Travel

Going to China for an MRI: visa-free entry and paying

Rules checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)

UK, Canadian and Australian passport holders can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days until 31 December 2026, and US citizens cannot. But the official purposes of visa-free entry do not include medical treatment, except on Hainan island.

• UK and Canada: 30 days visa-free from 17 February 2026 to 31 December 2026.
• Australia: in the 45-country visa-free group extended to 31 December 2026.
• USA: not on the visa-free list; 240-hour transit only with an onward ticket to a third country.
• Hainan: 30 days visa-free for 61 countries, with medical treatment listed as a purpose.

30-day visa-free entry

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 15 February 2026 that from 17 February 2026 to 31 December 2026, ordinary passport holders from the UK and Canada can enter China without a visa and stay up to 30 days for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange and transit. Australia is in the group of 45 countries whose visa-free entry was extended in November 2025 to 31 December 2026. The National Immigration Administration's list as of 17 February 2026 includes all three, but not the United States. The 30 days are counted from midnight after the day you enter.

Medical treatment is not among the purposes listed. We found no rule that forbids having a scan while visiting for another purpose, and no rule that allows a trip made for treatment. If treatment is the main reason for your trip, ask a Chinese embassy whether visa-free entry or a visa is right for you.

240-hour visa-free transit (including the US)

Nationals of 57 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can stay up to 10 days without a visa when transiting through China to a third country or region. You need an ordinary passport and an onward ticket with a confirmed seat and date, you must enter and leave through one of 65 designated ports in 24 provinces, and you must stay within the permitted areas. The permitted activities named are travel, business, visits and family reunions; medical treatment is not named.

Hainan: the one policy that names medical treatment

Citizens of 61 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can enter Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days, and the National Immigration Administration lists medical treatment among the purposes. Hainan is an island province in the far south; check that the hospital you want is there before relying on this policy. This site does not list Hainan hospital prices yet.

Paying at the hospital

Under a State Council opinion of March 2024 on improving payment services, large hospitals and other key places must be equipped to accept mobile payment, bank cards and cash, and local governments are to push acceptance of foreign bank cards. A government guide from April 2024 says foreign users can link international cards, including Visa and Mastercard, to Alipay and WeChat Pay, and that the per-transaction limit had been raised to US$5,000 and the annual limit to US$50,000. We have not verified the limits in force today. Set up a payment app before you travel and carry some cash.

Planning the trip

1. Check your passport's entry rule on official pages, and the dates it ends.
2. Ask the hospital or coordinator for an appointment date before booking flights; see how a scan is ordered.
3. Estimate the whole cost with the wait vs travel calculator.
4. Plan to bring the images home: DICOM files and English reports.

Back to the China MRI cost overview or the price table.