Travelling from the US to China for treatment

US citizens are not covered by China's unilateral visa-free entry scheme, so a visa is required for medical travel. Most patients use an M or L visa for a short trip, or an S2 medical visa for longer inpatient treatment, supported by an invitation letter from the treating hospital.

Entry policy verified September 2026. Rules change, and they change without much notice — we confirm the current position for your passport and your dates before you book travel.

Entry requirements for US citizens

• A visa is required. The United States is not on China's unilateral visa-free list, despite that list now covering most of Europe, the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan. Pages that say "77 countries enter visa-free" are not describing a US passport.
• Short trips: an M or L visa. Consultations, second opinions and health screening usually fit inside an ordinary business (M) or tourist (L) visa.
• Longer treatment: an S2 medical visa. For inpatient surgery, a course of therapy, or recovery that runs past a short stay, the S2 is the appropriate route. It is applied for at a Chinese embassy or consulate before travel.
• An invitation letter from the hospital supports the application. We obtain this from the treating hospital once your case is accepted and dates are held, and it names the department and the expected length of stay.
• 240-hour transit without visa. US passport holders can enter visa-free for up to ten days at designated ports if they hold an onward ticket to a third country. This suits a screening or consultation trip; it is not a route for inpatient surgery.

Why US patients travel

• A treatment their insurer has declined, or one where prior authorisation has stalled past the window in which it would help.
• A cost that is unmanageable out of pocket at home, most sharply in oncology.
• A therapy that reached routine clinical use in China earlier than in the United States.

For what treatment actually costs, see indicative prices by procedure, or cancer treatment or eye surgery, joint replacement or dental implants if that is what brought you here.

What we handle

We are a care facilitator, not a medical provider and not an immigration adviser. We obtain the hospital invitation letter, confirm treatment dates before you commit to travel, and tell you which entry route fits the trip you actually need. The visa application itself is yours to file, and the decision rests with the Chinese authorities.