Boao Lecheng Medical Tourism: Hainan Pilot Zone Guide

What the Hainan medical tourism pilot zone is

The pilot zone was approved by the State Council in 2013. According to the Hainan provincial government, it covers about 20 square kilometres along the Wanquan River in Qionghai, near the core area of the Boao Forum for Asia, and had 36 medical institutions in operation as of mid-2025. Its main fields are cancer prevention and treatment, medical aesthetics and anti-ageing, and health management and rehabilitation (Hainan provincial government ↗).

What sets it apart is a set of national policies that let institutions in the zone use certain imported products before they are approved in China. In 2019 the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Medical Products Administration issued an implementation plan supporting faster import approvals, the use of clinical data from the zone in registration applications, and easier entry and stay for foreign patients and their companions (NDRC ↗). CGTN reported in April 2026 that more than 560 innovative products had been introduced through the zone, with more than 180 international pharmaceutical and device companies as partners (CGTN ↗).

How special access to imported drugs works in Hainan Boao

The legal basis for imported drugs is a 2018 State Council decision. Applications by institutions in the zone to import small quantities of drugs for urgent clinical need, excluding vaccines, are approved by the Hainan provincial government, and the drugs must be used in designated institutions for specific medical purposes (State Council ↗).

Hainan’s 2023 application guideline sets out how this works in practice (Hainan Medical Products Administration ↗). The applicant is a licensed medical institution in the zone, not the patient. A drug must be approved outside China, not registered in China and without a domestic substitute; similar rules apply to devices. Before treatment the patient must have a relevant diagnosis, the institution’s ethics committee must approve, only physicians authorised for the product may prescribe it, and informed consent is required. The regulator’s review time limits are seven working days for a product’s first application and five for later ones; your overall timeline also depends on the institution’s preparation and on import logistics.

What special access does not mean

Special access is a narrow regulatory pathway, so it helps to be clear about its limits:

• It is not a guarantee. Whether a product can be used for you depends on your diagnosis, the treating physician, the institution and regulatory approval.
• It is not a pharmacy. You cannot simply buy special-access products; an institution has to apply for them and use them in your care.
• It does not cover everything. Vaccines are excluded, and products registered in China or with a domestic substitute do not qualify.
• Approval abroad does not mean a product is right for you. Ask your own doctor whether it suits your condition before you travel.
• Taking medicine away is limited. Under conditions, patients may take a reasonable amount of imported medication out of the zone for personal use; Hainan’s 2022 rules turned this into a filing process and aim to prevent resale (Hainan MPA ↗). Carrying it across an international border is a separate question for customs in China and in your home country.

Who can use the pilot zone

The rules are framed around patients of qualified institutions in the zone, and foreign patients do travel there: Xinhua reported medical visitors in 2025 from countries including Canada, Spain, Russia, Uzbekistan and Cuba (Xinhua via gov.cn ↗). Across Hainan, CGTN reports that more than 20 institutions offer international clinics, and that some providers offer multilingual consultations and direct international insurance settlement.

The zone is most relevant if you already have a diagnosis and have identified a specific product approved abroad that is not available in China, or if you are interested in its health check-up and rehabilitation services. It is not suitable for emergencies or for patients who do not yet have a diagnosis. For general hospital options elsewhere in China, see international hospitals and departments.

Hainan 30-day visa-free entry and transit

As of October 2026, Hainan has its own visa-free policy: ordinary-passport holders from 61 countries may enter through any open port in Hainan and stay in the province for up to 30 days. The National Immigration Administration lists tourism, business, visits, family visits and medical treatment among the covered purposes; entry for work or study is excluded, and no group or travel-agency requirement is stated (NIA: regional visa-free entry policies ↗). This is broader than China’s unilateral visa exemption for more than 40 countries, whose listed purposes do not include medical treatment (gov.cn ↗). The stay is limited to Hainan, and country lists change, so confirm your eligibility with a Chinese embassy or consulate before you travel.

A separate notice extends 240-hour visa-free transit to 57 countries for travellers with an ordinary passport and a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, entering through designated ports (NIA Announcement No. 4 of 2026 ↗). If you need to stay longer than 30 days or will also travel to the mainland, the Chinese Visa Application Service Center lists medical treatment under the S2 category, supported by a hospital diagnosis or hospitalisation certificate (visa centre ↗). See our China medical visa guide.

Getting to Boao Lecheng and practical travel

The zone is in Qionghai, and the provincial government describes access via Boao Airport, high-speed rail and expressways. Hainan’s three main airports are Haikou Meilan, Sanya Phoenix and Qionghai Boao, and China Daily reported in 2025 that they were expanding international routes (China Daily ↗). Check current routes and schedules with airlines.

Plan for the length of stay your treatment plan requires, including any monitoring after a procedure or first dose, and for a companion if you need one. For payments, overseas visitors can link foreign cards to Alipay or WeChat Pay (gov.cn ↗); see paying for treatment in China.

Costs and insurance

We have not found an official published price list for treatment in the zone. Costs depend on the institution, the product, how it is given and the monitoring involved, so ask for a written estimate covering consultation, tests, the product itself, its administration, follow-up visits and any medicine you take away. Our cost guide explains how to compare estimates.

On insurance, CGTN reports that some providers offer direct international insurance settlement, but whether your policy pays depends on its terms. Ask your insurer in writing whether it covers treatment in China and products not approved in China or in your home country, and whether pre-authorisation is required.

How to start: a step-by-step approach

A careful approach keeps the decision with you and your doctors.

medicalBridge is an independent coordination service, not a medical provider; institutions and regulators make all clinical and access decisions, and we cannot promise access to any product, appointments or outcomes. Our medical tourism in China guide covers wider planning, and our services explain what coordination includes.

• Gather your records: diagnosis, pathology or imaging reports, treatment history and current medicines, ideally with English or Chinese translations.
• Discuss with your own physician which product or treatment you are asking about and why, and what follow-up you will need at home.
• Contact institutions in the zone directly; the Hainan provincial government lists the zone’s official website as hainanlecheng.com. Ask whether the product is already approved for use at that institution or would need a first application, and who the responsible physician would be.
• Ask for a written plan: eligibility assessment, steps, timeline, costs, monitoring, any take-away medicine and how records will be shared with your home doctor.
• Confirm entry requirements with a Chinese embassy or consulate, and coverage with your insurer, before booking travel.