Dialysis while
travelling in China
Haemodialysis can be arranged for visitors in China at hospitals that accept visiting patients, but it has to be booked ahead: start at least three months before you travel. The hospital will ask for recent virus tests, your dialysis prescription and records, and sets its own price for visiting patients. YETO arranges sessions in Shanghai, Beijing and Hainan and confirms them in writing before you book flights.
Before you book: timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3+ months before | Tell your kidney team about the trip and send us your cities and dates. We ask the hospital for available slots. |
| Once slots are offered | Send the records the hospital asks for. The hospital confirms your sessions and price in writing. |
| After written confirmation | Book flights and hotel. PD patients arrange supply delivery. |
| 1–3 months before | Repeat any tests the hospital needs to be recent at the time of your first session. |
| Travel | Carry your records, prescription, medication list and the hospital confirmation. |
Records checklist
Each hospital sets its own list. Visiting-patient units commonly ask for:
- Blood-borne virus tests: hepatitis B (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc), hepatitis C and HIV, usually taken within the last 3–6 months1.
- Recent blood results (haemoglobin and biochemistry).
- Your dialysis prescription and your latest treatment records.
- A referral letter from your nephrologist with your medical history.
- Your current medication list.
- Some units also ask for MRSA screening, a chest X-ray or an ECG.
We send you the exact list once the hospital confirms. English is fine.
Cost and payment
Each hospital sets its own price for visiting patients, and extra medicines or tests may be charged separately. We send you the hospital’s written price per session before you commit, and you pay the hospital directly. Check with your insurer before you travel; the NHS, for example, does not refund private dialysis abroad2.
Our coordination fee is US$2,000–5,000 per case depending on the number of sessions and cities, confirmed in writing and paid only after the hospital confirms. See the step-by-step guide for payment stages and refunds.
Peritoneal dialysis
PD patients usually ask their fluid supplier to deliver to the destination, timed to arrive before they do2. Ask your supplier whether it delivers to China. Tell us your hotel so we can confirm it will accept a clinical delivery, and carry a letter from your kidney team listing your supplies. Medicines you bring must be a reasonable quantity for personal use; see bringing medicines into China.
What YETO does
- Checks which hospitals in your cities can take visiting patients on your dates.
- Passes your records to the hospital and confirms sessions and price in writing.
- Arranges airport pickup, hotel near the hospital, and transport to sessions.
- Interprets at your first session and is on call during your stay.
- Moves sessions if your plans change, where the hospital can.
We do not give medical advice. Whether you are fit to travel is for your kidney team to decide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get dialysis in China as a tourist?
Yes, it can be arranged at hospitals that accept visiting patients, but places are limited and must be booked ahead. We check availability for your city and dates with the hospital and confirm your sessions in writing before you book flights.
How far in advance should I book holiday dialysis in China?
Start at least three months before you travel. That is the minimum Kidney Care UK advises for international trips, and it gives time for your home unit to send records and for the hospital to confirm your sessions.
How much does a dialysis session cost in China?
Each hospital sets its own price for visiting patients, and it can differ from what local patients pay. We send you the hospital’s written price per session, and what it includes, before you commit. You pay the hospital directly.
Which tests do I need before dialysis abroad?
Hospitals usually ask for recent blood-borne virus tests (hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV), recent blood results, your dialysis prescription and latest treatment records, a referral letter and a medication list. The exact list and how recent each test must be depend on the hospital; we send you its list after it confirms.
Will my insurance or the NHS pay for dialysis in China?
Usually not automatically. Kidney Care UK notes that outside the EU, cover depends on local arrangements, and the NHS does not refund private dialysis abroad. Check with your insurer before you travel and expect to pay the hospital yourself.
I am on peritoneal dialysis. Can I bring supplies?
PD patients usually arrange for their fluid supplier to deliver to the destination, timed to arrive before they do. Ask your supplier whether it delivers to China, and tell us your hotel so we can confirm it will accept a clinical delivery. Carry a letter from your kidney team listing your supplies and medicines.
What if my travel plans change?
Tell us as soon as possible. We ask the hospital to move your sessions or arrange them in another city we cover, but this depends on availability.
Sources
- Example requirements: Canossa Hospital (Hong Kong), haemodialysis services for tourists. Mainland hospitals set their own lists.
- Kidney Care UK: guide to travelling abroad as a kidney patient.
Last updated: 2 November 2026.