Seeing a doctor in Shanghai as a visitor: emergencies, registration, payment and insurance

The short answer. In a medical emergency, call 120 (ambulance). Otherwise, go to a hospital, register at the admission desk with your passport, and pay for each step as you go. Keep every receipt, record and invoice for your travel insurer. This page is general information, not medical advice.

What do I do in an emergency?

• 120 is the number for medical emergencies. The Shanghai government’s English portal says the 120 line is available in English. Its separate page on emergency care adds that operators speak Chinese and can connect you to a third-party translator, which may cause delays.
• 110 is the police number. The same portal says it is available in eight foreign languages, English among them. Use it for crime or a situation you cannot resolve alone, and 120 for medical help.
• When you call, give your exact location and the medical details. The government page says you can usually choose your hospital in the ambulance, but in critical cases you are taken to the nearest suitable hospital.
• The portal quotes ambulance charges of a 30-yuan base fee, 7 yuan per kilometre after the first 3 km, an 80-yuan hourly waiting fee and a 60-yuan pre-hospital care charge, usually under 300 yuan in total. It also says financial worries should never stop you calling for urgent help.

Which hospital do I go to?

Shanghai’s public hospitals work in three tiers: city, district and neighbourhood. The government’s guide says foreigners can use all of them, and that public hospitals provide emergency services around the clock. It adds that many public-hospital doctors can communicate in English and that larger hospitals have international or VIP departments with bilingual staff. Registration there costs more than ordinary outpatient registration: the guide gives several hundred yuan for public VIP services, against 10 to 25 yuan for ordinary outpatient registration, depending on the tier of the hospital.

Private and foreign-funded hospitals exist too, and the guide notes that many do not run standard emergency services. We do not rate or recommend individual hospitals here. The Shanghai government publishes an English-language hospital directory with public and foreign-funded tabs. It is a listing, not a ranking, so confirm hours and services with the hospital. The city also reports pilot international medical programmes in public hospitals since 2023, and a 2024 city standard covering multilingual support and appointment systems.

How does it work on the day?

The official step-by-step describes this order:

1. Register at the hospital’s admission desk. Bring your passport and, if you can, a note of the department you need. You pay a registration fee at this point.
2. Get your hospital card (病历卡, bìnglìkǎ). First-time patients receive one, and you need it for later visits.
3. See the doctor when your number is called. If you are prescribed medicine, you pay first, then collect it at the hospital pharmacy by showing the prescription.
4. Pay for tests first. Pay, then take the receipt to the examination area. If results come quickly you can return to the same doctor without queuing again; if they arrive another day, you must register again.
5. Admission. If you are admitted or need surgery, the guide says you pay all the potential costs in advance. It gives no amount, so ask the hospital what it expects.

Booking ahead is possible by hotline or online, including the city’s Suishenban (随申办) app, but the guide says walk-ins are accepted at public hospitals. It recommends appointments for specialists and warns that you may need some basic Chinese.

How do I claim it back from my insurer?

Official guidance written for international students applies in principle to any insured visitor. It says to check with your insurer before you go: what is covered, which hospitals are included, and whether you pay directly or pay first and claim later. Some insurers advance money in an emergency. Typical claim documents are medical records, fee lists and official invoices, so ask for all three and keep every receipt. Your insurer’s own rules decide what it will accept.

The government guide states that leading public hospitals with international or VIP departments also accept commercial insurance. Whether yours is accepted, or billed directly, is a question for the hospital and the insurer.

Where do I buy medicine?

• Hospitals have their own pharmacies, where you collect what the doctor prescribed.
• Prescription-only medicines, antibiotics for example, cannot be bought over the counter. The official guide says over-the-counter remedies such as allergy pills and cold medicines are sold at licensed pharmacies without a prescription.
• Check that the pharmacy displays its business licence and has a licensed pharmacist, and keep the invoice.
• The same page says only over-the-counter drugs can be bought online, and only from licensed platforms.
• The rules for bringing your own medicines into China are not covered by the sources used here. Ask your airline and your doctor.

What if an animal bites or scratches me?

Seek treatment promptly and ask about rabies vaccination, even after a minor bite or scratch. The government’s English portal says timely treatment and vaccination are essential. It lists 44 clinics open 24 hours a day across Shanghai’s 16 districts; check the current list for the clinic nearest your hotel. The page does not describe the treatment schedule, so the clinic must tell you that.

If it doesn’t work

• Nobody speaks English. Show the card below, or ask at the patient service desk in the lobby, which the government guide says public hospitals provide for first-time patients.
• You cannot pay up front. Call your insurer from the hospital. The official handbook says some insurers advance payment in emergencies.
• You need help with a serious problem. Your own country’s embassy or consulate is the fallback. The Shanghai government says 78 countries have consulates in Shanghai and links a list on its consulates page. Note your consulate’s number before you travel.

Show this card

我不舒服，需要看医生。请问有说英语的医生吗？ Wǒ bù shūfu, xūyào kàn yīshēng. Qǐngwèn yǒu shuō Yīngyǔ de yīshēng ma? I feel unwell and need a doctor. Is there a doctor who speaks English?

我需要挂号。这是我的护照。 Wǒ xūyào guàhào. Zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào. I need to register. Here is my passport.

请给我费用清单和发票，我要向保险公司报销。 Qǐng gěi wǒ fèiyòng qīngdān hé fāpiào, wǒ yào xiàng bǎoxiǎn gōngsī bàoxiāo. Please give me an itemised bill and an invoice; I will claim from my insurance company.

我被动物咬伤了，需要打狂犬疫苗。 Wǒ bèi dòngwù yǎoshāng le, xūyào dǎ kuángquǎn yìmiáo. I was bitten by an animal and need a rabies vaccination.

Small print

Hospital lists, clinic lists and fees change. The pages above were checked on 22 October 2026, and several of the government pages carry no publication date, so confirm details with the hospital. Related: how to pay in Shanghai, phone and internet, travel essentials.