Can You Use Elderly Health Care Vouchers for Dental Care in Shenzhen?

Yes, but only at designated institutions, and with several limits. People aged 65 or over can use Elderly Health Care Vouchers at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital's dental department and at institutions in the Greater Bay Area voucher pilot. Vouchers can't pay for inpatient care or for services that must be paid in advance, and implants often need a deposit. Here are the details.

Voucher basics

• Who: people aged 65 or over with a valid Hong Kong ID card or Certificate of Exemption;
• Amount: HK$2,000 a year, with up to HK$8,000 in the account;
• In Hong Kong: usable with enrolled private dentists, and for co-payments under the Community Dental Support Programme.

Source: voucher scheme background.

Where can you use them in Shenzhen?

1. HKU-Shenzhen Hospital

The voucher pilot at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital began on 6 October 2015 and became permanent on 26 June 2019. According to the voucher website's FAQs, the designated departments where vouchers can be used include dentistry.

2. The Greater Bay Area voucher pilot

Of the first seven institutions in 2024, two were dental providers in Shenzhen: Shenzhen C.K.J Stomatological Hospital (Luohu) and Dental Bauhinia (Futian). In 2025 the pilot grew to 19 institutions at 21 service points across all nine mainland GBA cities, and all 12 new institutions provide integrated services that include dentistry.

For C.K.J, the voucher website lists outpatient dental care for disease prevention and for following up or monitoring chronic conditions. Each institution's scope differs, so check its page first.

How many older people use them?

By 31 March 2025, 13,350 older people had used vouchers in the GBA pilot, with 24,645 claims. A news report citing a Legislative Council paper said more than 70% of them (9,422 people) used vouchers at Shenzhen C.K.J Stomatological Hospital, averaging about HK$1,721 a claim. In other words, dental care is the main use of vouchers in the Greater Bay Area.

Five common misunderstandings

Misunderstanding	What actually applies
Every dental clinic in Shenzhen takes vouchers	Only HKU-Shenzhen Hospital and the pilot's designated institutions
An implant deposit can be paid with vouchers	Vouchers can't be used for prepaid services or inpatient care
Vouchers can be combined with mainland national medical insurance	If a service is already covered by national medical insurance, vouchers can't be used for it (see HKU-Shenzhen Hospital scheme highlights)
The exchange rate changes daily	The voucher exchange rate is set once a month, and the hospital must display it
Spending in Shenzhen doesn't count towards the reward	The Voucher Reward Pilot Scheme runs to the end of 2028: spend HK$1,000 in a year on designated primary care and get an extra HK$500, and all 20 GBA institutions count

Before you go

1. Check that your chosen institution and department are on the voucher list;
2. Bring your Hong Kong ID card and Home Return Permit;
3. Ask which items vouchers can cover and which you pay yourself, especially for courses paid in instalments or with a deposit;
4. Consider using eHealth's cross-boundary health records to share the last three years of records with designated mainland institutions;
5. Before you leave, ask for your records and X-rays to make follow-up in Hong Kong easier.

For more preparation, see 8 things to do before seeing a dentist in Shenzhen; for subsidies in Hong Kong itself, see subsidy schemes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use vouchers for an implant in Shenzhen?

It depends on the institution and how it bills. Vouchers can't be used for prepaid services or inpatient care, and implants often require a deposit. Ask which parts vouchers can cover before you go.

Can I use vouchers at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital's dental department?

Yes. The voucher website lists dentistry among the designated departments at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital.

How many institutions in the Greater Bay Area accept vouchers?

The pilot covers 19 institutions at 21 service points across all nine mainland GBA cities; with HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, 20 in total.

What exchange rate applies in Shenzhen?

The average rate published by the Hong Kong Association of Banks over a set period each month. It is fixed monthly and displayed at the hospital.

Sources

• Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme background (Chinese)
• HKU-Shenzhen Hospital voucher pilot background (Chinese)
• HKU-Shenzhen Hospital voucher FAQs (revised Sep 2026, Chinese)
• HKU-Shenzhen Hospital scheme highlights (Chinese)
• Government press release: first GBA pilot institutions (2024-02-19)
• Government press release: pilot expanded to 19 institutions (2025-05-02)
• Voucher website: Shenzhen C.K.J Stomatological Hospital (Chinese)
• Yahoo News: GBA voucher usage (2025-05-06, Chinese)
• Sing Tao: voucher reward scheme extended to 2028 (2026-02-26, Chinese)
• Government press release: eHealth cross-boundary health records (2025-12-24)

※ The above are reference ranges compiled from public market data. Actual fees vary by clinic tier, dentist seniority, and case complexity, and do not represent any specific clinic's quote.