Boao Lecheng Medical Tourism Guide for International Patients
- MedBridgeNZ
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Quick Answer
For international patients, Boao Lecheng special access is a regulated, case-by-case pathway. The process may involve:
Organizing and, where required, translating medical records according to the receiving institution’s submission requirements.
Submitting records for a preliminary clinical and administrative feasibility review.
Confirming whether the requested medicine or device is currently available through an authorized institution.
Navigating Hainan visa-free entry or an appropriate visa route.
Completing identity-verification and product-traceability requirements where applicable.
Administrative coordination can help organize these steps and submit records to potentially suitable institutions, without replacing clinical or regulatory decision-making.
What Is Boao Lecheng Medical Tourism?
The Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone is a medical pilot zone in Hainan that was approved by China’s State Council in 2013. Designated medical institutions may apply to use certain clinically urgently needed medicines and medical devices that have been approved overseas but are not yet registered in mainland China, where available domestic products cannot provide an adequate substitute. Access is assessed case by case and depends on the product, receiving institution, patient’s clinical circumstances, and applicable regulatory approval.
Key Takeaways
Cross-border medical options in China generally fall into three distinct regulatory routes: routine approved care, clinical-trial participation, and special access (such as Boao Lecheng).
The Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone operates under specific frameworks allowing designated medical institutions to import certain internationally approved therapeutics.
Distinct policies apply within the zone, including a zero-tariff framework (subject to strict in-zone use requirements) and a separate "Carry-Away" policy for eligible patients.
Professional administrative coordination facilitates the compilation and translation of medical records to meet receiving institutions' standards.
Three Common Access Pathways
It is important to distinguish between three common regulatory routes that may be relevant to international patients. They operate under separate legal and medical frameworks:
Routine Approved Care: Standard medical treatments and pharmaceuticals that are fully registered and approved by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for routine clinical use.
Clinical-Trial Participation: Access to investigational drugs currently undergoing research phases. Access is strictly governed by trial recruitment criteria, and these are not commercially approved treatments.
Boao Lecheng Special Access: A specific regulatory pathway allowing participating hospitals within the Hainan pilot zone to import and administer selected medicines or devices that have already been approved overseas (e.g., by the FDA, EMA, or PMDA) but are not yet registered in mainland China.
Therapy Status and Access Summary
Therapy or Pathway | Current Status as of July 2026 | Routine Patient Access? |
ORKA-001 | Investigational Phase 2 therapy for plaque psoriasis. | No approved routine access; clinical-trial eligibility applies. |
TDI01 | Investigational Phase 3 therapy currently being studied in China for IPF. | Not commercially approved; clinical-trial eligibility applies. |
Boao Lecheng Special Access | Regulated pathway for selected overseas-approved products not registered in mainland China. | Case-by-case hospital and regulatory approval. |
MedBridgeNZ Coordination | Administrative record preparation, hospital enquiry, and travel support. | Does not determine clinical eligibility or guarantee access. |
What Boao Lecheng Can and Cannot Provide
The Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone offers distinct administrative frameworks designed to facilitate access to specific therapeutics, though strict limitations apply.
The Zero-Tariff Policy: Eligible entities within the pilot zone may import qualifying medicines and medical devices under the applicable zero-tariff framework. These products are subject to strict in-zone use and traceability requirements and must not be assumed to qualify for the separate carry-away pathway.
The "Carry-Away" Policy: Under a separate framework, eligible patients with a confirmed diagnosis, stable treatment plan, good adherence, and controlled condition may be permitted to take a reasonable supply of certain authorized medicines or medical devices away from the institution for personal use. The usual medicine supply is limited to four weeks. The usual medicine supply is limited to four weeks. For some chronic-disease patients whose condition is stable and whose medication-related adverse effects are considered mild, a longer supply of up to 12 weeks may be permitted following additional medical assessment, documentation, and patient confirmation.
How Can Patients Confirm Whether a Specific Medicine or Device Is Currently Available?
Product availability changes over time and should not be assumed from general policy descriptions. The receiving hospital must confirm whether the requested medicine or device has been approved for import and use, whether the institution is authorized to administer it, whether the patient meets its clinical criteria, and whether any carry-away arrangement applies.
What Costs Should International Patients Expect?
There is no single standard price for treatment within Boao Lecheng. Potential costs may include the receiving hospital’s consultation or case-review fee, diagnostic testing, the medicine or medical device itself, translation and coordination services, accommodation, local transport, and any required hospital deposit.
The zero-tariff policy does not mean that treatment is free, nor does it guarantee that every eligible product will cost less than in the patient’s home country. Written estimates should be requested from the receiving institution before travel.
Documents Needed for Hospital Enquiry
Depending on the receiving institution, medical records may need to be translated or summarized in Chinese and organized according to the hospital’s specific submission and triage requirements. Records commonly requested may include:
A recent specialist letter or clinical summary.
Confirmed diagnosis, disease severity, or staging information.
Recent imaging, laboratory, and diagnostic test reports.
Pathology or molecular testing where relevant.
Current medications and previous treatment history.
Known allergies, major comorbidities, and current clinical status.
Disease-specific records may also be required—for example, HRCT images and pulmonary function tests for IPF, or pathology and molecular reports for cancer cases.
Visa and Travel Considerations
For patients deemed eligible for cross-border institutional review, navigating immigration protocols is a required logistical step.
59-Country Visa-Free Policy: Ordinary passport holders from the 59 eligible countries may enter through an open port in Hainan and remain within Hainan Province for up to 30 days for permitted short-term purposes, including medical treatment. This may support short outpatient visits where the receiving institution has already confirmed the proposed consultation or treatment.
Private-Affairs Visas: Where visa-free entry is not suitable, the S2 visa may be relevant for private affairs—including medical treatment—for a stay of up to 180 days, while the S1 visa may be relevant for stays exceeding 180 days. The appropriate visa category, permitted duration, and required documents are determined by the relevant Chinese embassy, consulate, or visa authority.
Examples of Investigational Therapies Not Currently Available Through Routine Lecheng Access
The following are examples of investigational therapies currently in clinical trials; they are not commercially available treatments. These examples illustrate why clinical-trial access must not be confused with the Boao Lecheng special-access pathway.
ORKA-001 (Plaque Psoriasis)
ORKA-001 is an investigational monoclonal antibody engineered to target the IL-23p19 subunit.
Evidence Snapshot
Reported Finding: In sponsor-reported interim results from the ongoing EVERLAST-A Phase 2a trial (NCT07090330), 63.5% of participants in the 600 mg ORKA-001 group achieved PASI 100 at Week 16. These findings have not established regulatory approval, long-term benefit–risk profile, or superiority over approved psoriasis treatments.
TDI01 (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis)
TDI01 is an investigational small-molecule drug designed to selectively inhibit ROCK2, a kinase involved in inflammatory and pro-fibrotic signaling. Its greater selectivity for ROCK2 over ROCK1 is intended to reduce some of the off-target vascular effects associated with earlier non-selective ROCK inhibitors. TDI01 is currently being evaluated in a recruiting Phase 3 clinical trial in China for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Evidence Snapshot
Reported Finding: According to sponsor-reported Phase 2 results, the placebo-adjusted difference in FVC change at Week 24 for the TDI01 400 mg group was 89 mL. These findings require confirmation in the ongoing Phase 3 trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who determines whether a patient is medically fit for international travel?
Travel suitability is determined entirely by the patient's primary treating physician, the receiving hospital's admission criteria, and airline medical clearance requirements. MedBridgeNZ coordinates administrative travel logistics but does not conduct medical fitness screening.
Can I purchase experimental drugs like TDI01 or ORKA-001 through Boao Lecheng?
Based on publicly available information as of July 2026, these drugs are not available for routine commercial purchase through the standard Boao Lecheng special-access pathway. Access to an investigational drug would normally require participation in a properly registered clinical trial or another legally authorized research pathway, subject to strict eligibility criteria.
What records are commonly needed for a remote specialist or multidisciplinary review?
Institutional reviews typically require a translated clinical summary from your treating specialist, complete medication histories, recent laboratory results, and high-resolution imaging. The receiving institution decides whether the case is reviewed by an individual specialist or a multidisciplinary team.
Does zero-tariff mean that treatment is free?
No. For qualifying products, the zero-tariff framework may exempt import duties and import-stage value-added tax. It does not make the medicine, device, or treatment free. Patients may still be responsible for the product itself, hospital fees, consultations, diagnostic tests, and coordination services where applicable.
Can a special-access medicine be taken outside the hospital, outside Hainan, or back to my home country?
These are separate questions. Zero-tariff medicines and devices must remain within the pilot zone and cannot be assumed to qualify for carry-away use. Under the separate carry-away framework, an eligible patient may be permitted by the receiving institution to take a limited personal-use supply away from the hospital.
Hospital approval to take a medicine away from the institution does not by itself confirm that it may be taken out of Hainan or exported from China. Patients must also confirm any applicable Chinese customs requirements and the personal-import rules of their destination country before travelling.
Will international medical insurance cover treatment in Boao Lecheng?
Coverage and direct billing vary by insurer, policy, hospital, and treatment. Patients should obtain written pre-authorization and confirm whether the receiving institution supports direct billing before travel.
How long does the administrative coordination take for accessing the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone?
Administrative timelines—including record translation, institutional review, and visa coordination—vary significantly based on the completeness of your medical records and the specific scheduling policies of the receiving institution.
Request an Administrative Case Review
Please include your diagnosis, recent specialist letter, key test or imaging reports, current and previous treatments, nationality, and preferred travel timeframe.
This administrative review does not determine medical eligibility or guarantee access to any treatment, medicine, medical device, or clinical trial.
How the Process Works:
Initial Case Intake & Record Formatting: Our Patient Care Team will review whether the records appear sufficient for an initial hospital enquiry, format them, and provide professional medical translation to meet the designated institution's standards.
Hospital Enquiry & Specialist Routing: Before identifiable medical records are submitted to a receiving institution, MedBridgeNZ explains the proposed submission pathway and obtains the patient’s authorization to share the relevant records. Once authorized, we submit your translated records to potentially suitable institutions and coordinate a remote consultation or MDT discussion where offered and considered appropriate by the receiving hospital.
On-the-Ground Coordination: If a receiving hospital accepts your case and you choose to travel, we facilitate local logistics, including navigating real-name registration networks, providing bilingual institutional accompaniment, and coordinating local transport.
Important Access Distinction Boao Lecheng provides a regulated pathway for selected overseas-approved medicines and devices that are not yet registered in mainland China. It is not a general pathway for obtaining experimental drugs. Investigational therapies (such as ORKA-001 and TDI01) discussed in this article are examples of current clinical research and are not presented as confirmed Lecheng treatment options. Availability and eligibility must be confirmed by the receiving institution and relevant regulators.
References
8-K — Oruka Therapeutics, Inc. (ORKA-001 Phase 2a Results). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/907654/000121390026047743/ea0287782-8k_oruka.htm
Spotlight on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis! TDI01, the World’s First ROCK2 Inhibitor to Enter Phase III Clinical Trials, Completes First Patient Enrollment — Sino Biopharmaceutical. https://www.en.sbpgroup.com/news-center/dynamic/24939.html
Boao Lecheng Special Access Pathway for Overseas Patients — MedBridgeNZ. https://www.medbridgenz.com/post/boao-lecheng-special-access-pathway-guide
Accessing Global Innovative Drugs: A Guide to Boao Lecheng Medical Tourism — MedBridgeNZ. https://www.medbridgenz.com/post/boao-lecheng-medical-tourism-guide
How Hainan Is Emerging as China’s Medical Tourism Destination — CGTN. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-04-17/How-Hainan-is-emerging-as-China-s-medical-tourism-destination-1MpFUgfwSB2/index.html
Lecheng: Building an International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Through Opening-Up — Qiushi. https://www.qstheory.cn/20251012/08375f35d04e4b60869e5e1e84590a61/c.html
Hainan: Boao Lecheng Develops an Integrated Medical Tourism and Wellness Model — National Development and Reform Commission. https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xwdt/ztzl/ylyx/dxjy/202512/t20251201_1402089.html
Any paid translation, specialist liaison, or travel-coordination service will be explained before work begins. Hospital and treatment charges are determined separately by the receiving institution.
Disclaimer: MedBridgeNZ acts strictly as an international medical concierge and logistics coordinator. We do not provide direct medical treatment, diagnosis, or clinical advice. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical guidance. Always consult your primary treating physician or specialist before pursuing cross-border treatment options or clinical trials.
Written by: MedBridgeNZ Editorial Team
Last reviewed and updated: 18 July 2026
Sources checked: Regulatory authorities, clinical-trial registries, and sponsor-reported clinical data
