Hangzhou medical guide for international patients

Six hospitals, six booking rules

Each hospital below publishes an English page for international patients. These are the hospitals' own descriptions, read on 24 October 2026; none is a government designation.

Two practical points stand out. The Children's Hospital line is staffed for two hours on weekday afternoons, which is the middle of the night in the Americas. And Hangzhou First People's Hospital's form asks for a permanent address in China, which a visitor will not have; ask how to book if you live abroad. Our profiles of these hospitals appear below when published:

Campuses matter more than names

Several of these hospitals have moved their international clinics to newer campuses away from the old city centre. The First Affiliated Hospital's international center is at its Yuhang campus, in the north-west; the Second Affiliated and Children's hospitals point international patients to Binjiang, south of the Qiantang River. A taxi to "Zhejiang University First Hospital" may take you to the wrong site. Copy the campus name and building from the hospital's own page into your notes.

Insurance and payment

Direct billing is hospital by hospital. Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital's patient guide says direct billing is available for partner insurers in outpatient care but not in its emergency department. The Children's Hospital names Ping An, MSH China and MediLink-Global for direct billing. The First Affiliated Hospital lists partner insurers and accepts UnionPay, Visa and Mastercard. For everything else, our payment guide explains how visitors pay in China.

Arriving and the transit area

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH) is on the National Immigration Administration's 240-hour visa-free transit list, updated 20 August 2026. The permitted area for Zhejiang is the whole province, and the policy allows cross-province travel within the permitted areas of other provinces, which include Shanghai and Jiangsu. The listed purposes are travel, business, visits and family reunions; treatment is not one of them, so see the visa guide. For the 2026 winter season the city's English news site reports 465 international flights a week at Xiaoshan. Many visitors also arrive via Shanghai; our Shanghai guide covers its airports.

Help in English from the government hotline

Zhejiang's 12345 government service hotline offers English, with four dedicated English positions on working days from 8:30 to 17:30, according to a report on the city's official English site in August 2026. It handles general public-service questions; it is not a medical advice line. In an emergency, the number is 120.

What Hangzhou does not have

• No official pilot list. We found no Zhejiang or Hangzhou government list of international medical pilot or designated hospitals. Treat any claim that a hospital is "designated for foreigners" with caution unless a government source is given.
• No fully foreign-owned hospitals pilot. Hangzhou is not one of the nine areas in the 2024 pilot.
• No city price data. We have not traced prices for Hangzhou; see the costs page for what we can source.

Belgian and Australian lists

The Belgian embassy's list of approved hospitals (May 2026) includes Hangzhou First People's Hospital and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, with phone numbers that differ from those on the hospitals' own English pages. The list appears to serve medical examinations rather than general care. The Australian consulate-general in Shanghai covers Zhejiang but lists no Hangzhou facilities. Use the hospitals' own contact details first.

Guides to read for Hangzhou

• 01Visas 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
• 02Payment

  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
• 03Your 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

Before booking in Hangzhou

1. Which campus and building is the international clinic in?
2. How many days' notice do you need, and can I book from abroad without a Chinese address?
3. Which hours is your international phone line staffed?
4. Is [insurer] billed directly at your clinic, and also in your emergency department?
5. Which language will the consultation be in?

Profiles are researched and published one hospital at a time; read how we verify. Other cities are compared on the cities page, every profile sits on the hospital index, and the hospital visit guide covers documents. The treatments page outlines the care types we cover; our editorial policy rules out rankings; and coordination fees are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I book an international clinic in Hangzhou?

It varies. The First Affiliated Hospital asks for at least one day; the Second Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou First People's Hospital and the Hangzhou Normal University hospital ask for three days.

Is there English help on Hangzhou's government hotline?

Yes. Zhejiang's 12345 hotline has English-language positions on working days, 8:30 to 17:30. It is not a medical line; call 120 in an emergency.

Can I travel between Shanghai and Hangzhou on 240-hour transit?

The policy allows cross-province travel within permitted areas, and both Shanghai and Zhejiang are permitted areas. Medical treatment is not a listed purpose of the policy.

Does Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital bill insurance in its emergency department?

No. Its patient guide says direct billing is not available in emergency care.

Sources

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Xiaoshan airport winter-spring flight season, eHangzhou (Hangzhou government English news site), 23 Oct 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026. 465 international flights per week in the 2026 winter season.
4. Zhejiang 12345 hotline offers regular English-language service, eHangzhou, relaying ezhejiang.gov.cn, 31 Aug 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026. Four English positions, 8:30-17:30 working days.
5. Contact us, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. International center phone and email; Qingchun and Qiantang campuses.
6. Patient guide, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Direct billing with partner insurers in outpatient care; not available in emergency.
7. International Medical Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Yuhang campus Building 1; phone; book at least a day ahead; insurers; card payment. Hours given two ways.
8. International Medicine Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Binjiang campus; at least 3 days ahead; phone and hours; GlobalHealth email.
9. International Medicine Department, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. Binjiang outpatient building 2F; phone 2-4pm weekdays; Ping An, MSH, MediLink direct billing.
10. Appointment, Hangzhou First People's Hospital (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. 3 days ahead; form asks for permanent address in China; hotline.
11. Patient care: international service, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University (official English website). Read 24 Oct 2026. 3 days ahead; hotline; 126 Wenzhou Road.
12. List of approved hospitals (14 May 2026), Embassy of Belgium in China, 14 May 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026. Includes Hangzhou First People's Hospital and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital with different phone numbers.
13. Hospitals and medical facilities, Australian Consulate-General Shanghai (DFAT). Read 24 Oct 2026. Consular district includes Zhejiang; no Hangzhou facilities listed.

Related

• Cities for medical care in China: seven destinations comparedCompare seven Chinese cities for planned medical care: airports, government pilot programmes, published hospital profiles and what each city is still missing.
• Medical care in Shanghai for international patientsShanghai runs an international medical services pilot at 13 public hospitals. Hospital profiles, airports, payment, visas and what we are still checking.
• Hospitals in China for international patientsHow we choose which Chinese hospitals to profile, what each profile shows, how public and international departments differ, and which questions to ask first.
• 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.