Updated 6 October 2026
Medicines in your luggage
Keep medicines in original packaging and carry prescriptions or a clinician’s letter stating generic names and personal use. Check controlled medicines, biological products, herbal ingredients and quantities with Chinese customs and your carrier before travel. Do not assume a medicine legal at home is automatically permitted in China.
Choose and book a provider
Public hospitals, international departments and private clinics have different fees and appointment systems. Confirm passport registration, language support, estimated charges and whether your insurer accepts the provider. Direct billing is an arrangement to verify, not a universal service.
Check what the policy actually covers
Ask about mainland China, emergency treatment, evacuation, pre-existing conditions, activity exclusions and cancellation. Planned treatment or a medical-tourism trip may be excluded from ordinary travel insurance. Diving, climbing and high-altitude activities may need additional cover.
Keep practical records
Save your policy number, emergency-assistance contact and nearest suitable clinic offline. Keep invoices, medical reports and prescriptions for claims. For planned care, agree consent, translation, follow-up and travel fitness with the treating provider; a travel coordinator cannot guarantee outcomes.
In an emergency
For a medical emergency in mainland China, call 120 and state your exact location. Ask hotel staff or your guide to help with language if needed. Do not delay urgent care while waiting for a travel coordinator to reply.