Huashan Hospital, Fudan University: International Medical Center

Is this hospital a fit for you?

Huashan is a good place to start your research if you want a large public hospital with a long-established international service in central Shanghai, and you are planning care rather than seeking emergency treatment. It may be a weaker fit if you need a guaranteed English-speaking specialist in a specific field, because we have not yet confirmed which languages its doctors use, or if your budget depends on standard public hospital prices, because international department fees are usually higher.

About the hospital

Huashan Hospital was founded in 1907. It is a teaching hospital of Fudan University administered by China's National Health Commission, and it was in the first group of hospitals rated Grade 3A, the top tier of China's hospital grading system, in 1992. The hospital lists 3,142 approved beds and 44 clinical and medical-technical departments across its main campus and its Pudong, Hongqiao and Baoshan campuses.

The hospital states that it hosts the national medical centers for neurological diseases and for infectious diseases. These are national designations, not a ranking by us. Our editorial policy explains why we never rank hospitals.

The International Medical Center

According to the hospital, its International Medical Center opened in 1989, making it one of the earliest international medical services in China. The hospital describes its services as diagnosis and treatment, health management, vaccination and cross-border medical transfer. It says patients can complete appointment, consultation, tests and payment on the same floor, which is unusual in a large public hospital, where these steps are often spread across buildings.

Huashan is one of the 13 public hospitals Shanghai designated in September 2024 as pilot units for international medical tourism. Industry press reported in August 2026 that the hospital led the drafting of Shanghai's local standard for international medical services, and that it had expanded its outpatient area. The Shanghai government's foreign-language portal lists the center on the 8th floor of Building 1 at the main campus, 12 Middle Urumqi Road, with the phone number +86 21 6248 3986. That listing has no update date, so confirm before you travel.

How to book

Step 1: Make first contact

The hospital says it accepts bookings through WeChat, by telephone and online. From abroad, a phone call or the hospital's website is usually the practical route. Explain that you are not yet in China, the care you are looking for and your preferred dates.

Step 2: Ask for written confirmation

Ask the center to confirm your appointment in writing. You will need this to plan flights, and a visa centre may ask for it. Read our visa guide: treatment is not a listed purpose for visa-free entry, so many patients apply for an S2 visa.

Step 3: Ask for an estimate

Request a cost estimate in writing, broken down by consultation, tests, any procedure, materials and medicines. Our costs page explains why international department prices are higher than standard clinic prices, and which figures we can trace.

Step 4: Confirm the campus

Huashan has several campuses. The international center listing above is for the main campus in Jing'an District. Make sure your appointment is there, or note the address of the campus you are sent to.

Paying

If you have international health insurance, ask your insurer whether Huashan is in its direct-billing network. The hospital reports cashless agreements with more than 30 insurers and third-party administrators. International departments usually ask for your insurance card and a guarantee letter for direct billing; without them, expect to pay first and claim later.

If you are paying yourself, bring a mobile wallet linked to your international card and the card itself. Since 2024, visitors' Alipay and WeChat Pay transactions are capped at US$5,000 each and US$50,000 a year, so a large bill may need more than one payment. Details in the payment guide. If you ask us to coordinate, our fee is separate and listed on the pricing page; we take no share of the hospital bill, as explained on our about page.

On the day

Bring your passport: hospitals use it for registration and payment. Bring your appointment confirmation, any translated medical documents the hospital asked for, and your insurance documents. Our visit preparation guide has a full checklist and explains registration, kiosks and what to do if a kiosk cannot read a foreign passport.

Allow extra time to find the center within the campus. Arriving early also gives you time to complete registration before your slot.

After you return home

Before you leave, collect your reports and images and ask whether reports are available in English. Ask which results are still pending, how they will reach you, and who to contact with questions. The hospital lists cross-border medical transfer among its services, but we have not confirmed what remote follow-up it offers to patients who have gone home.

What we have not confirmed yet

We will update this profile when the hospital answers. Read how we verify hospital information.

Other options in Shanghai

Huashan is one of 13 public pilot hospitals in Shanghai, and Shanghai also allows fully foreign-owned hospitals. The hospital index lists every profile we have published, and the city comparison sets Shanghai against Beijing and Shenzhen. All our practical guides are on the guides page.