Mainland China emergency guide · Verified Aug 3, 2026
Medical help and emergencies in China
Save the right numbers, give dispatchers the location they need, and know the next step for hospital care, insurance or a lost passport.
Official sources linked · General information, not diagnosis or emergency response · Last verified August 3, 2026
Do not complete a symptom quiz first
Call 120 now for a life-threatening illness or serious injury
Examples include the signs below. This is not a diagnosis or a complete test. If you believe the situation is life-threatening, call 120.
- Unconscious, not responding or having a seizure
- Severe breathing difficulty, choking or rapid facial swelling
- Chest pain or heavy bleeding
- Sudden face droop, one-sided weakness or speech difficulty
- Serious injury or trauma
The number is only the first step
Tell 120 where you are before anything gets lost in translation
Official Beijing and Shanghai guidance asks for a detailed location, the patient's condition and a reachable callback number. Keep answering until the dispatcher tells you the call is complete.
- 01Exact location
City and district, road, building, floor and room. Use the Chinese address from your hotel, host or venue.
- 02What happened
State the main symptom or injury, when it started and whether the person is conscious and breathing.
- 03Who needs help
Give the patient's age and the number of patients. Mention any immediate scene danger.
- 04Callback and meeting point
Give a reachable number. Send someone to a visible entrance, intersection or landmark if it is safe.
Do not assume nationwide English service. Shanghai currently publishes English support for its emergency hotlines, but availability varies. When safe, ask hotel, station, airport, attraction or venue staff to help give the Chinese address.
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120 Medical 110 Police
- Location / 位置
- ____________________________
- Building · floor · room / 楼栋·楼层·房间
- ____________
- Entrance or landmark / 入口或地标
- ____________
- Callback / 联系电话
- ____________
- Patients / 患者人数
- ____
- Name / 姓名
- ____________
- Age / 年龄
- ____
- Conscious / 是否有意识
- Yes / No / Unsure
- Breathing / 是否有呼吸
- Yes / No / Unsure
- Main symptom or injury / 主要症状或伤情
- ____________________________
- Allergies / 过敏
- ____________________________
- Current medicines / 正在使用的药物
- ____________________________
- Relevant conditions / 相关病史
- ____________________________
- Emergency contact / 紧急联系人
- ____________________________
- Insurer assistance / 保险紧急协助
- ____________________________
Choose by urgency, not branding
Emergency, urgent or non-urgent?
This page cannot assess your symptoms. Use this as a route guide after deciding whether professional emergency help is needed.
Life-threatening or serious injury
Call 120 or go to a hospital emergency department. Do not wait for an appointment, insurer approval, a particular language service or paperwork.
Act nowYou need same-day assessment
When safe, call your insurer's assistance line and a current official facility contact. Verify emergency or urgent capability, hours, department, language and payment.
Confirm the exact facilityYou can arrange a visit
Compare a public outpatient department, public-hospital international department, or private/international clinic. Confirm appointments and the correct department first.
Plan before travelling across the cityStable hospital pathway
Know the sequence before you reach the desk
China's official English health guidance describes a step-based hospital process. Exact steps vary by facility, department and urgency.
Read the National Health Commission guide- 01Register and identify the department
Show the passport used for travel if available. A facility may create a patient card or record.
- 02Triage and consultation
Share the symptom timeline, medicines, allergies, relevant history and previous reports.
- 03Pay, test and return for results
Consultation, tests and medicines can involve separate payment and queue steps.
- 04Collect records before leaving
Keep reports, results, prescriptions, itemized bills, payment proof and written follow-up instructions.
Bring if immediately available
Your hospital grab list
- Passport used for travel
- Insurance policy and assistance number
- Backup payment method
- Medicine and allergy list
- Symptom timeline and relevant records
- Emergency contact
Emergency exception: do not delay urgent care to return to a hotel for a document.
After immediate danger is controlled
Call the insurer early—and ask precise questions
Healthcare is not free in China. Payment, deposits, foreign-card acceptance and direct billing vary by institution, treatment and insurer relationship.
- Is this facility and situation covered?Ask whether pre-authorisation is required.
- Direct billing or reimbursement?A policy card alone does not prove the hospital can bill the insurer.
- What limit, deductible or exclusion applies?Ask about the specific treatment and planned activities.
- Who approves transfer or evacuation?Do not arrange an expensive move without understanding the policy process when circumstances allow.
- Which records and deadlines apply?Write down the case number and next contact point.
Lost or stolen passport
Three authorities, three different jobs
Start promptly and do not assume an embassy alone can restore your ability to travel. Exact documents, offices, fees and timing vary by city, nationality and immigration status.
- If danger or a crime is in progress, call 110. For a non-urgent loss, go promptly to the police station serving the location where it happened.
- Keep the report and ask the local PSB exit-entry office what comes next. Beijing publishes a police report → loss certificate sequence, but local materials differ.
- Use your own government's official China page. Embassy locations, eligibility, opening hours and emergency-document rules are nationality-specific and can change.
- Return to Chinese exit-entry authorities after receiving the new document. The national immigration service hotline 12367 is a starting point; it is not a guarantee of an outcome or timeline.
- Handle travel and claims separately. Ask the airline, hotel, railway seller and insurer which documents they will accept before rebooking.
Before departure
Save the parts you cannot afford to search for later
Emergency numbers
Keep them as visible text and on the printed card—not only inside an app or bookmark.
Confirmed Chinese address
Save the hotel or host name, full address, entrance or landmark and phone. Do not machine-invent it.
Insurance access
Save the policy reference, assistance number, covered activities and current claim instructions.
Consular contact
Bookmark your own government's current embassy or consulate page instead of copying a number that may change.
Medical summary
Keep allergies, active medication ingredients, relevant conditions, and an emergency contact in a form you can share.
Document copies
Store passport and visa copies separately from the physical passport. Do not submit them to TangTrails.
Also make critical information work without mobile data, prepare a backup payment method, and check medication entry rules before packing.
Primary sources · Checked August 3, 2026
Verify a changing detail at the source
Emergency numbers are durable, but language support, facilities, payment arrangements and document-replacement procedures can change. City-specific claims below are labeled and should not be generalized nationwide.
- Shanghai Municipal Government — what to do in an emergency120/110 purposes, call information, scene preparation and Shanghai-specific language support.
- Beijing Municipal Health Commission — how to call 120Address, condition, age, callback, landmark and dispatcher instructions.
- Beijing Municipal Health Commission — stroke warning signsCurrent official reminder to call 120 for sudden face, arm, speech or consciousness changes.
- National Health Commission English site — hospital visit procedureDurable registration and outpatient-flow guidance; not used for current prices or hours.
- Beijing Municipal Government — medical guide for foreignersBeijing emergency, appointment, payment and insurer/facility direct-billing context.
- Shanghai Municipal Government — public vs private hospitalsCity-specific emergency, outpatient, language and facility-type distinctions.
- UK FCDO — China health advice120, insurer contact and healthcare/evacuation preparation.
- UK FCDO — medical treatment in ChinaPayment, insurance, medical records, evacuation and consular boundaries.
- National Immigration Administration — passport lossPolice, embassy/consulate and Chinese immigration task sequence.
- Beijing Municipal Government — lost passport and visa processA concrete city example; materials and timing must be checked locally.
- U.S. Department of State — victims of crime abroadConsular support and limits; travelers must use their own nationality's official guidance.
This page covers mainland China, not Hong Kong or Macao. It provides general travel information, not medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, emergency response, legal or immigration advice, insurance advice, formal translation or a provider recommendation.
Quick answers
Medical and safety questions for China travel
What is the ambulance number in China?
In mainland China, call 120 for a medical emergency. Give the exact address or landmark, the patient’s condition and a reachable phone number; answer the dispatcher’s questions before hanging up.
Is 911 the emergency number in China?
Do not rely on 911. In mainland China, use 120 for medical emergencies and 110 for police or immediate danger. The fire number is 119 and the traffic-police number is 122.
When should I call 120 in China?
Call for a situation you believe is life-threatening or a serious injury—for example unconsciousness, severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, heavy bleeding, a seizure, suspected stroke, choking or rapid facial swelling. These examples are not a diagnosis or a complete test.
Do China’s emergency operators speak English?
Do not assume English is available nationwide. Shanghai currently publishes English support for its emergency hotlines, but service varies; when safe, ask nearby hotel, station or venue staff to help give the Chinese address.
Can a foreign tourist go to a hospital in China?
Yes. Bring the passport used for travel if immediately available, insurance and payment details, medicine and allergy information, and relevant records. In an emergency, do not delay care to retrieve paperwork.
Should I use a public hospital or an international hospital in China?
Match urgency and verified capability. Public hospitals commonly provide emergency and specialist care; international departments and private facilities may offer more language or administrative support but can cost more and may not have a full emergency department. Verify the exact facility and service.
Will travel insurance pay a Chinese hospital directly?
Only if the insurer and facility have a current direct-billing arrangement. Otherwise you may need to pay a deposit or bill and claim later. Contact the insurer quickly when safe and ask about pre-authorisation, covered facilities and required records.
What should I take to a Chinese hospital?
Take your passport if available, insurance details, backup payment, current medication and allergy list, symptom timeline, prior reports or results, and an emergency contact. Keep itemized bills, payment proof, medical reports and prescriptions.
What should I do if my passport is lost or stolen in China?
Report it promptly to local police or the Public Security Bureau, follow the local exit-entry process for a loss certificate, contact your own embassy or consulate for a replacement travel document, then confirm replacement visa, stay or exit steps with Chinese exit-entry authorities.
Can my embassy call an ambulance, choose a hospital or pay my bill?
Consular help varies by nationality. Embassies may provide contacts and support their eligible nationals, but they do not replace local emergency services, investigate crimes, guarantee treatment, provide formal medical translation or normally pay medical bills.