Eye Care in China: Hospitals, Access and Published Prices
眼科
Which hospitals in China list eye departments, how international patients can reach them, and what hospitals publish as prices for eye surgery — with a source for every fact.
Written by ChinaMedMap Editorial TeamSources checked 2 October 2026Access and logistics information — not medically reviewed
Quick answer. International patients can reach eye care at a specialist eye hospital or at the ophthalmology department of a large general hospital. Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center in Guangzhou publishes prices for its international medical service: SMILE laser surgery is listed at ¥27,500 per eye and cataract surgery with a lens implant at ¥16,470 (2026). The list does not say whether lenses and other materials are included, so ask.[2]
Where eye care is offered
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center in Guangzhou is a specialist eye hospital: its department list has separate departments for cataract, glaucoma, cornea, retina, orbital disease and ocular oncology, and oculoplastic surgery, among others. General hospitals we profile list a single ophthalmology department or an eye centre.
Zhujiang New Town campus of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangzhou.
Compare hospitals in our directory
The table lists every hospital we profile whose official department directory includes eye departments. The first number is how many such departments it lists; the full list, with its source, is on each hospital's profile.
Language and billing entries come from each hospital's international unit page or a government directory, as cited on its profile. "Not yet confirmed" means we have not found it on an official source — it does not mean the service is unavailable.
Hospitals in our directory with eye departments — sources on each hospital's profile
Prices are in Chinese yuan (RMB), as the hospital or the government published them, with the date of the list. They are list prices, not quotes. International and special-needs departments of public hospitals are market-priced: each hospital sets and publishes its own prices for them.
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center publishes a separate price list for its international medical service. The notice states that these items are priced by the hospital and paid in full by the patient. The list does not say whether lenses or other materials are included in each price.
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center — international medical service price list (notice of 3 August 2026)[2]
Item as named on the list
Published price (RMB)
SMILE laser surgery
¥27,500 per eye
Femtosecond LASIK
¥25,000 per eye
LASIK
¥12,500 per eye
PRK
¥10,000 per eye
Cataract removal by phacoemulsification with lens implant
¥16,470
Corneal transplant
¥18,900
Vitrectomy
¥9,980
Glaucoma filtration surgery
¥7,530
Outpatient consultation, senior specialist
¥2,000 per visit
Other published figures
Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital lists SMILE at ¥9,944 per eye and femtosecond LASIK at ¥5,900 (standard) or ¥6,988 (customised) per eye on its market-priced list of November 2025.
For cataract surgery in ordinary wards, two official figures help. Shenzhen's government price catalogue sets the service fee for phacoemulsification with lens implant at ¥4,062 to ¥5,077 depending on the hospital's price tier, with the lens charged separately. After national bulk procurement, the price of a standard monofocal lens fell from ¥2,500 to nearly ¥800, and a trifocal lens from ¥23,000 to a little over ¥8,900.
Start with the hospital's international unit rather than general registration: it is the part of the hospital set up for international patients, and it can tell you which eye departments it works with. You can also send ChinaMedMap a request and a person on our team will contact the hospital for you.
Foreign patients seen in international departments pay by commercial insurance or out of pocket; China's public medical insurance does not apply. Ask whether your insurer has a direct-billing arrangement with the hospital.
Send your records before you travel, so the hospital can tell you whether it can see you and what it expects the visit to involve. See Preparing Medical Records and International Patient Planning for visas and longer stays.
Questions to ask the international unit before you book
Ask
Why it matters
Is the price per eye, and does it include the lens and other materials?
Published lists do not always say what is included.
Which examinations are needed before a date can be set, and can they be done on the same trip?
It decides how many days you need to stay.
Which doctor would see me, and in which language?
Language support is often confirmed for the international unit, not for each doctor.
When is the follow-up visit, and can it be done at home?
It affects your return travel.
Can you bill my insurer directly?
Direct billing depends on the insurer and the hospital's agreements.
Questions international patients ask
How much does laser eye surgery cost in China?
Published prices vary by hospital and service tier. Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center lists SMILE at ¥27,500 per eye in its international medical service; Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital lists SMILE at ¥9,944 per eye on its market-priced list. Ask what the price includes.[2],[3]
How much does cataract surgery cost in China?
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center lists phacoemulsification with a lens implant at ¥16,470 in its international medical service. In ordinary wards in Shenzhen the government-set service fee is ¥4,062 to ¥5,077, with the lens charged separately.[2],[4]
Will my insurance pay?
China's public medical insurance does not cover foreign patients in international departments. Some hospitals settle directly with commercial insurers, so check with your insurer and the hospital's international unit before you travel.[5]
This page covers how to access care and what we could confirm from official sources. It does not say whether a treatment is right for you — only a qualified clinician who has reviewed your case can do that. ChinaMedMap is not an emergency service.
References
科室介绍（临床科室 / 医辅科室）— 中山大学中山眼科中心Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University · Chinese · retrieved 24 September 2026
中山大学中山眼科中心关于国际医疗服务价格项目收费标准的公示Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University · Chinese · dated 2026-08-03 · retrieved 2 October 2026
深圳市基本医疗服务价格项目目录（2021年版）更新至2026年7月31日（香港大学深圳医院网站公示）The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (publishing the Shenzhen municipal price catalogue) · Chinese · dated 2026-07-31 · retrieved 2 October 2026
关于印发《深化医疗服务价格改革试点方案》的通知（医保发〔2021〕41号）National Healthcare Security Administration and seven other departments · Chinese · dated 2021-08-31 · retrieved 2 October 2026
第四批国家组织高值医用耗材集采产生拟中选结果People's Daily · Chinese · dated 2023-12-01 · retrieved 2 October 2026
Hospitals in our directory with eye departments
Each of these hospitals lists at least one such department in its official department directory (sources on each profile). A listed department shows what the hospital offers in general; ask its international unit whether it arranges this care for international patients.
Tell us what you need. A person on our team reviews every request and replies with providers that may fit. We share your details with a provider only after you agree.
