City guide
Guangzhou: medical care for visitors from abroad
Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, has more hospitals in the province's 2026 international medical service pilot than any other city. It also runs a government interpreting hotline that can join your call to a hospital or to the ambulance service. This guide sets out the pilot, the entry routes and the help available in English.
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Ask us a question Free first replySeventeen pilot hospitals in one city
In March 2026 three Guangdong provincial authorities, responsible for health, medical security and drug regulation, published a list of 25 hospitals for the first round of an international medical service pilot. That list does not group hospitals by city; going by their addresses, 17 are in Guangzhou, which matches a May 2026 press report of "the city's 17 pilot hospitals":
- Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital
- Guangdong Women and Children Hospital
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (Yuexiu and Nansha campuses)
- Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
- Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
- Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University
- The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
- Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University
- Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University
- Guangzhou First People's Hospital
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center
- Clifford Hospital (Panyu)
According to reports on the pilot, patients using these international services pay themselves or through commercial insurance; China's basic medical insurance does not cover them. Being on the list is a reason to ask a hospital about its international service; it is not a recommendation from us. The Shenzhen guide covers the four Shenzhen hospitals in the same pilot.
Profiles in Guangzhou
We are profiling two pilot hospitals first: the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, whose International Eye Care service publishes mobile numbers, an email address and weekday phone hours, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, whose international services are split between the Yuexiu campus on Zhongshan Er Road and an international medical center at its Nansha campus, far to the south. Profiles appear here once published:
2 profiles
-
Public sources, checked 24 Oct 2026 · not confirmed by the hospital
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University
中山大学中山眼科中心
International Eye Care (国际医疗)
- City
- Guangzhou
- Type
- Public hospital
- Official grade
- Not yet confirmed
-
Public sources, checked 24 Oct 2026 · not confirmed by the hospital
The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
中山大学附属第一医院
International Medicine / Private Medical Service & Healthcare Center (Yuexiu); International Medical Center (Nansha)
- City
- Guangzhou
- 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.
An interpreter on the line: 960169
The Guangzhou government's English portal describes 960169, the Guangzhou Multilingual Public Service Hotline. It provides instant interpretation, can set up a three-way call when you need to ring the 12345 government service line or emergency numbers such as 120, 110 and 119, and runs English interpretation 24 hours a day; Japanese and Korean are available from 9:00 to 21:00. For a visitor who does not speak Chinese, that is a practical way to talk to a hospital switchboard or an ambulance dispatcher.
The city's 12345 service line itself runs 24 hours, offers English by pressing 3 according to a 2026 guide on the same portal, and from a phone registered outside Guangzhou is dialled as 020-12345.
Ways into Guangzhou
| Route | What the National Immigration Administration lists | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Baiyun International Airport (CAN) | 240-hour visa-free transit port | Permitted area: all of Guangdong, with exit from any open port in the province |
| Nansha Port and Pazhou Ferry Terminal | Also 240-hour transit ports | Passenger ferry routes |
| Tour groups from Hong Kong or Macao | Visa-free for groups of two or more organised by agencies registered there, up to 6 days in ten Guangdong cities including Guangzhou | A tourism scheme; groups enter and leave together |
None of these routes lists medical treatment as a purpose. On the same immigration page of regional schemes, only Hainan's 30-day entry names medical visits, and it does not apply to Guangdong. Read the visa guide for the routes that fit a medical visit.
Foreign-owned hospitals
Guangzhou is one of the nine areas where China's 2024 pilot allows fully foreign-owned hospitals (traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and acquisitions of public hospitals excluded). That widens the choice over time, but it does not tell you which foreign-owned hospitals operate now; check each one directly.
UK, German and Australian lists
The UK government's list of medical facilities in China (updated May 2025) includes the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, marked as having English-speaking staff, and says it endorses none of the providers. The German embassy's regional medical office list for Guangzhou (November 2023) and Australia's consulate list (2020) are older. Neither of our first two profiled hospitals appears on the German list.
Payment and costs
National payment rules apply in Guangzhou; our payment guide covers cards and mobile wallets for visitors. We have not traced Guangzhou prices; the costs page lists the figures we can source.
Visa, payment and visit guides
- 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
Questions for a Guangzhou pilot hospital
- Which campus runs your international service, and what is its address?
- Can I register with a passport, and book before I arrive?
- Which languages do your doctors use, or should I use the 960169 interpreting line?
- Do you bill [insurer] directly under the pilot, and what do I pay myself?
- Will you put a cost estimate in writing before I book flights?
We publish hospital profiles one by one after researching each; see how we verify. Other cities are on the cities page, including Shanghai and Beijing; all profiles are on the hospital index, and documents to bring are in the hospital visit guide. See the treatments page for care types, the editorial policy for how we write about hospitals, and about us for who we are.
Frequently asked questions
How many Guangzhou hospitals are in Guangdong's international medical pilot?
Going by hospital addresses, 17 of the 25 hospitals named in March 2026 are in Guangzhou; a May 2026 press report gives the same number.
Is there an interpreting hotline in Guangzhou?
Yes. 960169, the Guangzhou Multilingual Public Service Hotline, offers English interpretation 24 hours a day and can join a call to 12345 or to emergency numbers such as 120.
Can I enter Guangzhou visa-free for medical treatment?
The visa-free schemes that cover Guangzhou list travel, business, visits and family reunions, or tourism for groups, not treatment. Look at the visa options for a medical trip before planning one.
Are foreign-owned hospitals allowed in Guangzhou?
Yes. Guangzhou is one of nine areas in the 2024 pilot for fully foreign-owned hospitals.
Sources
- New rules on fully foreign-owned hospitals, Shanghai Municipal People's Government, 2 Dec 2024. Read 19 Oct 2026.
- Regional visa-free entry policies: Hainan permits medical visits, National Immigration Administration of China, 20 Aug 2026. Read 20 Oct 2026. Reviewed for the 20 October 2026 launch content correction.
- 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.
- Guangdong names its first 25 international medical service pilot hospitals, 21st Century Business Herald (21jingji.com), 27 Mar 2026. Read 20 Oct 2026. Full list of 25; pilot cycle 2026-2027; periodic review and exit mechanism.
- Guangdong's first 25 international medical service pilot hospitals, Greater Bay Area portal (Guangdong leading group office for the Greater Bay Area), 29 Mar 2026. Read 20 Oct 2026. Joint notice by provincial health, medical security and drug authorities; self-pay or commercial insurance; cross-border direct billing.
- Guangzhou medical tourism report naming the city's 17 pilot hospitals, Life of Guangzhou (relaying China Daily), 8 May 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026. "the city's 17 pilot hospitals".
- Contact us: Guangzhou Multilingual Public Service Hotline 960169, Guangzhou Municipal Government (Guangzhou International). Read 24 Oct 2026. English 24/7; Japanese and Korean 9:00-21:00; three-way calls to 12345, 110, 120, 119.
- Guangzhou 12345 English service, Guangzhou 12345 (Guangzhou International), 17 Apr 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026. Press 3 for English.
- How to use 12345 (使用说明), Guangzhou 12345 Government Service Hotline, 16 Jan 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026. 24 hours; 020-12345 from outside Guangzhou; emergencies to 120.
- International Eye Care, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Mobile numbers, [email protected], weekday phone hours, two campus addresses.
- International Medical Center (Nansha), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Nansha campus (official website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Opened 2023; 150 beds; commercial insurance direct settlement; multilingual; Hengshun 2nd Road, Hengli.
- International Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Registration (020) 87332200-8225; weekday hours; 58 Zhongshan Er Road. Footer 2017.
- Work plan for the pilot of fully foreign-owned hospitals (国卫医政发〔2024〕36号), National Health Commission (Gazette 2024 No. 11), 1 Nov 2024. Read 24 Oct 2026. Guangzhou among nine areas.
- List of medical facilities in China, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, 28 May 2025. Read 24 Oct 2026. Includes First Affiliated Hospital SYSU with English-speaking staff; no endorsement.
- Medizinische Einrichtungen in Kanton (11/2023), German Embassy Beijing, Regional Medical Office. Read 24 Oct 2026. Guangzhou list; neither of our two profiled hospitals listed.