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Travel Insurance in China: Coverage and Considerations

Travelers wanting travel insurance coverage in China can get top-rated plans from GeoBlue, Allianz Travel, IMG Global, MSH International, and VUMI. Travel protection for China trips can cost anywhere from $98 – $485, and both single-trip and multi-trip plans are available.

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Are you heading to China soon and want to protect your trip? Are you not sure what China travel insurance covers or how much it costs?

This Pacific Prime blog post is designed for you. We are an international insurance broker with over 20 years of experience, having insured over 1.5 million customers for their travels.

We will explain what travel insurance covers and doesn’t cover, whether or not it is required in China, the best plans to look into, what China travel coverage can cost, and much more!

If you come up with questions as you read, send us a message and we’ll get you an answer promptly. We’re here to support you!

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Do I Need Travel Insurance to go to China?

Daytime Crowd, Forbidden City, China

No law requires travelers to have travel insurance. However, the U.S. government highly encourages travelers heading to China to purchase medical evacuation insurance. This is a very common benefit of travel insurance policies.

The U.S. government recommends getting travel insurance for China because you’ll have coverage to be transported to the nearest urgent medical facilities in the event of a health emergency. First responders in China are not typically able to reach individuals outside of major cities.

Here are a few more reasons why it may be worth it to get Chinese travel insurance:

  • The U.S. government highly recommends it
  • Public medical professionals in China may only speak Chinese; if you want treatment in your native language, you may need to go to a more expensive private healthcare facility
  • If you’re investing a lot of money in your trip, you may want protection for trip cancellation or interruption so you can be reimbursed what you’ve already spent on reservations

Best Travel Insurance for a China Trip

Depending on what you need, the best insurance plan for you may be GeoBlue’s Voyager Choice travel medical plan or Allianz Travel’s OneTrip Premier plan. China travelers seeking travel insurance should decide if they want a plan that emphasizes travel medical benefits or traveling fee protection.

The following sections introduce you to over a dozen different travel insurance plans from both varieties. You can use the links included to learn more about each. We also include several annual multi-trip travel insurance suggestions if that’s what you need.

Travel Medical Insurance Plans for China Travelers

Exemplary travel medical insurance plans for travelers heading to China are offered by GeoBlue, IMG, WorldTrips, Seven Corners, and MSH. These plans specialize in comprehensive, short-term health insurance. Benefits can cover inpatient care, emergency services, transportation, and more.

To learn more about the specific benefits of each plan, contact our insurance experts and get a free quote online.

1. GeoBlue

GeoBlue has several travel medical insurance plans that are perfect for China trips. Their single-trip plan is called Voyager’s Choice and it has coverage for up to 182 days. GeoBlue’s annual multi-trip plan is called Trekker Choice. It covers an unlimited number of trips within 12 months.

2. IMG Global

IMG Global has three single-trip travel medical insurance plans that provide coverage in China: Patriot Lite, Patriot Plus, and Patriot Platinum. If you want a multi-trip plan, consider Patriot Multi-Trip International. IMG also has senior trip plans for travelers 65+ and studying abroad plans.

3. WorldTrips

WorldTrips has an Atlas Travel Insurance plan designed for global travelers seeking medical expenses coverage, emergency medical evacuation, and supplemental travel benefits.

4. Seven Corners Travel Medical Insurance

Seven Corners has a Travel Medical insurance plan with emergency evacuation, 24-7 assistance, and COVID-19 coverage.

5. MSH International

MSH International’s short-term health insurance plan for traveling abroad, Start’Expat, is unique in that it includes life and disability benefits. It also includes vision and dental care following an accident, in addition to the basic hospital and emergency coverage benefits.

Travel Protection Insurance for Trips to China

Stroll On Liede Bridge, Guangzhou, China

China travel insurance that specializes in travel protection highlights benefits like trip cancellation, interruption, or delay, lost/stolen or damaged luggage, and emergency medical coverage. Some of the best plans with these benefits are from Allianz Travel, VUMI, and MSH International.

1. Allianz Travel

Allianz Travel has nine insurance plans for China travel protection to choose from. Their single-trip plans include OneTrip Prime, Basic, Premier, Emergency Medical, and Cancellation Plus. Their multi-trip plans are AllTrips Basic, Premier, Executive, and Prime.

2. VUMI

VUMI has a single-trip travel insurance plan and an annual multi-trip travel insurance plan with travel protection benefits. The single-trip plan can be extended up to 365 days if needed. The annual trip plan can cover trips that are 30, 45, or 90 days in length.

Health Insurance for Foreign Expats Living in China

Long-term health insurance plans for foreign travelers and expats who want to move to China are offered by Cigna, Bupa, and AXA. These plans have exceptionally comprehensive inpatient and outpatient coverage benefits, mental health and maternity benefits, and much more.

If your trip to China will last longer than 12 months, you’ll want to consider getting an international health insurance plan designed to cover your health while you live abroad. Below we’ll introduce three of the best long-term health insurance providers who cover China.

To discover even more providers, read here.

1. Cigna

Cigna is one of the leading long-term health insurance providers for expats living in China or worldwide. Cigna offers Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Close Care international health insurance plans. These plans include excellent mental health, cancer, and maternity benefits.

2. Bupa

Bupa offers the following long-term health insurance plans for China expats: Major Medical Global, Select Global, Premier Global, and Elite Global. The annual benefit limit for these plans ranges from about USD $1,587,100 – $4,761,300.

3. AXA

AXA’s China expat health insurance plans are Foundation, Standard, Comprehensive, Prestige, and Prestige Plus. AXA’s Prestige and Prestige Plus plans offer top-tier maternity coverage benefits.

How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost for China?

Daytime Visitors, Great Wall Of China

Getting travel insurance for a China trip can cost as low as $39 for a travel medical single-trip plan or $125 for an annual multi-trip travel medical plan. If you want a travel fee protection plan, it can cost anywhere from $98 – $485. Prices vary depending on your trip length, cost, and age.

To give you a taste of what travel insurance can cost, we’ve gathered several cost estimates below from Pacific Prime’s trusted partnering insurers.

Each of the cost examples in the chart below is designed for a 30-year-old traveling to China for 30 days with a total trip cost of $2,500. These prices will change as you adjust the elements of the trip. The plans designed for travel medical benefits include a deductible.

Travel Insurance for China: Quote Examples

Provider Plan Name Cost Estimate
GeoBlue Voyager Choice $39.00 ($500 deductible)

$61.50  ($0 deductible)

GeoBlue Trekker Choice $125  ($200 deductible)

$175  ($100 deductible)

Allianz Travel OneTrip Basic $98
Allianz Travel OneTrip Prime $136
Allianz Travel OneTrip Premier $184
Allianz Travel AllTrips Basic $138
Allianz Travel All Trips Premier $485
IMG Global iTravelInsured SE $84.05
IMG Global iTravelInsured LX $159.74
IMG Global Patriot Lite $48
IMG Global Patriot Platinum $70.50
IMG Global Patriot Multi-Trip $200 ($250 deductible)
VUMI Single Trip $205.73
VUMI Annual Trip $204.12
MSH International Start’Expat $165.42 ($1,000 deductible)

Note: The annual trips will cover more than a single trip, but some quote generators require the length of one of your trips to grant you an estimate, so we selected 30 days to make the comparison to single trips more aligned.

Get a quote online or talk directly with an insurance broker to get a travel insurance quote for your specific trip.

What China Travel Insurance Can Cover

Hong Kong Skyline Panorama

China travel insurance often covers medical emergencies, emergency medical evacuation, trip cancellation or interruption, and lost or stolen luggage. Some plans have options to cover rental cars, cancel for any reason, and gear theft. Be sure to read your inclusions and exclusions carefully.

Medical Emergency Insurance

Medical emergency coverage for China trip insurance often covers:

  • Hospital stays
  • Emergency room services and treatments
  • Ambulance transportation
  • Dental care required for an injury
  • Urgent care medications

Emergency Medical Evacuation

Emergency evacuation coverage is when travelers in China are insured for being transported to the nearest medical facility qualified to treat their specific emergency medical condition. Some plans also include emergency repatriation of remains.

This covers the expenses of transporting your body to your home country if you were to pass away while traveling.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance means you will be reimbursed for the trip expenses you have already paid before your trip in the event you have to cancel your travels. 

Rental Car Protection

Rental car protection covers your rental car if it is lost or damaged in a collision. There are restrictions to what kind of accidents are covered.

Cancel for Any Reason Coverage

More comprehensive travel insurance plans include cancel for any reason coverage which gives the insured person much more flexibility to cancel their trip and still be reimbursed. Other trip cancellation plans may not reimburse you if your reason for canceling doesn’t align with the inclusions.

Gear Theft Protection

You can insure your valuables, like a laptop or camera, in case they are stolen or damaged while traveling to China. Carefully think about which items you plan to take on this specific trip so you can make sure you have enough coverage to cover the value of your gear.

What China Travel Insurance Won’t Cover

Dragon River Boat Ride, Wuyuan, Shangrao, China

Travel insurance for China trips typically will not cover the following events:

  • Injuries, accidents, and liability for high-risk activities: Such as adventure sports and hazardous activities. You’ll need to purchase specific adventure sports insurance.
  • Accidents related to alcohol or drug use: If you’re intoxicated by alcohol or recreational drugs when you’re injured or lose your belongings, you won’t be covered.
  • Incidents outside your coverage area: Some plans cover you worldwide, but some plans only cover you in a specific country or region of the world. If you leave your coverage area, you won’t have coverage there.
  • Terrorism, natural disasters, and civil unrest: Your plan may have exclusions for earthquakes, flooding, typhoons, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters that may occur in China. Make sure you know your exclusions carefully.
  • Undisclosed pre-existing health conditions: You are required to honestly report any pre-existing health conditions when you purchase your policy. If you withhold a condition and then try to submit a claim for it, your claim may be rejected.

Tips for Traveling to China

Travelers in China can protect their health and peace of mind by following tips like staying up to date with vaccinations, practicing good hygiene, understanding money and currency exchange, and more. We will discuss more of these tips in further detail. 

Vaccinations

Before traveling to China, travelers should be up to date on their routine vaccines: chickenpox, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, the flu, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and shingles. The CDC also recommends the following vaccinations for China travelers:

Climate

Summers in China are warm and humid, though on the coast in the east heavy rain and tropical typhoons are common. The further inland you go, the drier it gets. Winters in China can still be wet, though it can snow and frost in the coldest months.

Beijing Skyline, Daytime, China

Health and Hygiene

To protect your health while traveling in China, practice these Chinese hygiene habits:

  • Avoid bug bites (mosquitos, ticks, flies, etc.) by staying inside, wearing insect repellent when outside, covering your skin with long clothes, and using bed netting if sleeping outside
  • Keep away from animals, especially strays
  • Avoid sharing bodily fluids with others
  • Don’t drink tap water in China; only bottled water

Time Differences

China only has one time zone, China Standard Time (CST). In China, the time zone is known as “Beijing Time.” This zone is 8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Tipping

It’s not expected to give tips in China the way it is expected in the United States. It can even be considered rude.

Money & Currency Exchange

The currency in China is renminbi (RMB). The yuan is a unit of currency, similar to the US dollar. The yuan comes in one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred. You can exchange money at the airport, hotel, large banks, and exchange houses, so look around for the best deal.

Speaking the Language

Knowing some basic Mandarin phrases can serve you a long way in China. Consider taking some time to learn bits of the local language you would use every day while traveling.

Crime Risk & Traveler Safety

Pickpocketing is common in China for travelers, so never leave your valuables where you can’t see them, and take precautions with your wallet. Sellers in the market may also try to sell you counterfeit goods, so carefully examine your products before buying them.

Transportation

The Chinese public transportation system is robust with airports, bus systems, trolleybus systems, ferries, motor vehicles, and high-speed rails.

Culture

Here are a few tips about Chinese culture:

  • Take your shoes off when you enter someone’s home
  • If a friend invites you to a meal, they will order all the dishes and pay for everyone; it’s rude of you to pay for part of it
  • Foreigners shouldn’t talk about political topics, especially about the Chinese government
  • Since the major cities can be so crowded, Chinese people are much less concerned about personal space than Westerners

Temple Of Heaven, Beijing, China

Here is a list of the popular destinations with top tourist attractions in China that draw both travelers and expats living in China:

  1. Hong Kong
  2. Macau
  3. Beijing
  4. Shanghai
  5. Guangzhou
  6. Taiwan

U.S. and China Embassy and Consulate Locations

See the locations below for U.S. and Chinese embassies and consulates located in each country.

U.S. Embassies and Consulates in China

U.S. Embassy Beijing
No. 55 An Jia Lou Road
Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600
Telephone: +86 10-8531-4000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +86 10-8531-4000
Fax: +86 10-8531-3300
Email: [email protected]
This consular district includes Beijing, Tianjin, Gansu, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet.

U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau
26 Garden Road
Central, Hong Kong
Telephone: +852 2841-2211, +852 2841-2225, +852 2841-2323
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +852 2523-9011
Fax: +852 2845-4845
Email: [email protected]
This consular district includes the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions (SARs).

U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou
No. 43 Hua Jiu Road
Zhujiang New Town
Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510623
Telephone: +86 20-3814-5775
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +86 10-8531-4000
Fax: +86 20-3814-5572
Email: [email protected]
This consular district includes Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan.

U.S. Consulate General Shanghai
No. 1469 Huai Hai Zhong Road
Xuhui District, Shanghai 200041
Telephone: +86 21-8011-2400
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +86 10-8531-4000
Fax: +86 21-6148-8266
Email: [email protected]
This consular district includes Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang.

U.S. Consulate General Shenyang
No. 52 14th Wei Road
Heping District, Shenyang 110003
Telephone: +86 24-2322-1198
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +86 10-8531-4000
Fax: +86 24-8610-6904
Email: [email protected]
This consular district includes Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning.

U.S. Consulate General Wuhan
No. 568 Jian She Avenue
New World International Trade Tower I
Jianghan District, Wuhan 430022
Telephone: +86-27 8555-7791
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +86 10-8531-4000
Fax: +86 27-8555-7761
Email: [email protected]

This consular district includes Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi. Please note that U.S. Consulate General Wuhan provides emergency U.S. citizen services, as well as some routine services on a limited basis, until a move to a new office where full services will be provided.

Chinese Embassies and Consulates in the U.S.A.

Forbidden City From Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China

Washington DC

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America
3505 International Place, N.W.
Washington DC 20008 United States
Phone: 1.202.495.2266

Fax: +1-202-495-2138

E-mail: [email protected]

Los Angeles, California

Consulate General of The People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles
3rd Floor, 500 Shatto Place
Los Angeles, CA 90020 United States
Phone: 1.213.348.1778

Fax: 213.807.8091

Email: [email protected]

San Francisco, California

Consulate General of The People’s Republic of China in San Francisco
1450 Laguna Street
San Francisco, CA 94115 United States
Phone: 1.415.919.6008 / 1.415.872.9091

Chicago, Illinois

Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago
100 West Erie Street
Chicago, IL 60610 United States
Phone: 1.312.803.0095

Fax: 312-803-0110

        312-803-0104 (Consular Notification)

Email: [email protected]

New York, New York

Chinese Consulate General in New York
520 12th Avenue
New York, NY, 10036 United States
Phone: 1.212.244-9392, 1.212.244.9456

**There was a Houston consulate, but it has permanently closed.**

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I required to have travel insurance to go to China?

Travelers are not required to have travel insurance before they enter China, however, the United States government recommends getting coverage, particularly medical evacuation insurance.

How much does it cost to go to the hospital in China?

To spend one night in a Chinese hospital can cost anywhere from about USD $7 –  $834 (50 yuan – 6,000 yuan). This huge range depends on whether you go to a public, public VIP ward, or private hospital. Most Westerners are accustomed to the quality and sanitation standards of a private hospital.

Conclusion: How to Get China Travel Insurance

We’ve now discussed a large handful of China protection plans with travel medical coverage and trip cost coverage. If you want to purchase a plan now, you can purchase online or purchase over the phone. If you’re not ready to settle yet, compare quotes online.

If you found value in this article, you’ll always want to read our posts Medivac Insurance: Ensuring Emergency Evacuation Coverage and Finding the Best Worldwide Medical Insurance Coverage.

You can also read all about the best places to live in China and Asia in case you want to plan a longer trip to that part of the world!

Head of Content at Pacific Prime
Serena Fung is the Head of Content at Pacific Prime, a global insurance brokerage and employee specialist serving over 1.5 million clients in 15 offices across the world. With 6+ years of experience writing about the subject, she aims to demystify the world of insurance for readers with the latest updates, guides and articles on the blog.

Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).

Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
Serena Fung
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