Mainland visitors seeing a doctor in Hong Kong 2026: entry endorsement, public hospital fee status, private hospital deposits and the documents to bring
Mainland residents coming to Hong Kong for medical treatment must hold an Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao with an ‘endorsement for other purposes (Qita)’ (Immigration Department). Visitors without a Hong Kong Identity Card are generally Non-eligible Persons, and from 1 January 2026 pay HK$2,100 per attendance at a public hospital Accident and Emergency Department and HK$850 per attendance at a specialist outpatient clinic; private hospitals accept travel documents for admission, but deposits for non-Hong Kong residents are higher.
What documents do Mainland residents need to come to Hong Kong for medical care?
A permit plus an endorsement for other purposes: Mainland residents who wish to come to Hong Kong as visitors for other purposes, such as medical treatment, attending a funeral or legal proceedings, must obtain an Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao and an ‘endorsement for other purposes (Qita)’ issued by the relevant Public Security Bureau Office (Immigration Department).
Mainland residents coming to Hong Kong must hold a valid permit and the relevant endorsement; Mainland visitors with a valid endorsement who meet the normal entry requirements will generally be allowed to enter as visitors, and the limit of stay depends on the type of endorsement held (Immigration Department).
Other purposes of visit have their own endorsements: visiting relatives requires an ‘endorsement for visiting relatives (Tanqin)’; residents of Guangdong Province and 38 designated cities visiting for sightseeing in their personal capacity require an ‘endorsement for individual visit (Geren Luyou)’; joining a ‘Hong Kong Group Tour’ requires an ‘endorsement for group visit (Tuandui Luyou)’; and doing business in a private capacity requires an ‘endorsement for business visit (Shangwu)’ (Immigration Department).
How much do Mainland residents pay at public hospitals?
Generally the Non-eligible Person rates: Eligible Persons for Hospital Authority charges include holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (except those who obtained it by virtue of a permission to land or remain that has expired or ceased to be valid), children under 11 who are Hong Kong residents, and other persons approved by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority.
Our analysis: under the definition above, Mainland residents who come to Hong Kong as visitors on a permit and have no Hong Kong Identity Card are generally Non-eligible Persons (except those approved by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority).
Non-eligible Persons must pay a service deposit in advance on admission; for other charges, see Public hospital fees for Non-eligible Persons, and for A&E triage and refunds, see A&E fees, triage and refunds.
| Service | Charge for Non-eligible Persons (from 1 January 2026) |
|---|---|
| Accident and Emergency | HK$2,100 per attendance |
| Specialist clinic | HK$850 per attendance |
| Family Medicine Clinic | HK$500 per attendance |
| General ward | HK$7,400 per day |
How do I find a private doctor?
You can search the Primary Care Directory: the Government runs the Primary Care Directory online database, which lists the practice information and professional qualifications of primary care providers in the community; as at 31 January 2026 it listed about 4,000 doctors of Western medicine (Government paper submitted to the Legislative Council, March 2026).
To check a doctor's registration and specialty, see How to check a Hong Kong doctor's registration and specialty; for how public and private healthcare divide the work, see How healthcare works in Hong Kong.
What do I bring for admission to a private hospital, and how much is the deposit?
Bring your travel document; deposits are generally higher than for Hong Kong residents: St. Paul's Hospital requires the original identity document or the original valid travel document (with the entry stamp / landing slip for this entry); CUHK Medical Centre accepts a valid Hong Kong Identity Card, birth certificate, passport or travel document; Union Hospital requires an identity document or valid travel document.
The standard class deposit at Hong Kong Baptist Hospital is HK$6,000 for Hong Kong residents and HK$50,000 for non-Hong Kong residents; the standard room deposit at St. Paul's Hospital is HK$10,000 for Hong Kong residents and HK$70,000 for non-Hong Kong residents, and patients who cannot show a valid Hong Kong Identity Card, Hong Kong birth certificate or HKSAR passport must pay the non-Hong Kong resident deposit (Hong Kong Baptist Hospital and St. Paul's Hospital webpages).
For a comparison of deposits by hospital, see Private hospital admission deposits; for using insurance for admission, see Medical insurance pre-approval.
Before coming to Hong Kong, you can confirm the fees, deposit and documents to bring with the hospital or clinic, and bring your Mainland medical records, test reports and details of the medicines you are taking.
Do Mainland residents giving birth in Hong Kong get the Newborn Baby Bonus?
At least one parent must be a Hong Kong permanent resident: the Newborn Baby Bonus is paid only for babies born in Hong Kong, and at least one parent must be a Hong Kong permanent resident when the application is submitted (Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, September 2026); for details, see Benefits for having a baby in Hong Kong.
For private hospital maternity package fees, see Private hospital maternity package fees.
Collecting the documents to claim back home
A patient without a Hong Kong identity card pays out of pocket here; if you will claim from medical insurance back home, it is best to collect all the documents before you leave. A private hospital’s fee schedule must cover applying for a medical report and the various consultation and inpatient charges (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, July 2026).
Hong Kong can give you the documents below; whether mainland medical insurance or your commercial policy reimburses, and how, is set by mainland policy or the policy itself — there is no Hong Kong rule for it, so check with your insurance administrator or insurer.
Non-resident charges at public hospitals are in non-eligible persons’ public-hospital fees; applying for report and image copies is in how to get your own medical records and images.
| What to collect | What it is for | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Itemised bill and receipts | To check each charge line by line when claiming | Billing / admissions office |
| Diagnosis certificate | To show what was seen and diagnosed | Treating doctor / medical-report office |
| A doctor-written medical report (if the insurer asks) | A fuller account than receipts, applied for and charged separately | Medical-report office; public via the Hospital Authority |
| Discharge summary (if admitted) | To convey the stay and medication used | Ward / treating doctor |
Frequently asked questions
Which endorsement do Mainland residents need to come to Hong Kong for medical care?
Mainland residents who wish to come to Hong Kong as visitors for other purposes such as medical treatment must obtain an Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao and an ‘endorsement for other purposes (Qita)’ issued by the relevant Public Security Bureau Office (Immigration Department).
Can Mainland residents use Hong Kong public hospitals?
Yes, but generally at the Non-eligible Person rates: from 1 January 2026, Hospital Authority charges are HK$2,100 per attendance at the Accident and Emergency Department and HK$850 per attendance at a specialist clinic.
Can mainland medical insurance reimburse costs incurred in Hong Kong?
Whether mainland medical insurance or a commercial policy reimburses, and how, is set by mainland policy or the policy itself; there is no Hong Kong rule for it, so check with your insurance administrator or insurer. Hong Kong can provide an itemised bill, receipts, a diagnosis certificate and a medical report to help you claim back home.