’s invitation letter. We obtain the letter.

90+days

Hainan Island

Hainan 30-day visa-free entry

Who: Citizens of 59 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of Europe
Purpose: Tourism, business, family visits and medical treatment
Rules: Fly into Hainan directly, or via Hong Kong or Macao. You can travel anywhere on the island, but this entry does not cover the mainland. The stay can be extended locally with a hospital letter.

This is the only visa-free option for US citizens apart from transit.

30days

See the visa-free options for every country →

Staying longer for treatment

If treatment takes longer than your visa-free days, apply in person before those days run out at the Exit-Entry Administration office of the local Public Security Bureau (公安局出入境管理). With a hospital letter confirming ongoing treatment, the office can issue a visa for your stay. It decides the visa type and length; decisions usually come within 7 working days.

We ask the hospital for a certificate stating your diagnosis and expected treatment period.
You register your address with the police (hotels do this automatically; for apartments it can now be done online, and we do it with you within 24 hours).
We book the appointment and come with you as interpreter.
Collect your passport with the new visa. Family companions can apply with the same hospital letter.

Bring

Passport and entry stamp
Recent passport photo
Hospital certificate of ongoing treatment
Registration of temporary residence
Proof of payment or funds for treatment
Application form (we fill it in with you)

Extensions are approved at the office’s discretion and are not guaranteed. For treatment planned to last more than 30 days, apply for a visa before you travel.

Immigration notes

Register within 24 hours

Every foreign visitor must register where they stay. Hotels do it at check-in; private rentals need a police registration, which can now be done online.

Do not overstay

Overstaying brings fines and can lead to detention and future entry bans. Apply for an extension early.

Longer residence

Patients needing months of treatment can ask for a residence permit on humanitarian grounds. We advise case by case.

Your home health coverage

Check your provincial or national health plan’s rules on time abroad before a long stay, and buy travel medical insurance.

Sources: Chinese Consulate Toronto · National Immigration Administration: stay and extension · NIA measures, Jan 2024