Countdown to the 140th Canton Fair | Complete Guide to Medical Services for Foreign Nationals in Guangzhou: Pilot Hospitals, Consultation Processes & Bilingual Patient Accompaniment Services

The 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) will be held in three phases in Guangzhou from October 15 to November 4, 2026, with hundreds of thousands of global buyers gathering in the city. What should you do if you experience acclimatization issues or sudden discomfort after arriving in Guangzhou? What if you want to take a cost-effective health checkup during business gaps? This article sorts out a practical guide to medical treatment and health checkups in Guangzhou for foreign friends.

1. Overview of International Medical Resources in Guangzhou

Guangzhou is the medical center of South China, boasting one of the highest densities of high-quality medical resources in China. In 2025, the total number of foreign nationals seeking medical treatment in Guangdong increased by over 20% year-on-year, with inpatient demand surging by 76%. The same quality of diagnostic and treatment services costs only about one-tenth of that in Europe and the United States, offering outstanding cost-effectiveness.

In 2026, the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission and other departments announced the first batch of 25 international medical service pilot hospitals, 17 of which are located in Guangzhou. Pilot hospitals provide full-cycle closed-loop services including diagnosis of difficult and complex diseases, chronic disease management, high-end health checkups, medical aesthetics, and rehabilitation care. Through the Hong Kong-Macao Drug and Device Access Scheme, 153 clinically urgently needed drugs and medical devices approved in Hong Kong and Macao are also available. In addition, the Guangzhou International Medical Tourism Service Center has been officially inaugurated, building a one-stop "medical treatment + wellness + tourism" service system covering the entire cycle of pre-arrival, on-site stay, and post-departure.

2. List of International Medical Service Pilot Hospitals in Guangzhou (17 in Total)General Comprehensive Hospitals

The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University

Specialist Leading Hospitals

•Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University (Ophthalmology)

•Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Oncology)

•Hospital of Stomatology of Sun Yat-sen University (Dentistry)

•Guangdong Women and Children Hospital & Guangzhou Women and Children's •Medical Center Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University (Women & Children)

TCM Featured Hospital

Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine — offering Lingnan TCM characteristic services including acupuncture, tuina, and TCM "preventive treatment of disease"

International Brand Institution

Guangdong Clifford Hospital and other medical institutions with mature experience in serving foreign patients

Tips‌: For common minor ailments such as colds and fevers, you can choose the international medical zone of a nearby pilot hospital. For specialist conditions or planned checkups/wellness services, it is recommended to plan in advance. DOVECURE Medical can assist you in matching the most suitable hospital and department.

3. Detailed Medical Consultation Process

Book appointments through the hospital's international outpatient department / VIP outpatient department with your passport. Some hospitals support online English registration.

•Step 1: Appointment & Registration‌

Pilot hospitals have independent international medical zones, managed separately from general outpatient departments, with streamlined processes.

•Step 2: On-site Consultation‌

After consultation, the doctor will issue examination orders.

•Step 3: Examinations & Tests‌

Pay the fee and complete the examinations. Large-scale examinations can usually be completed on the same day or the next day.

•Step 4: Diagnosis & Treatment‌

Foreign patients can pay out of pocket or use international commercial insurance. Most pilot hospitals support cross-border insurance direct billing, and also accept cash, foreign currency bank cards, and mobile payments.

•Step 5: Medicine Collection & Follow-up‌

You can leave the hospital after collecting medicine. After leaving China, you can also receive remote follow-up through internet-based cross-border medical services.

For foreign friends who are not familiar with Chinese, the most common pain points are appointment communication, symptom description, and report interpretation — which is exactly where DOVECURE's patient accompaniment service comes in.

4. DOVECURE Patient Accompaniment: Making Medical Visits as Easy as Coming Home

DOVECURE Medical is deeply rooted in Guangzhou's international medical service market, providing six core services around the full-chain needs of foreign nationals seeking medical treatment in China:

•Medical Tourism Visa Service‌: Assist with applying for Chinese medical visas and supporting documents, providing visa facilitation for clients coming to Guangzhou specifically for medical treatment or health checkups.

•Airport & Transfer Service‌: Point-to-point private car transfers between airports, high-speed railway stations, hotels and hospitals during the Canton Fair period, with someone waiting to pick you up as soon as you land.

•Bilingual Patient Accompaniment‌: Patient accompaniment coordinators familiar with the international outpatient departments of all major hospitals accompany you throughout the process, handling registration, payment, and consultation assistance, with zero communication barriers the entire time.

•Medical Record & Report Translation‌: Professional translation of bilingual (Chinese-English) medical records, test reports, and discharge summaries, convenient for you to bring back to your home country for continued treatment or insurance claims.

•Health Checkups‌: Connect you with high-end checkup packages at pilot hospitals, with one-stop arrangement from booking, add-on item suggestions to report interpretation — especially suitable for business professionals to complete their annual checkup during gaps in the Canton Fair schedule.

•TCM Wellness‌: Based on institutions such as Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, arrange Lingnan TCM characteristic experiences including acupuncture, tuina, and medicinal food conditioning, to experience the oriental wisdom of "preventive treatment of disease".

Whether you feel unwell suddenly during the Canton Fair, or are planning an in-depth "medical treatment + wellness + tourism" itinerary, DOVECURE can tailor a solution for you.

5. Multilingual Support: Language Is No Longer a Barrier

All 17 pilot hospitals are equipped with multilingual service staff. International medical zones generally provide English services, and some hospitals can coordinate Japanese, Korean, Arabic and other language services.

DOVECURE Medical focuses on Chinese-English bilingual services, and can also coordinate resources for various minority languages: we understand your needs and assist with appointments in your native language before the consultation; our accompaniment coordinators provide full translation during the consultation; after the consultation, professional translators translate test reports and medical advice into English, so your health status is clear at a glance.

During the three phases of the 140th Canton Fair (October 15–19, October 23–27, October 31 – November 4), Guangzhou will welcome buyers from around the world. We wish every friend from afar a healthy and successful business trip. If you have any needs for medical treatment, health checkups, or wellness services, welcome to contact DOVECURE Medical — your health steward in Guangzhou.