Pregnancy and childbirth

Where to give birth

In tier-1 and major tier-2 cities, the choice is essentially:

• International hospitals — United Family, Parkway Health, Beijing International SOS, Vista Medical (Shanghai), Sino-United Family. English-speaking obstetricians, private rooms, comprehensive prenatal care, ¥80,000–¥250,000 for normal delivery (much more for caesarean or NICU). Insurance essential.
• VIP wings of major Chinese hospitals — Beijing Maternity, Shanghai International Peace Maternity, Peking Union — accept foreigners on the VIP wing. Mandarin-leaning but with English-speaking staff. ¥30,000–¥80,000 for delivery.
• Public hospitals — fully accessible. Cheap (¥3,000–¥10,000 for standard delivery). Mandarin-only typically. Crowded ward conditions.

In tier-3 cities, evacuation to a tier-1 hospital is the typical expat plan.

Prenatal care

Standard schedule mirrors international practice — first trimester confirmation visit, monthly second trimester, two-weekly third trimester, weekly final month. Genetic testing (NIPT, amnio) available everywhere. Detailed ultrasound at 22 weeks.

Registration of foreign-born babies

A foreign baby born in mainland China typically receives:

1. **Hospital birth certificate** — issued at discharge. 2. **Medical birth certificate (出生医学证明)** — issued by the hospital, usually within 30 days, requires both parents' passports and marriage certificate. 3. **Travel document from your home country's embassy** — passport or emergency travel doc, processing 4–8 weeks (varies by country). 4. **PRC exit permit / visa** — required for the baby to leave China. Passport-linked at the local PSB.

Order matters: medical birth certificate first, then home-country passport, then PRC exit visa. Allow 2–3 months end-to-end.

Citizenship

Mainland China does NOT grant citizenship to babies born to foreign parents (jus soli does not apply). The baby's citizenship follows the parents. Hong Kong and Macau have separate rules.

If one parent is Chinese and one is foreign, the family may need to elect — Chinese citizenship requires renouncing foreign citizenship at age 18.

Maternity leave for expats

Foreign workers on Z-visa contracts get the same statutory maternity leave as Chinese employees: 158 days minimum (14 weeks), with full salary paid by the employer.

Practical advice

• Insurance: confirm pregnancy and delivery coverage before conception (most policies have a 10–12 month waiting period).
• English-speaking doula services exist in tier-1 cities.
• Home-country airfare for grandparents — Chinese embassies issue tourist visas without difficulty for the grandparent visit.