(2026) Public Hospitals in Hong Kong: How Much Does It Cost?
See how much Hong Kong public hospitals and clinics charge for eligible and non-eligible patients. Compare fees and learn when health insurance is needed.
Reviewed by a licensed advisor
To go private or public in Hong Kong is a personal decision and each has its advantages and inconveniences. The main advantage of going public in Hong Kong is its affordability. Public sector fees are extremely low compared to Hong Kong private sector fees which are considered the second most expensive in the world after the USA.
To better understand your options and public health hospital/clinic costs in Hong Kong, Alea brings you a comprehensive guide to Hospital Authority fees and charges.
How are the prices at Hong Kong's public hospitals decided?
The Hospital Authority (HA) is managing all public sector clinics and hospital fees and charges in Hong Kong. 8.5% of Hong Kong's GDP is dedicated to health expenditure, which is much lower than any other jurisdictions but this is likely to go up due to the aging population.
Effective 1 January 2026, fees and charges were increased for the purpose of:
Discourage less urgent patients to go to public Accident & Emergency departments;
Promote appropriate use of service;
Lift the financial burden of the public sector.
There are 3 sets of charges and fees in the public sector:
Charges for eligible persons;
Charges for non-eligible persons;
Private charges (for eligible and non-eligible persons).
What are the criteria of eligibility?
Patients at Hospital Authority are divided into 2 categories:
1. Public charges – Eligible persons (holders of HKID)
This refers to:
Holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Chapter 177),
Hong Kong permanent residents,
Children who are Hong Kong residents and under 11 years old,
Other persons approved by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority.
2. Public charges – Non-eligible persons (non-holders of an HKID)
Non-eligible persons refer to non-permanent residents. This refers to:
Persons not holding a Hong Kong Identity Card,
Chinese mainland residents,
Tourists traveling in Hong Kong.
How much does it cost?
1. Hong Kong's public charges for eligible persons
For persons eligible for public charges, it is likely that for most cases insurance will not be necessary, as the prices charged are relatively low. The issue with the public system is that it runs on a first-come, first-served basis, and due to the lack of medical staff, regardless of what service you are in need of, there will likely be a long waiting time. Depending on the demand some common surgical procedures can take from 8 up to 30 months to operate.
In consideration of the pricing alone, with the prices being so low, if you only or primarily use the public sector, there would be no need for health insurance.
Service | Fee /HK Dollar |
|---|---|
Accident & Emergency | HK$ 400 per attendance |
Inpatient (acute general beds) | HK$ 300 per day |
Inpatient (convalescent / rehabilitation, infirmary & psychiatric beds) | HK$ 200 per day |
Specialist outpatient (including allied health clinic) | HK$ 250 for the 1st attendance, HK$ 250 per subsequent attendance, HK$ 20 per drug item |
General outpatient | HK$ 150 per attendance |
Dressing or injection | HK$ 50 per attendance |
Psychiatric day hospital | Free |
Geriatric day hospital | HK$ 100 per attendance |
Rehabilitation day hospital | HK$ 100 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment at Clinical Oncology Clinic or Renal Clinic | HK$ 250 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment in ambulatory facility | HK$ 250 per attendance |
Community nursing service (general) | HK$ 100 per visit |
Community nursing service (psychiatric) | Free |
Community allied health service | HK$ 100 per visit |
For details click here.
2. Hong Kong's public charges for non-eligible persons
For non-eligible persons, the prices in the public sector are very similar to the private sector. If you are in this category, purchasing health insurance is recommended.
Service | Fee / HK Dollar |
|---|---|
Accident & Emergency | HK$ 2,100 per attendance |
Inpatient (general hospitals) | HK$ 7,400 per day |
Inpatient (psychiatric hospitals) | HK$ 3,100 per day |
Intensive care ward/unit | HK$ 35,600 per day |
High dependency ward/unit | HK$ 21,000 per day |
Nursery | HK$ 3,100 per day |
Obstetrics package charge | HK$ 74,000 |
Obstetrics package charge | HK$ 130,000 |
Specialist outpatient (including allied health clinic) | HK$ 850 per attendance |
General outpatient | HK$ 500 per attendance |
Dressing or injection | HK$ 50 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment for Haemodialysis at a Renal Clinic/Centre or other ambulatory facility | HK$ 3,000 per attendance (Chronic), HK$ 6,000 per attendance (Acute) |
Day procedure and treatment at Clinical Oncology Clinic | HK$ 1,300 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment at Ophthalmic Clinic | HK$ 950 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment in ambulatory facility | HK$ 7,400 per attendance |
Psychiatric day hospital | HK$ 1,800 per attendance |
Geriatric day hospital | HK$ 2,700 per attendance |
Rehabilitation day hospital | HK$ 1,900 per attendance |
Community nursing service (general) | HK$ 800 per visit |
Community nursing service (psychiatric) | HK$ 2,000 per visit |
Community allied health service | HK$ 2,000 per visit |
For details, click here.
3. Hong Kong's private charges (for both eligible and non-eligible persons)
This is less known but a private route exists within the public sector. This may include charges for domestic services, catering and general nursing, core pathology investigations, catering. For newborns, private charges cover basic examination by obstetricians, basic immunization and injections.
Patients with a referral letter from private medical practitioners or discharged from private wards and attending designated private specialist outpatient sessions will be charged private outpatient consultation fees as follows:
For initial consultation HK$ 1,090–HK$ 2,580 (per visit)
For each subsequent follow-up consultation HK$ 950– HK$ 2,350
The private services provided by the Hospital Authority include:
Diagnostic/therapeutic procedures
Operations
Pathology Services
Radiology Services
Rehabilitation and Outreach Services
For further information on each service, click here.
Service | Fee / HK Dollar |
|---|---|
Inpatient (acute hospitals) | HK$ 6,960 per day (1st class), HK$ 4,640 per day (2nd class) |
Inpatient (other hospitals) | HK$ 5,810 per day (1st class), HK$ 3,870 per day (2nd class) |
Intensive care ward/unit | HK$ 22,450 per day |
High dependency ward/unit | HK$ 12,650 per day |
Nursery | HK$ 1,190 per day |
Inpatient medical attendance / consultation (per specialty) | HK$ 680 - HK$ 2,780 per visit |
Outpatient consultation | HK$ 1,090–HK$ 2,580 per attendance (initial consultation), HK$ 950 - HK$ 2,350 per attendance (subsequent follow up consultation) |
Minor nursing procedures (such as dressing or injection) | HK$ 450 per attendance |
For further information on each service, click here.
Patients suffering from or suspected to be suffering from the diseases specified under the prevailing International Health Regulations (IHR), and admitted to a public hospital will not be charged for medical treatment or maintenance. Find the specified list of diseases under IHR of the World Health Organization here.
4. Other fees in Hong Kong's public hospitals and clinics
For persons accompanying a patient and occupying a bed, the following daily maintenance fee will apply:
Eligible persons:
(i) Acute general beds: HK$ 120
(ii) Convalescent/Rehabilitation, Infirmary and Psychiatric beds: HK$ 100
Non-eligible persons: HK$ 810
Dental treatments are only provided in private offices. The public sector only takes care of patients in need of emergency dental treatments or dental treatments as an essential part of their medical treatment. In addition to maintenance and/or attendance fees, patients will have to pay for prosthetic appliances at a charge to be determined by the dental officers of the hospital/clinic.
Have difficulties making up your mind? Please take a look at our article about whether you need health insurance in Hong Kong.
How much does it cost to see a doctor in a public hospital in Hong Kong?
For an eligible person (holder of a valid HKID), it costs HK$400 per consultation at the A&E, $150 per consultation with a GP, and $250 for the first consultation with a specialist ($250 per follow-up session and $20 for each medication). For a non-eligible person, however, it costs HK$2,100 per consultation at the A&E, $500 per GP consultation, and $850 per specialist consultation.
How many public hospitals are there in Hong Kong?
Currently, there are a total of 43 public hospitals and institutions under the Hospital Authority in Hong Kong. Together with 49 specialist outpatient clinics and 73 general outpatient clinics, the public healthcare sector serves the general public at a low charge.
What are the differences between public and private hospitals in Hong Kong?
The major difference between the public and private healthcare providers in Hong Kong is the pricing and waiting time — while medical costs are much lower at the public sector, the demand for public services is particularly high (partly due to the aging population). Such a heavy burden on the public healthcare system are reflected in its alarmingly long waiting time.
Written by
Julien Mathieu
Co-Founder & CEO | Official CFE Representative
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