Short answer: there is no such thing as a "China medical visa." Chinese visa law has no medical category. If you are travelling to China for surgery or hospital treatment, you will enter under an existing visa — in practice almost always the M visa, supported by an invitation letter from the hospital. This guide explains which category applies to your situation, what the consulate will ask for, and what it costs.
🎯 Does China have a medical visa?
No. China's official visa categories cover tourism (L), business and trade (M), non-commercial exchanges and visits (F), short-term private affairs (S2), work (Z), study (X) and a handful of others. Medical treatment is not among the listed purposes. The Chinese Embassy in Sweden, for example, updated its visa requirements on 25 May 2026 without adding any medical category.
In practice, consulates admit medical travellers under a category that fits the trip. Which one is used depends on your treatment plan and on the consulate handling the application.
| Category | Official purpose | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| M | Business and trade activities | Surgery and inpatient treatment — the usual route |
| S2 | Short-term private affairs | Longer treatment courses; family accompanying a patient |
| L | Tourism | Short consultations and minor outpatient procedures |
| Visa-free | Business, tourism, family visits, exchange, transit | Short trips only — medical treatment is not a listed purpose |
⚠️ Why the category matters
Entering for inpatient treatment on a visa that does not match your purpose can cause problems at immigration and again at hospital admission. If you are booking surgery, tell the consulate exactly what you are coming for, and make sure the hospital's invitation letter states it too. Where the two disagree, expect delays.
📋 Step-by-Step Application Process
Get the hospital invitation letter
This is the document that makes a medical trip credible. It is issued by the hospital's International Medical Center, and it is required for an M visa — and worth having even if you could otherwise enter visa-free.
What a usable invitation letter must contain:
- Your full name, spelled exactly as it appears in your passport
- Your passport number
- The hospital's full name, address and contact details
- The treating doctor's name and title, with their signature
- The specific treatment planned, and the medical reason for it
- The expected dates of treatment, and who is responsible for the cost
- The hospital's official stamp, on letterhead
Timing: contact the hospital's International Patient Services department 4–6 weeks before your intended travel date. Letters are usually issued within 3–7 business days. Vague or unsigned letters are one of the most common causes of delay, so ask the hospital to be specific about the procedure and the dates.
Gather your documents
Requirements vary slightly between consulates, but a medical application normally needs:
Standard document set:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months, with blank pages
- Visa application form — completed and signed (see step 3)
- Recent passport photo — 33mm × 48mm, white background, taken within the last 6 months
- Hospital invitation letter — see step 1
- Medical records — diagnosis, test results and current treatment summary, in English or Chinese
- Proof of funds — bank statements, insurance cover, or a hospital prepayment receipt
- Flight itinerary — round-trip booking or a detailed travel plan
- Accommodation proof — hotel booking or hospital patient housing confirmation
Translation: if your records are not already in English or Chinese, use a certified translation service — consulates may reject unofficial translations.
Complete the online application
All applicants complete the form online before submitting documents in person.
- Open the China Online Visa Application (COVA) system and create an account
- Complete the application form
- Choose the purpose that matches how your trip is being handled — the business/trade purpose for an M visa
- Upload your photograph digitally
- Print and sign the completed form
⚠️ Common mistakes
There is no "medical" option in the purpose field — the medical reason is established by the invitation letter, not by the form. Photograph rejections are the most frequent avoidable delay. Consulates have also publicly warned that incomplete or falsified medical applications are being returned, and that agencies submitting them can lose the right to lodge applications at all.
Submit at the embassy, consulate or visa centre
Submit in person or through an authorised visa agency:
Submission options:
- In person — at the Chinese embassy or consulate covering your jurisdiction
- Visa application service centre — the usual intake channel in most countries; it collects documents and returns your passport
- Authorised agency — common for medical travel, and in some countries the only practical route
Processing time: typically 4–7 working days for standard service once the application is accepted, with expedited service (2–3 days) available at many consulates for an extra fee. Budget 3–6 weeks from first contacting the hospital to holding the visa in your hand.
Pay fees and collect your passport
Consular fees vary by nationality, number of entries and processing speed. The figures below are the common schedule for M/L/S visas; your consulate's published table is the one that applies.
| Type | Standard Fee | Express Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Single Entry (30 days) | $140 | $170 |
| Double Entry | $140 | $170 |
| Multiple Entry (6 months) | $140 | $170 |
| Multiple Entry (12 months) | $140 | $170 |
Note: fees are set per country on a reciprocity basis — US citizens typically pay around $185, most other nationalities $30–$160. Visa application service centres add their own handling fee. Check your local consulate's published fee table before you pay an agency, and be wary of agencies that inflate the official fee.
⏱️ Typical Processing Timeline
Week 1: Hospital Contact & Documentation
Contact hospital, receive invitation letter, gather medical records
Week 2: Online Application
Complete COVA form, prepare supporting documents, take passport photo
Week 3: Submission & Processing
Submit application, pay fees, wait for processing (4–7 business days)
Week 4: Final Preparations
Collect passport with visa, book flights, confirm accommodation
✅ Pro Tip: Start Early
Begin the visa application process at least 6–8 weeks before your planned treatment date. This allows buffer time for document delays, additional medical tests, or visa processing issues.
🇧🇩 China medical visa for Bangladeshi citizens
Bangladesh is one of the largest sources of medical travellers to China, and the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka operates a dedicated green channel for medical treatment visas, announced on 4 May 2025. If you are applying from Bangladesh, this changes the process in ways most generic guides do not reflect.
✅ What the green channel gives you
- A guarantee letter replaces two documents. A licensed travel agency can issue a guarantee letter covering your bank deposit certificate and proof of kinship. That exempts you from having those certificates authenticated by the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs — normally a significant extra step.
- A dedicated counter. A medical visa counter at the visa centre lets you submit materials on arrival without waiting in the general queue.
- Prioritised online review. Online applications are prioritised and reviewed immediately on submission.
- Queue-free interviews for applicants with scheduled appointments.
- Remote interviews. If the patient is medically unfit to attend in person, an agency guarantee letter can authorise a remote interview instead.
- Same-day visas for urgent cases. For emergency medical cases, the green channel issues the visa the same day.
⚠️ Update: the guarantee letter is now mandatory
On 7 January 2026 the embassy tightened the process. The agency guarantee letter is now a required field in the online form — orders submitted without it will be returned. The change followed cases where agencies mis-filled or omitted application forms and submitted falsified invitation letters, causing medical visa applications to be rejected. Agencies that lodge bad material can be suspended, or permanently barred from submitting applications.
The embassy also warned applicants not to believe agencies that exaggerate the difficulty of applying or inflate the fees. If an agency tells you a document is impossible without an extra payment, verify with the embassy directly before paying.
Dhaka contacts (from the embassy's own announcements)
- Embassy hotlines: 02222260103 · 01708464809
- Visa centre hotline: 02226603261
- WhatsApp service group: 01885041364
- Visa centre address: 3rd Floor, Praasad Trade Center, 6 Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka
- Supervision email — to report an agency: dhaka@csm.mfa.gov.cn
Sources: Embassy of China in Bangladesh, "Embassy of China in Bangladesh Launches 'Green Channel' for Medical Treatment Visas to China" (4 May 2025) and "Important Notice on Applying for Medical Treatment Visas" (7 January 2026). Policies change — confirm current requirements with the embassy before paying an agency.
🎒 Bringing a family member
A relative travelling as your caregiver normally applies under the S2 category (short-term private affairs), submitting your hospital documents along with proof of your relationship:
What an accompanying family member needs:
- Valid passport with 6+ months validity
- Completed visa application form and passport photo
- Proof of relationship — marriage certificate, birth certificate, or equivalent
- Your passport and visa copy
- Your hospital documents and admission confirmation
- A letter explaining the need for accompaniment
- Hospital confirmation that family accommodation is available
💡 Insider Tips for a Smooth Application
📝 Document Translation
All medical records should be in English or Chinese. If translation is needed, use certified translation services—embassies may reject unofficial translations.
💰 Financial Proof
Show proof of funds covering treatment costs + $100/day for living expenses. Hospital prepayment receipts are highly effective.
📞 Direct Communication
Provide the hospital's direct contact number on your application. Some embassies verify invitations by calling the hospital.
🔄 Visa Extensions
If treatment takes longer than expected, you can apply to extend your stay within China at the local Exit & Entry Administration. Apply at least 7 days before your visa expires.
🏥 Hospital Selection
Choose hospitals with established International Patient Services. They're experienced with visa documentation and can provide comprehensive support.
✈️ Travel Insurance
Purchase travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. Some embassies require proof of insurance for medical visa applicants.
❌ Common reasons applications are returned
Most rejections are avoidable. The most frequent causes:
⚠️ Watch out for these
- Incomplete hospital documentation — invitation letter missing the hospital seal or the doctor's signature
- Inconsistent names — the name on the invitation letter not matching the passport exactly. This is one of the biggest single causes of delay
- Mis-filled or incomplete forms — Chinese consulates have specifically named this, along with falsified invitation letters, as reasons medical visa applications are being returned
- Insufficient financial proof — bank statements with unexplained recent large deposits
- Passport validity — under 6 months remaining, or damaged pages
- Photograph problems — wrong dimensions, poor lighting, or older than 6 months
- Previous visa violations — overstaying a previous Chinese visa
🆕 Recent policy changes worth knowing
✅ Fingerprints are waived for short-term applicants
From 17 December 2025 to 31 December 2026, Chinese visa authorities abroad waive fingerprint collection for all applicants seeking a stay of 180 days or less. If you are applying for an M visa for surgery, this applies to you and noticeably shortens the appointment.
It does not apply to categories that require a residence permit after entry — D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z. Anyone under 14 or over 70 is exempt regardless.
📢 The online application system (COVA)
Applications are lodged through the China Online Visa Application system. Practical points that catch people out:
- Complete everything online before booking an appointment — you cannot apply at the counter without it
- The photograph is validated on upload, so fix it there rather than at the counter
- Keep a printout of the completed form: you sign it and submit it with your documents
🛂 Visa-free entry does not cover medical treatment
China's unilateral visa-free entry covers 50 countries for up to 30 days (in effect through 31 December 2026 for most of them). The permitted purposes are business, tourism, family or friends visits, exchange and transit. Medical treatment is not on that list. If you are coming for treatment — even a short course — apply for the appropriate visa rather than assuming visa-free entry covers you.
Separately, the 240-hour transit visa-free policy lets citizens of 57 countries pass through China for up to 10 days without a visa, but only when travelling onward to a third country. It is not a route for planned treatment.
📞 Where to verify this yourself
Visa rules change, and they are applied by the consulate that handles your application. These are the sources we used, and the ones to check before you pay anyone:
Official sources
- Online application: cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn
- Visa application service centres: visaforchina.cn — find your country's centre and its published fee table
- Your local Chinese embassy or consulate: the definitive answer for your jurisdiction. For Bangladesh, that is bd.china-embassy.gov.cn
ℹ️ If an agency tells you something different
Chinese consulates have publicly warned about agencies that overstate the difficulty of applying or inflate official fees. If the numbers or requirements you are quoted do not match the consulate's own published information, check with the consulate before paying. In Bangladesh, complaints about an agency can go to dhaka@csm.mfa.gov.cn.
Planning treatment in China?
Start with a free case review and get guidance on the right hospital and package for your situation.
Start Free Case Review📚 Related Articles
- How to Prepare for Medical Travel to China 2026 - Complete Guide Travel Guide
- China Visa-Free Entry for Medical Tourism 2026: Complete Guide | China Hospitals Guide Travel Guide
Before You Go...
Finding the right hospital in China can be overwhelming. Let us help — free, no commitment.
⏳ Most cases get a hospital match within 24 hours
No thanks, I'll keep searching