MRI scan · China
MRI scan in China: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
We found 4 published prices for an MRI scan in China, from CN¥430 to CN¥3,500, or about £48 to £393 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £249 to £380 at the providers we checked.
- Published price
- CN¥430 to CN¥3,500about £48 to £393 · about €58 to €469 · about C$90 to C$734 · about $64 to $525
- Price is for
- one body area (for example a knee, the brain or the lower spine), without contrast unless stated
- Where
- Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou and Shenzhen
- Providers
- 3 (Grade 3 public hospitals (official maximum), Public hospitals (official maximum) and Shanghai International Medical Center (private))
- Time there
- 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
- NHS England wait
- 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Published MRI scan prices in China
Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 public hospitals (official maximum)Shanghai | CN¥430about £48 · €58 · C$90 · $64 | MRI, one body area, without contrastMaximum price for the ordinary service of public hospitals, set by the city. International departments and private hospitals charge more. | Shanghai Municipal Healthcare Security Administrationread 26 October 2026 |
| Public hospitals (official maximum)Beijing | CN¥470about £53 · €63 · C$99 · $70 | MRI, one body area, without contrastOne price for all Beijing public hospitals, set by the city. International departments charge more. | Beijing Municipal Healthcare Security Administrationread 26 October 2026 |
| Grade 3 public hospitals (official maximum)Guangzhou and Shenzhen | CN¥505about £57 · €68 · C$106 · $76 | MRI, one body area, without contrastGuangdong provincial maximum, adopted by both cities for their top grade. | Guangzhou Healthcare Security Administrationread 26 October 2026 |
| Shanghai International Medical Center (private)Shanghai | CN¥3,500about £393 · €469 · C$734 · $525 | MRI, one siteA hospital set up for international patients. With contrast ¥4,000. The page says “for reference only” and carries no date. | Shanghai International Medical Center (SIMC)read 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
The low prices are official maximums for the ordinary service of public hospitals, where few staff speak English. International departments and private hospitals cost far more: Shanghai International Medical Center lists ¥3,500 for an MRI of one site against the city's public cap of ¥430 (SIMC, Shanghai notice).
Entry. China's Foreign Ministry announced visa-free stays of up to 30 days for holders of ordinary British and Canadian passports from 17 February 2026 (MFA, in Chinese); the Chinese embassy in Canada lists Canada, the UK and Ireland among the unilateral visa-free countries until 31 December 2026 (embassy page, in Chinese). The 240-hour transit visa-free scheme now covers 57 countries and needs a confirmed onward ticket to a third country (Xinhua). We did not find an official page confirming visa-free entry for US citizens. Rules change: check before you book.
Compared with waiting or paying at home
The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the China price converted to that currency. The China figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home | Here, converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 22.0% waiting over 6 weeksEngland, August 2026 | £249 to £380 | £48 to £393before flights and hotel |
| Canada | Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 daysCanada (national), 2025 | C$749 to C$799 | C$90 to C$734before flights and hotel |
| Ireland | No official figure found | €310 | €58 to €469before flights and hotel |
| US | No national figure | $1,5302021 hospital data or a dental school | $64 to $525before flights and hotel |
Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for China next to your wait and your price at home.
How it works for a visitor
- Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the MRI scan and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goGet your home doctor's referral letter or the question they want answered; take it with you.
- Before you goBook the scan before the flights and ask for the appointment in writing.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers medical procedures abroad. Many policies do not.
- LanguageMandarin; English is reliable only in international departments and private hospitals.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images. An English report saves a translation step.
- After you returnIf the report finds something, the follow-up (more tests, treatment) normally happens at home.
Can your public system pay for it?
NHS and HSE schemes do not reach China. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Treatment in China is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.
When not to travel for an MRI scan
- Symptoms that need urgent care: sudden weakness, numbness, severe headache, loss of bladder or bowel control. Go to an emergency department at home.
- Anyone with a pacemaker, some implants, metal fragments or a cochlear implant until the clinic has checked them.
- A scan your home doctor has not asked for: without a referral there may be nobody at home to act on the result.
How to compare MRI scan quotes
An MRI scanner uses a strong magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures of soft tissue: joints, the spine, the brain, the abdomen. Prices are quoted per body area, and a scan with contrast dye (an injection) costs more.
- Check that the price is for the same body area and the same type of scan. A knee is one area; the whole spine is usually two or three.
- Ask whether a radiologist's written report is included, in which language, and how long it takes.
- Ask for the images on a disc or a download link in DICOM format, so a doctor at home can look at the pictures, not just the report.
- Contrast scans usually need a recent kidney blood test. Some clinics ask you to bring one.
Providers on this page
We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.
- Grade 3 public hospitals (official maximum), Shanghai: CN¥430
- Public hospitals (official maximum), Beijing: CN¥470
- Shanghai International Medical Center (private), Shanghai: CN¥3,500
Related comparisons
MRI scan in China: questions
How much does an MRI scan cost in China?
The published prices we found range from CN¥430 to CN¥3,500, about £48 to £393 or $64 to $525. They come from Grade 3 public hospitals (official maximum), Public hospitals (official maximum) and Shanghai International Medical Center (private). Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.
Is an MRI scan in China cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Before travel, the prices here work out at about £48 to £393, against about £249 to £380 at the UK providers we checked. Add a return flight and 2 nights in a hotel before deciding; the calculator on the home page does the sum.
Will the NHS or HSE pay for an MRI scan in China?
No. The NHS S2 route and the HSE schemes cover planned treatment in Europe only. China is outside them, so you pay yourself or through a private insurer that agrees in advance.
How many days should I plan in China?
1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.
What should I check before booking an MRI scan in China?
Check that the price is for the same body area and the same type of scan. A knee is one area; the whole spine is usually two or three. Ask whether a radiologist's written report is included, in which language, and how long it takes.
Sources
- Hu Yi Bao Jia Cai Fa [2025] No. 11 (沪医保价采发〔2025〕11号): radiology examination prices (in Chinese). Shanghai Municipal Healthcare Security Administration, 16 April 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Jing Yi Bao Fa [2025] No. 13 (京医保发〔2025〕13号), Annex 3: radiology examination prices (in Chinese). Beijing Municipal Healthcare Security Administration, 17 June 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Sui Yi Bao Fa [2025] No. 12 (穗医保发〔2025〕12号), Annex 3: radiology examination prices (in Chinese). Guangzhou Healthcare Security Administration, 25 April 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Price list (service guide). Shanghai International Medical Center (SIMC). Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Foreign Ministry spokesperson on visa-free entry for Canada and the UK from 17 February 2026 (in Chinese). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, 15 February 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Unilateral visa-free policy (单方面免签) (in Chinese). Embassy of the PRC in Canada, May 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- 240-hour transit visa-free policy extended to 57 countries (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency, 20 August 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.