According to the city’s medical insurance bureau, starting from September 1, 2025, eligible preschool children without Shenzhen household registration will be able to enroll in the city’s resident medical insurance program. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 children will benefit annually.
The most significant breakthrough of the new regulation is the removal of household registration restrictions for enrollment. According to the rules, non-local preschool children under the age of 7 who reside in the city, are not enrolled in schools or kindergartens, and are not covered by medical insurance in other regions can apply for enrollment if at least one parent holds a valid Shenzhen Special Economic Zone residence permit, a valid Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan residence permit issued by Shenzhen, or if at least one parent is a Shenzhen resident. It is important to note that children already enrolled in medical insurance elsewhere must first cancel their existing coverage to avoid duplicate enrollment affecting benefits.
Starting in September, non-local preschool children enrolled in the program will enjoy the same medical insurance benefits as local Shenzhen children. These benefits include up to 75% reimbursement for general outpatient services, up to 90% reimbursement for specific outpatient treatments, and up to 92% reimbursement for hospitalization. The payment standards and government subsidies will also be identical.
The payment cycle follows the calendar year: parents must complete the enrollment process for their children in September each year and pay the medical insurance fee for the period from September to August of the following year in one lump sum. For enrollments in other months, the fee must cover the remaining months from the application date.
To improve service efficiency, multiple application channels will be available after the policy takes effect. Starting in September, parents of eligible non-local preschool children can complete online self-enrollment through the “Shenzhen Medical Insurance” WeChat official account or the bureau’s official website “Personal Online Service System.” Alternatively, they can visit nearby social security or medical insurance offices or use self-service terminals.
