City guide
Medical care in Chengdu: a guide for international patients
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan in south-west China, is a regional medical centre with large public teaching hospitals. Unlike Shanghai or Guangdong, it has no government list of international medical pilot hospitals that we could find. What it does have is two international airports, a 240-hour transit area limited to 11 Sichuan cities, and hospitals that run their own international or special-needs clinics.
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Ask us a question Free first replyGetting in: two airports, eleven cities
Chengdu has two international airports, Tianfu (TFU) and Shuangliu (CTU). Both are on the National Immigration Administration's list of ports for 240-hour visa-free transit, updated on 20 August 2026. The permitted area for Sichuan is not the whole province: the list names 11 cities (Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan and Ziyang).
Visa-free transit is for travel, business, visits and family reunions, and requires an onward ticket to a third country or region. Medical treatment is not among the listed purposes. If hospital care is the reason for your trip, read our visa guide before booking anything.
Is there an official list of hospitals for foreigners?
We did not find one. Shanghai and Guangdong have published named pilot lists for international medical services, and Beijing has a city plan. For Sichuan and Chengdu we found no equivalent government document. The closest development is the Chengdu International Medical Service Alliance (成都国际医疗服务联盟), launched on 22 September 2026. According to the Sichuan press report, 42 provincial, ministry-level and municipal medical institutions founded it, the event was initiated by Chengdu Third People's Hospital with partners including two banks, and a city health commission official spoke. The report does not list the 42 members. It is an industry alliance, not a designation of hospitals by the government.
Chengdu is also not among the nine areas where China allows fully foreign-owned hospitals under the 2024 pilot (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hainan).
Two hospitals we are profiling
| Hospital | International service, as published | Where | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|---|
| West China Hospital, Sichuan University (四川大学华西医院) | International Medical Center; the hospital's English site describes the International Hospital of Sichuan Province as part of West China | Huaxi campus: Fourth Inpatient Building, 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District | Two different sets of phone numbers on its English pages; a May 2026 picture guide shows passport registration in its app, while an older FAQ calls that "on the way" |
| Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (四川省人民医院) | International Medical Department (special-needs clinic, 特需) | Moved on 3 June 2025 to Building 9 (inpatient), 1st floor, Caotang campus | Old directories still give the main-campus address; no foreign-language line published |
Our full profiles of both hospitals will appear below once published:
2 profiles
-
Public sources, checked 24 Oct 2026 · not confirmed by the hospital
Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital
四川省人民医院
International Medical Department (special-needs clinic, 国际医疗部（特需）)
- City
- Chengdu
- Type
- Public hospital
- Official grade
- Not yet confirmed
-
Public sources, checked 24 Oct 2026 · not confirmed by the hospital
West China Hospital, Sichuan University
四川大学华西医院
International Medical Center (International Hospital of Sichuan Province)
- City
- Chengdu
- Type
- Public hospital
- Official grade
- Not yet confirmed
No profiles match these filters
Try another city or clear the search. We add hospitals one at a time.
The address trap at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital
Many directories still send international patients to the main campus at 32 Second Section, First Ring Road West. The hospital's outpatient department announced in June 2025 that its International Medical Department had moved, in full, to the Caotang campus. The hospital's location page gives the Caotang site's vehicle entrance at 62 Dashi West Road and the pedestrian entrance at 49 Huanhua Binhe Road, near Huanhuali station on Metro Line 17. Use those addresses, and ask for the building when you book.
West China's international centre: what the English pages say
West China's English support page gives the International Medical Center's email ([email protected]) and phone (+86 28 8542 2788), while its overview page lists +86 28 8542 2408 and +86 28 8558 6698. Its insurance page describes a direct-payment process in which the insurer or administrator issues a letter of undertaking before care, and shows logos of ten insurers without saying which plans they cover. A booking guide on the English site is a picture made with a third-party guide service and refers to the Huayitong app, available in Chinese app stores. That guide walks through registering with a passport in the app; the support page FAQ still says this option is coming, so if the app will not install, write to the center instead.
Languages
Mandarin, and in daily life the Sichuan dialect, are what you will hear in Chengdu hospitals. A contact sheet from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu, which appears to be older, lists "Mandarin, English and others" for West China and Mandarin only for Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital. Ask each hospital which language your consultation will use; do not assume an international department means an English-speaking doctor.
Consular and Hong Kong office lists
The Australian Consulate-General in Chengdu publishes a list of medical facilities that includes West China Hospital and the "Sichuan International Medical Centre West China Golden Card Hospital", with a statement that it does not endorse any provider. The list is undated and does not include Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital. Use such lists as a starting point for phone numbers, not as a recommendation, and check numbers against the hospital's own site.
Chengdu: the short version
| Topic | What we found |
|---|---|
| Airports | Tianfu (TFU) and Shuangliu (CTU) |
| 240-hour transit area | 11 Sichuan cities, not the whole province; medical treatment not a listed purpose |
| Official international medical pilot | None found for Sichuan or Chengdu |
| Hospital alliance | Chengdu International Medical Service Alliance, 42 founding institutions (September 2026) |
| Fully foreign-owned hospitals | Chengdu not among the nine pilot areas |
| Payment | National rules apply; see the payment guide |
| Prices | None traced for Chengdu; see costs |
Practical guides before a Chengdu trip
- Visas and entry
Which visa do you need for medical treatment in China?
Compare transit, short-stay and Hainan entry policies for medical travel, with official sources and questions to confirm with your visa office.
Read guide - Payment
How to pay for medical care in China as a visitor
How visitors pay Chinese hospitals: mobile payment limits since 2024, international cards, cash, insurance direct billing and guarantee letters.
Read guide - Your visit
Preparing for a hospital visit in China: documents and steps
What to bring to a Chinese hospital as a visitor: passport, translated records, insurance letters. How booking and registration work, and what to ask.
Read guide
What to ask before you book in Chengdu
- Which campus and building is your international or special-needs clinic in now?
- Which of your published numbers, or which email address, reaches you from outside China?
- Can I register with a passport, and do I need a Chinese phone number?
- Does the consulting doctor speak English, and if not, can you book an interpreter?
- Do you bill [insurer] directly, and do you need a letter of undertaking first?
We check each hospital separately and publish profiles one at a time; see how we verify. Compare Chengdu with Shanghai, Beijing and the other cities on the cities page, and read what to bring in the hospital visit guide. Rankings are excluded under our editorial policy, the treatments page covers the kinds of planned care we write about, and about us says who runs this site.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use 240-hour visa-free transit to get treatment in Chengdu?
Visa-free transit lists travel, business, visits and family reunions as purposes, not medical treatment, and it requires onward travel to a third country or region. Check the visa route for a medical visit first.
Does Chengdu have government-designated hospitals for foreigners?
We found no official Sichuan or Chengdu list. A Chengdu International Medical Service Alliance of 42 institutions was launched in September 2026, but its members were not listed.
Where is the international department of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital?
Since 3 June 2025, at the Caotang campus, Building 9 (inpatient), 1st floor, according to the hospital's announcement.
Which area can I visit on 240-hour transit through Chengdu?
Eleven Sichuan cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan and Ziyang.
Sources
- Visa-Free Transit Policies, National Immigration Administration of China, 20 Aug 2026. Read 20 Oct 2026. Reviewed for the 20 October 2026 launch content correction.
- Chengdu International Medical Service Alliance founded (成都国际医疗服务联盟成立), Chuanguan News (Sichuan Daily group), relaying Popular Health News, 23 Sep 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026. 42 founding institutions; initiated by Chengdu Third People's Hospital with partners; members not listed.
- Notice on the pilot opening for fully foreign-owned hospitals (2024), Ministry of Commerce, National Health Commission and National Medical Products Administration (gov.cn), 7 Sep 2024. Read 24 Oct 2026. Nine areas: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hainan.
- Some departments move from 3 June (国际医疗部搬迁至草堂院区), Sichuan Online, supplied by the outpatient department of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 2 Jun 2025. Read 24 Oct 2026. International Medical Department moved to Caotang campus Building 9 (inpatient) 1F.
- Locations (院区位置), Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Main campus 32 First Ring Road West Section 2; Caotang 62 Dashi West Road (vehicles), 49 Huanhua Binhe Road (pedestrians), Metro 17 Huanhuali.
- International patient support (visa consultation), West China Hospital, Sichuan University (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. IMC email [email protected], phone +86-28-85422788; passport app registration "on the way".
- International Hospital of Sichuan Province overview, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. IHSP part of WCH; +86-28-85422408 / 85586698; outpatient clinic daily.
- Campus locations, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Huaxi campus: Fourth Inpatient Building, 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District.
- Insurance and Direct Payment Services, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Flow chart: signed insurer/TPA, letter of undertaking, monthly settlement. No insurer list.
- Appointment guide (image, with a third-party guide service), West China Hospital, Sichuan University (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Huayitong app; available in domestic app stores.
- Hospital contact list (医院联系表), Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu. Read 24 Oct 2026. Undated; languages listed per hospital; appears dated (old domains, old addresses).
- Medical facilities list, Australian Consulate-General Chengdu (DFAT). Read 24 Oct 2026. Includes West China Hospital and Sichuan International Medical Centre West China Golden Card Hospital; no endorsement; undated.