In this guide
The viral "$10 hospital visit" videos usually show regular public clinics. Foreigners who want English service, appointments and privacy usually go to a hospital's international department, which runs separately and charges more. Even so, prices are often far below US cash prices: one Shanghai international department lists a basic checkup at US$377.
The viral story, and what it leaves out
A UK content creator's account of getting a diagnosis and tests in Beijing, including a sedated endoscopy, within five days for about 2,800 yuan (US$400) spread widely online. The story is real. But it took place at a public hospital, not an international department, and her UK wait for a specialist was the main reason she went.
Videos showing $10 registration fees are also real. They're local public-clinic prices, and they leave out the rest: tests, interpreters, and the separate services most foreign patients use.
What international departments are
- Separate units inside large hospitals, with their own appointments, staff and prices
- English-speaking staff in many of them, and private rooms
- Higher fees than routine public care
- Small: under Chinese rules, international services are limited to under 10% of a hospital's services
What they cost
There's no single published price list. Examples:
| Example | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Tongji Hospital international department, basic comprehensive checkup | US$377 (list US$447) | Booking platform listing |
| Public hospital diagnosis and endoscopy (UK creator) | about 2,800 yuan (US$400) | Sixth Tone |
Premium packages with more imaging cost more. Ask for an itemized quote, in writing.
What a basic package can include
The Shanghai basic package lists: a physical exam; blood, urine and stool tests; liver, kidney, glucose and lipid panels; thyroid function; an H. pylori breath test; two tumor markers (AFP, CEA); an ECG; a low-dose chest CT; abdominal and thyroid ultrasound; and sex-specific exams.
Note the tumor markers and chest CT: US guidelines don't recommend either for most people at average risk. See our over-screening guide.
How big is this trend?
China's National Health Commission reports 1.28 million international patient visits to major hospitals in 2025, up 73.6% from 2022, with visits from Europe and North America doubling. These are government figures; they count visits, not people, and include foreigners living in China.
Five questions before booking
- Is the price itemized, and does it include the English report?
- Is the final report in English, signed by a doctor? When will I get it?
- Will I get my scan files (DICOM)?
- Who explains the results to me, in English, before I leave?
- What happens if something is found?
Getting there
Americans need a visa for an ordinary round trip to China. A trip through China to a third country may qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit. See our entry rules guide.
Sources
- Sixth Tone: as services expand, more foreigners seek treatment in China (13 Feb 2026) sixthtone.com
- Bookimed: Shanghai Tongji Hospital basic checkup listing us-uk.bookimed.com
Please note. General information, not medical advice.
Reviewed at least every three monthsNo paid placementsInformation, not medical adviceOur editorial standards
Joe Yang, PhD, Economics. Joe Yang holds a PhD in economics from the University of Washington. For four years Joe evaluated the costs and savings of US health programs for insurers and employers at a health-analytics company, and before that studied pricing and demand as an economist at Amazon and a data scientist at Oracle. These guides apply the same discipline to a simpler question: what care really costs, and where.
