Visas, Travel & Logistics for International Patients
Practical answers for patients and families coming from the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia and beyond.
Visa: what you actually need
China does not issue a visa specifically labeled "medical visa." Patients travel on an S2 visa (the private-affairs category covering medical treatment), suitable for stays under 180 days, or an S1 visa for longer stays, which can be converted to a residence permit within 30 days of arrival if needed. Almost all CAR-T patients use the S2 route, since the full journey is typically 4–6 weeks.
The one document that matters most
Both visa types require an official invitation letter from the treating hospital, carrying the hospital's seal. We obtain this for you as part of your treatment plan, once your eligibility review is confirmed — you do not need to request it yourself.
Visa requirements vary by nationality and change periodically. Always confirm current document and fee requirements with your local Chinese embassy or consulate before booking non-refundable travel. Some nationalities also qualify for unilateral visa-free transit or short-stay policies that may apply to part of your trip; we'll flag this if relevant to your passport.
How long you'll actually be there
Most patients plan for 4 to 6 weeks in China: arrival workup, apheresis, the manufacturing wait, infusion, and the inpatient and outpatient monitoring period before you're cleared to fly home. See the full week-by-week patient journey.
Traveling with a companion
We strongly recommend traveling with at least one family member or friend. Standard accommodation bookings include space for a companion, and interpreter support covers both patient and companion at every medical appointment, not just the patient.
Language
A professional medical interpreter accompanies every clinical appointment, consent discussion, and the daily hospital rounds during your inpatient stay. Day-to-day life in Shanghai and Beijing is increasingly navigable in English in hotels, international pharmacies and private-hospital-adjacent neighborhoods, but we do not rely on that for anything medical.
Money and payment while you're there
We recommend a mix of an international credit card, a small amount of local currency (RMB) for incidentals, and awareness that major international card networks are now widely accepted in large cities, though some smaller vendors remain cash- or app-based (Alipay/WeChat Pay). Treatment payments themselves are handled by bank wire per your signed payment schedule, not in cash.
Boao Lecheng: a separate pathway for not-yet-approved therapies
Hainan's Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone operates under special national policy allowing licensed institutions there to use selected drugs, devices and technologies approved overseas (or under China's own biomedical new-technology framework) but not yet approved nationwide. This is a distinct, case-by-case pathway, generally relevant to investigational or newly-authorized technologies rather than the nationally NMPA-approved CAR-T products in our main table, which are available through qualified hospitals across mainland China. If your case might benefit from a Lecheng-specific pathway, we'll tell you plainly and explain the different approval basis involved.
Time zone & staying in touch with home
China operates on a single time zone (UTC+8) nationwide. We schedule case-manager check-ins and physician calls with your home time zone in mind, and your treatment passport and records are prepared in English (and translated further on request) for your home medical team.