From UK · Gastroscopy · China
Gastroscopy in China from the UK: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For UK patients, a gastroscopy in China costs £505 at the clinic we checked, or about £1,280 with a rough travel estimate added.
- Clinic price
- £5051 provider, one diagnostic gastroscopy
- With travel
- £1,280clinic £505 + about £780 travel (rough estimate)
- Pay privately in UK
- Not verified
- Wait in UK
- 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
- Cover in UK
- The NHS does a gastroscopy when you are referred, for example to check what is causing digestive symptoms.
- Soonest booking there
- Not published: ask in writing
- Rank from UK
- 5 of 6 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in GBP
Trip total £1,280
Figure 2Gastroscopy: cheapest trip from the UK, by country
How soon hospitals in China can see you
At home the official figure is 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks. These hospitals run a service for international patients; the booking time is each one's own words.
Jiahui International Hospital
- Fertility
- Imaging
- Digestive
No booking time published: ask in writing
19 published pricesDetails
Published gastroscopy prices in China
Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jiahui International HospitalShanghai | CN¥4,500about £505 · €603 · C$944 · $675 | Upper GI endoscopy with anesthesia packageAnesthesia package, including biopsy. | Jiahui International Hospitalread 27 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.
Against waiting or paying in the UK
England, August 2026: 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks. Share of people on the NHS gastroscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (73,297 waiting). Waits and prices for a gastroscopy in the UK.
Can the NHS pay?
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.
Planning the trip from the UK
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for a gastroscopy and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your doctor whether to stop acid-reducing tablets or blood thinners beforehand.
- Before you goBook the test before the flights and get the time in writing.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements).
- LanguageMandarin; English is reliable only in international departments and private hospitals.
- After you returnBring the report, the photos and any lab results to your doctor.
Compare with your wait and price at home
Compare China with every other country for a gastroscopy from the UK: price, how soon, and the hospitals.
Related pages
Gastroscopy in China from the UK: questions
How much is a gastroscopy in China for UK patients?
The published prices we found work out at £505 at the clinic, from Jiahui International Hospital. Adding a rough travel estimate of £780 for a return flight and a hotel, the trip comes to about £1,280. Your own fares and dates will change that part.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
We have not verified a self-pay price in the UK for this, so compare the trip total with a written quote from a provider at home.
How long is the wait for a gastroscopy in the UK?
England: 29.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026). Share of people on the NHS gastroscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (73,297 waiting).
How many days do I need in China?
1 day: about 6 hours without food before the test, then rest after sedation. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will the NHS pay for it?
No. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU and a few other European countries; China is outside it.
Sources
- Centres and specialties. Jiahui International Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
- Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. 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.
- Price list (service guide). Shanghai International Medical Center (SIMC). Read 26 October 2026.
- 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.
- 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.
- Gastroscopy. NHS (nhs.uk), 13 August 2026. Read 27 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.