Visits and booking guides

Referral letters, choosing public or private, and what to prepare before seeing a specialist.

• How do you choose a doctor platform in Hong Kong? 22 differences you can check yourselfTo find a doctor in Hong Kong you can use doctor directories such as Book a Doctor, and check registration on the Medical Council's register. This page compares platforms on 22 differences you can check yourself, with sample counts and reading dates.Updated 2026-10-26
• How to book a doctor in Hong Kong: public, private and Department of Health channelsHong Kong has several booking channels, and the key question is whether a referral letter is needed: private generally takes direct booking, public specialist clinics need a referral via HA Go "Book Easy", and public general outpatient clinics book by phone or HA Go. This page is a signpost to each.Updated 2026-10-26
• Booking a specialist outpatient clinic new case: how to book a public specialist clinic, the referral letter, ‘BookHA’ in HA Go and triage stepsWant to book a new appointment at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic? What to prepare, how to submit and how cases are then triaged: a step-by-step guide to the referral letter, ‘BookHA’ in HA Go, triage and fees, based on information published by the Government and the Hospital Authority.Updated 2026-10-25
• Seeing a doctor at night, on Sundays or on public holidays in Hong Kong: family medicine clinic evening sessions, private 24-hour outpatient clinics and A&EWhat are your options for seeing a doctor at night, on a Sunday or on a public holiday in Hong Kong? The evening and holiday sessions of Hospital Authority family medicine clinics, private hospital 24-hour outpatient clinics, Book a Doctor's Sunday and evening doctor lists, the Primary Care Directory, and the fees and when each is appropriate.Updated 2026-10-25
• What to ask the doctor before considering LASIK: where it is done, whether insurance covers it, and how to check feesWhat should you ask the doctor before considering LASIK? The Government's reply to the Legislative Council on LASIK services, the Medical Council Code's requirements on consent to treatment, the exclusions under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme Standard Plan, and how to check private hospital fee information.Updated 2026-10-25
• Which Hong Kong doctor information can you see without logging in?Which information about Hong Kong doctors is visible without logging in: registration and specialty, and practice details such as address and consultation hours; and where a login or identity check comes first, for example fees on a particular platform and AIA Hong Kong's network doctor list. Includes a way to compare in a private window.Updated 2026-10-25
• Hong Kong public hospitals list: the Hospital Authority's 44 hospitals and institutions, the 18 with accident and emergency services, clusters and addressesWhich public hospitals are there in Hong Kong, which have an accident and emergency department, and which cluster is each in? The 44 hospitals and institutions in the Hospital Authority list published via DATA.GOV.HK, with cluster, address and A&E service.Updated 2026-10-19
• How to ask what a doctor charges before you goIn Hong Kong a patient may ask what a consultation costs before attending. Section 12.1 of the Medical Council's Code of Professional Conduct provides that consultation fees should be made known on request. This page sets out what to ask, whom to ask, and where fee information can be found in advance.Updated 2026-10-15
• Booking private imaging in Hong Kong: referral, when the report is ready, handing images to your doctorBooking private X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI or PET: whether a doctor's referral is needed, when the report is ready, whether same-day or evening slots exist, and how images are handed to your doctor. Turnaround and evening slots differ by institution — ask them; fees link to each test's page.Updated 2026-10-09
• Do you need a referral to see a chiropractor? Hong Kong has no law requiring one, so you can go directlyDo you need a doctor's referral before seeing a chiropractor? Hong Kong has no law requiring a referral first, so you can go directly. This page sets out the three official facts behind that and one point about physiotherapy referrals.Updated 2026-10-06
• Does seeing a physiotherapist need a doctor's referral? First-contact physiotherapists and when no referral is neededDoes seeing a physiotherapist always need a doctor's referral letter? Hong Kong law requires a referral from a registered medical or Chinese medicine practitioner in general, with first-contact exceptions, and the Government pages carry two statements.Updated 2026-10-06
• Cancer treatment costs in Hong Kong 2026: public, private and financial assistance comparedHow much does cancer treatment cost, and do you have to pay for it yourself? Public hospital consultation, drug and test charges, assistance, the charge cap and fee waivers for self-financed cancer drugs, and examples of private hospital test fees, side by side.Updated 2026-10-02
• Cataract surgery 2026: public, the Cataract Surgeries Programme or private? Waiting times, fees and subsidies comparedCataract surgery: public or private? Hospital Authority surgery waiting times, the Cataract Surgeries Programme subsidy and co-payment, private hospital packages and bill statistics, and the documents to prepare, side by side.Updated 2026-10-02
• CT and MRI scans 2026: government hospital or private? Prices, set charges with a Hospital Authority referral, and quotes comparedMRI or CT scan: public or private? Public hospital fees, set charges at private hospitals for holders of a Hospital Authority referral letter, private hospital fee ranges and the documents to prepare, side by side.Updated 2026-10-02
• Gastroscopy and colonoscopy 2026: public, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme or private? Fees and quotes comparedGastroscopy or colonoscopy: public or private? Public hospital fees, eligibility and steps for the Department of Health's Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme, private hospital packages and bill statistics, and the documents to prepare, side by side.Updated 2026-10-02
• Giving birth 2026: public or private hospital? Fees, antenatal booking and documents to prepare comparedGiving birth: public or private? Public hospital delivery fees for Eligible Persons and Non-eligible Persons, booking antenatal checks, private hospital delivery packages and bill statistics, and the documents to prepare, side by side.Updated 2026-10-02
• Hernia and gallstone surgery 2026: public or private? Waiting times, fees and packages for public patients comparedHernia or gallstone surgery: public or private? Public surgery waiting times and fees, private hospital packages, packages for public hospital patients and bill statistics, and the documents to prepare, side by side.Updated 2026-10-02
• Knee replacement surgery 2026: public or private? Waiting times, fees and packages for public patients comparedKnee replacement: public or private? Hospital Authority joint replacement waiting times, public fees, private hospital packages, packages for public hospital patients and bill statistics, and the documents to prepare, side by side.Updated 2026-10-02
• Mainland visitors seeing a doctor in Hong Kong 2026: entry endorsement, public hospital fee status, private hospital deposits and the documents to bringWhat endorsement do Mainland residents need to come to Hong Kong for medical care, and how much do public hospitals charge? Based on information from the Immigration Department, the Hospital Authority fee schedules and private hospitals, this page explains entry documents, fee status, private hospital deposits and the documents to bring.Updated 2026-10-02
• Private hospital admission deposits 2026: standard room deposits by hospital, what to bring on admission, and how bills are settled during the stayHow much deposit do you pay before admission to a private hospital, and what documents do you bring? Based on information published by each private hospital, this page compares standard, semi-private and private room deposits, and explains insurance arrangements, interim bills and settling the bill on discharge.Updated 2026-10-02
• Accident and Emergency fees 2026: HK$400 per attendance at public hospitals, the five triage categories, waiting times and refundsHow much does a public hospital Accident and Emergency Department cost? A summary of Hospital Authority A&E fees, exemptions and refunds from 1 January 2026, plus the five triage categories, service targets and average waiting times.Updated 2026-10-01
• Do I need a referral letter to see a specialist? Public specialist outpatient clinics, private specialists and insurance comparedTo see a public specialist you need a referral letter issued by a locally registered doctor within three months, and one written by a private doctor is also accepted; for a private specialist you can ask the clinic directly; whether insurance needs a referral letter depends on the policy.Updated 2026-10-01
• eHealth registration and identity verification locations: how to register, which records are shared and how to manage sharing consentHow and where do I register for eHealth? Based on the eHealth website: who can register, registering in the mobile app or in person, the categories of records that can be shared, sharing consent and access notifications.Updated 2026-10-01
• How seeing a doctor works in Hong Kong 2026: how public and private healthcare divide the work, referral, waiting and feesWhat are the steps to see a doctor in Hong Kong, and how much does it cost? Based on information published by the Government and the Hospital Authority: how public and private healthcare divide the work, referral and triage for public specialists, Accident and Emergency, 2026 public fees and the rules on private fees.Updated 2026-10-01
• Public or private specialist? Referral, waiting, fees and insurance comparedCompares Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinics and private specialists on referral, waiting, fees, the annual charge cap and fee transparency, and explains how a private doctor can refer you to a public specialist clinic.Updated 2026-10-01
• Sick leave certificates (medical certificates): who can issue them, what they must state, and how many days of sick leave qualify for sickness allowanceWhen does a medical certificate from a doctor count? Based on the Employment Ordinance and the Labour Department's guide: who can issue a medical certificate, what it must state, the conditions and calculation of sickness allowance, and the Hospital Authority's electronic sick leave certificates.Updated 2026-10-01
• What to prepare before a specialist appointment: documents, reports, medicine list, eHealth consent and fee questionsA checklist for your first specialist visit: the documents and reports to bring, how to use eHealth so the doctor can see your records, the fee and insurance questions to ask when booking, and points for non-Hong Kong residents.Updated 2026-10-01