Medical Records from China Hospitals: A Foreigner's Guide

Short answer: Ask the hospital for the exact records you need before you leave, and keep your passport and patient or visit number available. Chinese rules allow a patient or an authorized representative to request access to or copies of specified medical records. The hospital may require an application, identity documents, authorization for a representative, processing time, and a copying fee. Procedures differ by hospital, and a new clinician may still repeat a test when medically necessary.

This guide covers the administrative process for collecting and carrying records from a hospital in mainland China. It does not interpret test results, decide whether a repeat test is needed, or replace advice from the clinician responsible for your care.

Which records should you collect?

Recent public Reddit discussions about healthcare in China repeatedly raise a practical continuity-of-care problem: how to retrieve test results, imaging and a usable clinical summary after a hospital visit, especially before seeing another doctor or leaving China. The useful answer is not simply “ask for your file.” Different documents may be stored in different hospital systems or released at different times.

Start with the smallest complete set that explains what happened and what should happen next.

Situation	Records to request
Outpatient visit	Outpatient note, diagnosis, prescription, laboratory reports, imaging report and follow-up instructions
Emergency visit	Emergency record, test reports, imaging report, treatment record and discharge or transfer instructions
Hospital admission	Admission record, discharge record or summary, operation record if relevant, pathology report, laboratory reports, imaging materials and medication instructions
Second opinion or transfer	Clinical summary, diagnosis, pathology material or report, key imaging in a usable format, recent laboratory results, treatment history and current medication list
Insurance claim	Records required by the insurer, plus the itemized bill, official invoice or fapiao, prescription and payment receipts

The national Medical Institution Medical Record Management Regulations (2013 Edition) list records that a medical institution may copy for an applicant, including outpatient and emergency records, admission records, orders, operation and anesthesia records, discharge records, pathology reports, laboratory reports and medical imaging materials. The exact package available depends on the care you received and whether each document has been completed.

For payment and claim documents, use the separate hospital payment, receipt and insurance checklist. A bill or fapiao is financial evidence; it is not a substitute for the clinical record.

Do patients have a right to copy their medical records in China?

Yes. Article 1225 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China says that medical institutions and medical personnel must properly complete and keep specified medical records and must promptly provide them when a patient requests access or copies.

The national medical-record regulations provide the operating framework. A medical institution should accept an application from the patient or the patient's authorized representative and provide access or copying services under the rules. After accepting a copying request, the hospital arranges for the relevant records to be copied at a designated place; the confirmed copies are marked with the hospital's proof seal. The hospital may charge the prescribed copying cost.

This right does not mean that every document is instantly available in every app. A report may still be pending, an inpatient record may not yet be complete, and each hospital may use its own request channel. If part of the record has been completed while another part is still being prepared, the national rules allow the completed part to be copied first and the later-completed part to be copied afterwards.

What identification does a foreign patient need?

Bring the identity document used to register for care—normally your passport—and any hospital card, patient number, admission number, wristband information or electronic visit record that helps the hospital locate the file.

Under the national medical-record regulations

a patient applying personally should provide valid identification;
an authorized representative should provide valid identification for both the patient and representative, evidence of the relationship required by the hospital, and an authorization letter;
additional documents apply when a legal heir or a representative of a deceased patient requests records;
an insurer requesting records for a commercial-insurance review must provide the documents specified by the rules, including patient consent unless a contract or law provides otherwise.

Hospital procedures can be more specific. For example, Peking Union Medical College Hospital publishes separate instructions for counter applications, self-service copying and app-based applications, with different identity and eligibility requirements. Treat that as an example of one hospital's process, not a nationwide promise that the same channels accept passports or are available everywhere.

If another person will collect the records, ask the exact hospital what wording, signatures, copies and original documents it requires before you prepare the authorization. Do not send an informal helper with only a photograph of your passport and assume the request will be accepted.

How to request records before leaving the hospital

1. Ask where each record is released

The outpatient desk, laboratory, imaging department, pathology department, medical-record office and app may handle different items. Ask which office or digital channel releases:

the consultation note;
laboratory and pathology reports;
the radiology report and actual images;
the discharge summary;
a sealed or stamped copy of the formal record.

Use the medical phrase tool to prepare basic questions, and review the medical translation guide if you need help communicating with hospital staff.

2. Confirm when the record will be complete

Some laboratory reports appear the same day; pathology, complex imaging review and completed inpatient records may take longer. Ask for the expected release date and how to retrieve a later report if you will no longer be in the city.

Do not describe a preliminary result as final. If a translated clinical summary is needed, wait for the signed or finalized source document where possible.

3. Request the clinical content, not only screenshots

Patient-app screenshots can be useful for quick reference, but a receiving clinician, hospital, insurer or embassy may need a formal report or hospital-marked copy. Ask whether you can obtain:

a downloadable PDF;
a printed and hospital-marked copy;
imaging files on disc, USB drive, QR code or cloud viewer;
the image report as well as the underlying images;
pathology slides, blocks or digital images when relevant to a specialist review.

Formats and release rules vary. Never assume that a QR code will remain active indefinitely or that an overseas hospital can open a China-only app.

4. Check names and identifiers

Before leaving, check that your English name, passport number or other identifier, date of birth, visit date and hospital number are consistent across the important documents. Name order, spaces and transliteration can differ between registration systems.

Ask the hospital to correct an administrative error through its formal process. Do not edit the source record yourself.

5. Preserve an original-language set

Keep the Chinese originals even if you arrange an English translation. A translation should identify the source document and preserve dates, units, reference ranges, medicine names and uncertainty. It should not add a diagnosis or explanation that is absent from the original.

For complex care, consider keeping a one-page index listing each document, its date, hospital, department and language. ChinaMedGuide's hospital navigation support can help organize practical preparation, but it does not interpret results or replace a licensed medical professional.

Can another China hospital use the same test results?

Sometimes, but carry the records and expect a clinical decision at the receiving hospital. China's national rules say that qualifying results bearing the relevant mutual-recognition mark should be recognized when they meet the clinical need. They also identify situations in which a clinician may repeat a test, including a change in the patient's condition, a mismatch between the old result and the current clinical picture, rapidly changing measurements, major procedures such as surgery or transfusion, emergency care, and certain legal or assessment purposes.

The 2024 national guidance on further advancing mutual recognition directs local health authorities to publish and update lists of recognized items, participating institutions, validity or reference periods, quality requirements and circumstances that should not be recognized. It also states that the receiving clinician's judgment and the patient's diagnostic needs remain central.

Therefore, mutual recognition is not a guarantee that every result from any hospital will replace a new test. Bring the report, the underlying images or data where available, the test date and the name of the issuing hospital. If a repeat test is proposed, ask what clinical or quality reason makes it necessary.

A medical-record travel checklist

Before you change hospitals, change cities or leave China, check that you have:

your passport and the patient identifiers used by the hospital;
the final consultation or discharge summary;
diagnosis and treatment records relevant to the next visit;
a current medication list and prescriptions;
laboratory and pathology reports with dates, units and reference ranges;
imaging reports and the actual images in an accessible format;
operation or procedure records when relevant;
follow-up instructions and the next recommended date;
the hospital department's contact or record-request channel;
original Chinese documents plus any faithful translation;
copies stored securely in at least two places;
financial documents required by your insurer.

Medical records contain sensitive personal information. Use a secure folder or encrypted storage, share only what is needed, and confirm the recipient before sending files. The Civil Code also requires medical institutions and their personnel to keep patient privacy and personal information confidential.

Where to go for follow-up care

Start with the department that manages the condition, not simply the nearest famous hospital. Use ChinaMedGuide's specialty directory and China hospital directory to identify possible routes. City processes differ, so review the pages for Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Shenzhen.

Hospital profiles such as Peking Union Medical College Hospital are planning references. They do not guarantee that a department will accept an outside test, provide English service, release records through a particular channel or offer a specific appointment. Confirm the exact campus, department, record format and language arrangements directly.

Our editorial and hospital data methodology explains how ChinaMedGuide separates verified hospital information from operational details that can change.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner request medical records from a hospital in China?

Yes. The national rules apply to a patient requesting access to or copies of specified medical records. Bring the valid identity document used for the visit, usually your passport, and ask the hospital's medical-record office about its application channel, processing time and available formats.

Can a friend or hospital escort collect my records?

Potentially, but the person may need an authorization letter, identification for both parties and other documents required by the hospital. Confirm the exact requirements before sending a representative. A helper does not gain authority to interpret or disclose your records beyond the scope you authorize.

Can I get my CT or MRI images, not only the report?

Medical imaging materials are among the record types listed in the national medical-record regulations. Ask the imaging department whether it provides a disc, USB copy, QR code, cloud viewer or another format. Request the written imaging report too, and check that the receiving provider can open the files.

Will another hospital accept my previous laboratory or imaging results?

It may accept qualifying results, but acceptance depends on the recognized item, participating institutions, timing, quality and current clinical need. A clinician may repeat a test for reasons allowed by the national rules, including a changed condition, emergency care or preparation for a major procedure.

How long does it take to receive a hospital record?

There is no single operational timeline for every hospital and document. Some finalized outpatient reports may be available quickly, while pathology or a completed inpatient record may take longer. Ask when each item will be finalized and whether remote application or delivery is available.

Do I need an English translation?

Not always, but an accurate translation can help a clinician or insurer that cannot read Chinese. Keep the original Chinese document, preserve units and reference ranges, and avoid summaries that add medical conclusions not present in the source.

What should I do if I need urgent care before the records arrive?

Do not delay urgent assessment while waiting for paperwork. Bring whatever reliable information you have, including medicine lists, allergies and available reports. For a medical emergency in mainland China, call 120 and use the emergency medical guide for foreigners.

Official sources and verification note

This article was verified on August 10, 2026 against the following primary government and official hospital sources:

Record-release channels, accepted identity documents, processing times, fees, app access and file formats can change by hospital. Confirm the current procedure with the hospital that holds the record. This guide does not provide legal advice or medical interpretation.