Giving birth 2026: public or private hospital? Fees, antenatal booking and documents to prepare compared
From 1 January 2026, Eligible Persons pay HK$300 per day in an acute bed in a Hospital Authority public hospital, and Non-eligible Persons pay HK$74,000 per obstetric delivery for a booked case. Privately, at the 8 hospitals Book a Doctor checked, normal delivery hospital packages in the lowest room class cost about HK$22,000 to HK$26,800 and generally exclude doctors' fees; the median total charge for a normal delivery is about HK$54,286 to HK$102,387 (bill statistics published by 4 hospitals).
What are the routes for giving birth?
Compiled by this site: there are two main routes, public hospital and private hospital; public hospital fees depend on whether you are an Eligible Person, and private hospital charges are generally in two parts, the hospital package and doctors' fees, as shown in the table below.
| Item | Public hospital (Hospital Authority) | Private hospital |
|---|---|---|
| How to start | A new obstetric appointment needs a referral letter issued by a locally registered doctor within the last three months; to book antenatal checks through ‘BookHA’, the referral letter must state the first day of the last menstrual period or the expected date of delivery | Book directly with the hospital or obstetrician; if using medical insurance, first ask the insurer about cover and requirements |
| Fees (Eligible Persons) | HK$300 per day in an acute bed; HK$250 per specialist outpatient attendance (from 1 January 2026) | Hospital packages in the lowest room class at 8 hospitals: normal delivery about HK$22,000 to HK$26,800, caesarean section about HK$26,000 to HK$34,600; doctors' fees generally not included |
| Fees (Non-eligible Persons) | Obstetric delivery: HK$74,000 per booked case, HK$130,000 per non-booked case (from 1 January 2026) | As above, according to the hospital's charges |
| Actual total charge | Calculated by length of stay and services used | Median for normal delivery about HK$54,286 to HK$102,387 (2025 bill statistics published by 4 hospitals) |
| Fee protection | Eligible Persons can apply for the annual charge cap of HK$10,000; those in financial difficulty can apply for a medical fee waiver | Depends on medical insurance |
| Documents to prepare | Hong Kong Identity Card or other document proving Eligible Person status; referral letter | Proof of identity; deposit as required by the hospital; insurance documents |
How much does it cost to give birth in a public hospital?
From 1 January 2026, Eligible Persons pay HK$300 per day in a Hospital Authority acute bed, and you can ask the hospital how obstetric inpatient stays are charged; ‘Eligible Persons’ mainly means holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card and children under 11 who are Hong Kong residents; for details, see Public healthcare fee reform 2026.
For Non-eligible Persons, obstetric delivery in the Hospital Authority costs HK$74,000 per service for a booked case and HK$130,000 per service for a non-booked case, and a service deposit must be paid on admission; for details, see Public hospital fees for Non-eligible Persons.
Roughly how much does it cost to give birth in a private hospital?
At the 8 private hospitals this site checked, normal delivery hospital packages in the lowest room class cost about HK$22,000 to HK$26,800, and caesarean section about HK$26,000 to HK$34,600 (the lowest, Union Hospital's package, has room and board charged on top); most packages exclude the obstetrician's, paediatrician's and anaesthetist's fees; Matilda International Hospital also has Total Care Packages that include doctors' fees, for designated doctors only.
For each hospital's packages, see Private hospital maternity fees compared.
| Item | Compiled by this site: private hospital fees |
|---|---|
| Normal delivery hospital package (lowest room class) | 8 hospitals, from HK$22,000 (St. Paul's Hospital, four-bed room) to HK$26,800 (Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, general ward) |
| Caesarean section hospital package (lowest room class) | 8 hospitals, from HK$26,000 (Union Hospital, elective caesarean, plus room and board) to HK$34,600 (Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, general ward) |
| Total Care Package including doctors' fees | Matilda International Hospital normal delivery HK$64,800, elective caesarean HK$108,600 (designated doctors only) |
| 2025 median bill (including doctors' fees) | 4 hospitals; normal delivery from HK$54,286 (Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan) to HK$102,387 (Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital); caesarean section from HK$80,386 (Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan) to HK$110,409 (Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital) |
How do I compare private quotes?
When comparing, put the same item on the same basis: whether the package includes the doctor's fee and the anaesthetist's fee, the room class and length of stay, and which doctors or referral routes it applies to. Private hospitals must have a fee schedule covering all chargeable items, and patients have the right to know the charges before treatment (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, July 2026).
Before a non-emergency procedure or admission, you can ask for a budget estimate of the service fees; the Department of Health has recommended 30 common non-emergency treatments and procedures for which private hospitals can provide a budget estimate before admission. For arrangements when using medical insurance, see Using medical insurance for a private specialist.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to give birth in a public hospital?
From 1 January 2026, Eligible Persons pay HK$300 per day in a Hospital Authority acute bed; for Non-eligible Persons, obstetric delivery costs HK$74,000 per service for a booked case and HK$130,000 per non-booked case.
Is twenty-odd thousand dollars enough to give birth in a private hospital?
At the 8 private hospitals Book a Doctor checked, normal delivery hospital packages in the lowest room class cost about HK$22,000 to HK$26,800, but most exclude doctors' fees; the median total charge for a normal delivery including doctors' fees is about HK$54,286 to HK$102,387 (2025 bill statistics published by 4 hospitals).
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