Before you travel
How to choose a hospital in China
Understand China's hospital grading system, the difference between public and private hospitals, and what an international department offers foreign patients.
China's hospital grading system
China uses a national grading system that ranks hospitals by size, range of services, and assessed quality. Hospitals are graded on two dimensions: level (一级 / 二级 / 三级, or Level I / II / III) and class (甲 / 乙 / 丙, or A / B / C).
Level III hospitals are the largest tertiary hospitals — typically university-affiliated, with specialist departments, research capabilities, and the widest range of equipment. Within Level III, Grade A (三甲, sān jiǎ) is the highest designation.
As of 2023 there were approximately 1,795 Grade III-A hospitals in China. The grade is assessed by a government review process and re-evaluated on a cycle of several years. Hospitals must maintain consistently high scores across medical quality, safety, and management to keep the designation.
What Grade III-A means — and what it does not
三甲 designation tells you that a hospital has passed a rigorous national review and meets the highest standards within China's own framework. It indicates scale, specialist capacity, and quality management processes.
It does not mean:
- A guarantee of any particular outcome for your condition
- That all departments within the hospital are equally strong — a hospital may excel in one specialty and be average in another
- International accreditation (JCI, for example) — that is a separate process, and relatively few Chinese hospitals have pursued it
Asking which department within a hospital is known for your condition is more useful than comparing overall hospital grades.
Public hospitals vs private hospitals
Most of China's large teaching hospitals are public (公立医院). They are government-funded, often connected to universities, and tend to attract the country's senior specialists. They can be very busy — high patient volumes mean shorter consultation times in standard outpatient clinics.
Private hospitals vary enormously. Some are well-equipped facilities operating to high standards and focused on international patients. Others are smaller facilities. Private hospitals are not necessarily graded under the same national system, or may carry a lower grade. If you are considering a private hospital, check its licensing status (see below).
Some foreign-invested joint-venture hospitals also operate in major cities. These typically offer more English-language support and longer consultation times, but at higher prices.
International departments (国际医疗部)
Many large Grade III-A public hospitals operate a dedicated international medical department (国际医疗部 or 国际部). These departments typically offer:
- Staff who speak some English (level varies — do not assume fluency)
- Longer appointment slots than the standard outpatient clinic
- Assistance with medical record translation and coordination
- Pricing that is higher than the standard Chinese outpatient rate
The international department uses the same doctors and facilities as the rest of the hospital. It is a service pathway, not a separate hospital. Booking through the international department is often easier for foreign patients than navigating the standard registration system. See the appointment guide for details.
Even with an international department, you will benefit from having a medical interpreter for complex consultations. TranslationChina provides medical interpreting services for appointments and hospital stays.
How to check a hospital is legitimate
Before travelling, verify that the hospital you plan to attend is a real, licensed facility:
- Search for the hospital on the National Health Commission (NHC) website (nhc.gov.cn) or on the website of the provincial or municipal health authority. Licensed hospitals appear in official registries.
- Look for the hospital's official website — it should have a domain ending in .org.cn or similar government-recognised format for public hospitals.
- Check whether the hospital has its own official WeChat public account and whether the contact details match.
- Be cautious of third-party booking or coordination agencies that cannot provide a direct hospital contact or whose claims about the hospital cannot be verified.
If a hospital cannot be found in an official registry, do not travel on the basis of an invitation from that facility alone.
Choosing based on your condition
China's largest and most internationally known hospitals for specialist treatment tend to be concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and a few other major cities. Oncology, cardiology, orthopaedics, and traditional Chinese medicine are areas where specific Chinese hospitals have strong reputations.
We do not make recommendations about specific hospitals for specific conditions — that decision should involve your own doctors and, where possible, a specialist opinion on your case. The most important step is to get a written assessment of your medical records translated into Chinese before you travel, so the receiving hospital can review your case before you arrive. TranslationChina translates medical documents including diagnostic reports, imaging reports, and discharge summaries.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Grade III-A hospital always better than a Grade II hospital for my purpose?
Not necessarily. Grade III-A hospitals are the largest and most comprehensively equipped, which matters for complex surgery, rare conditions, and cases requiring multiple specialties. For straightforward procedures or follow-up consultations, a well-run Grade II hospital in your area may be perfectly appropriate and easier to navigate. The key question is whether the hospital has the specific department and experience relevant to your condition.
Do I have to go to a Grade III-A hospital to use the international department?
International departments are most common in Grade III-A hospitals in major cities, but some Grade II hospitals and private hospitals also have dedicated foreign-patient services. Contact the hospital directly to ask whether they have an international department and whether it can handle your type of case.
Can I bring my own overseas doctor's referral letter?
Yes, and it is a good idea. A referral or summary letter from your home doctor, along with all relevant test results and imaging, helps the Chinese hospital understand your case quickly. These documents should be translated into Chinese before you arrive. TranslationChina can handle certified translation of medical records and referral letters.
How do I find out if a specific Chinese hospital has a good reputation for my condition?
Official Chinese hospital rankings are published annually by bodies such as the Hospital Management Institute of Fudan University (复旦大学医院管理研究所). These rankings rate hospitals by specialty, not overall. Search for the ranking relevant to your condition in Chinese (e.g. "中国医院排行榜 肿瘤"). Medical travel facilitators who work specifically with Chinese hospitals can also advise — ensure any facilitator is transparent about whether they receive referral fees from hospitals.
My medical records are in a foreign language. Do I need to translate them before approaching a hospital?
Yes. Chinese hospitals will need records in Chinese to review your case, assign you to the right department, and plan treatment. You should have all key documents — diagnostic reports, imaging results, previous discharge summaries — translated before your first appointment. TranslationChina provides certified translation of medical documents for use in Chinese hospitals.