Short answer: Bring your regular medicines in original packaging with a copy of the prescription, buy travel insurance before you fly, use bottled or boiled water for drinking in most places, eat freshly cooked food, and know where the nearest pharmacy and hospital are. If you need care, go to a large hospital’s international or emergency department, bring your passport and insurance details, and ask your hotel for help with language.
This guide is practical, not medical advice. It covers preparation, pharmacies, hospitals, food and water safety, and what to do in an emergency. If you have a specific medical condition, talk to your doctor before travelling and carry their advice in writing. For emergency numbers and the wider safety picture, see Is China Safe for First-Time Visitors?.
1. Before you fly
- Buy travel insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation, and save the policy number and emergency helpline in your phone.
- Pack regular medicines in hand luggage, in original packaging, with a prescription copy. Check import rules for controlled medicines before you fly.
- Pack a small kit: pain relief, stomach remedies, plasters, insect protection, sunscreen, and any allergy medicines you normally use.
- Save your hotel address in Chinese, your insurance details, and emergency numbers 110 (police), 120 (ambulance) and 119 (fire) in your phone.
2. Pharmacies in China
Pharmacies are common in cities and usually marked with a green cross and the characters 药店 (yào diàn). Pharmacists may not speak English, so show the medicine name, a photo, or a translation app. See Translation Apps for China and Essential Chinese Phrases. Some medicines that are over-the-counter at home require a prescription in China, and vice versa — do not assume availability. For anything important, buy before you fly rather than relying on a local equivalent.
3. Hospitals and getting care
For serious problems, go to a large hospital, ideally one with an international department or experience with foreign patients. Your hotel can usually recommend the nearest suitable hospital and help with transport and language. Bring your passport, insurance card or policy number, and a list of medicines and allergies in English and Chinese characters. Expect to pay first and claim later in many cases — check your insurance policy for exactly how this works before you need it. For minor problems, a pharmacy or a hotel-recommended clinic is often faster than a large hospital emergency department.
4. Food and water safety
- Eat freshly cooked, piping-hot food from busy places. See How to Order Food in China.
- Drink bottled water in most places, and be careful with ice in small, rural stalls. In large hotels and cities, boiled water is commonly provided.
- Wash hands or use sanitiser before eating, especially after markets and public transport.
- Be careful with raw or undercooked food, and with street food that has been sitting out.
- If you get an upset stomach, rest, drink fluids, eat plain food, and seek care if you have a fever, blood, severe pain, or symptoms that do not improve.
5. Heat, cold, altitude and insects
Summer heat and humidity cause more problems than most visitors expect: drink water regularly, rest at midday, and wear sun protection. See China Weather by Season. Winter cold in the north needs proper layers. Altitude matters in places like Lijiang and Shangri-La: ascend slowly, rest on arrival, and seek care for severe headache, breathlessness or confusion. Insect protection matters in summer and in rural areas; use repellent and cover up at dusk.
6. If you need help urgently
- Call 120 for an ambulance, or 110 for police, and give the hotel address in Chinese if you can.
- Ask your hotel or a bystander for help with language — showing the address and the problem on your phone works.
- Contact your insurer’s emergency helpline as soon as you safely can.
- Keep all receipts, prescriptions and discharge notes for your insurance claim.
This guide is general information, not medical advice, and rules and services change. Your doctor, your insurer and the hospital on the day govern for your specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy medicine in China without a prescription?
Some medicines, yes, from a pharmacy. Others require a prescription, and availability differs from home, so bring important medicines with you.
Should I drink tap water in China?
In most places, drink bottled or boiled water. Boiled water is commonly provided in hotels.
What should I do if I need a hospital in China?
Go to a large hospital, bring your passport and insurance details, and ask your hotel for help with language and transport.