Emergency Help in China: Illness, Lost Passports and Phone Access

Use the right emergency number

These numbers apply to mainland China. Hong Kong and Macao have separate arrangements. Dial the local short number and give your city, exact address, nearby landmark, what happened and a callback number. If your phone cannot connect, ask someone nearby to call immediately.

Do not assume an English-speaking emergency operator will be available everywhere. Ask for English, but also seek help from hotel staff, station staff or a nearby Mandarin speaker. Beijing's 12345 service lists English support, but it is a non-emergency channel, not a substitute for emergency dispatch. MyChinaRoute's editorial contact is not an emergency service.

• FCDO: emergency service numbers in China →
• Beijing government: 12345 is non-emergency and offers multilingual service →

Get medical help, then coordinate insurance

For an apparent medical emergency, call 120 without waiting for insurer approval. Show responders your medication list, allergies and existing clinician plan. This guide cannot diagnose symptoms or determine whether travel is medically appropriate.

For illness without an immediate emergency, ask your insurer's assistance team about suitable local facilities and language support. Hotel staff can help arrange communication or transport. Healthcare is not free; ask the facility and insurer about payment, direct billing and required authorization. Contact the insurer promptly when referred for treatment, and retain medical reports, itemized bills and receipts.

• FCDO: medical care, insurance and English-speaking facility resources →

Report a lost foreign passport promptly

Passport replacement and Chinese immigration documentation are separate tasks. China's National Immigration Administration directs travelers with a lost passport to the local PSB Exit-Entry Administration for a passport loss certificate and to their country's embassy or consulate. A police incident report and a passport loss certificate may be different documents; ask which you need.

Your nationality determines replacement eligibility, appointments, evidence and available travel documents. Contact your own consulate's official passport service and explain your departure date. Prepare identity copies, entry records, the loss report and itinerary, but obtain its exact checklist before arranging photos or submitting an application.

1. Report theft or loss to local police and retain the report or reference.
2. Ask the PSB Exit-Entry Administration about the loss certificate and your current stay permission.
3. Contact your own consulate about a replacement passport or emergency travel document.
4. Return to Exit-Entry Administration as instructed to resolve any required visa, stay or departure documentation.

• National Immigration Administration: lost passport guidance →
• FCDO: reporting passport loss in China →

Confirm departure requirements before rebooking

Do not assume a replacement passport alone enables departure. Requirements can depend on your original entry basis, nationality and replacement document. Ask the local Exit-Entry Administration what applies to your case, especially if your permitted stay is nearing its end.

For example, Australian government guidance distinguishes Australians who entered on a visa from those using the visa-waiver program. That distinction is not a universal rule for other travelers. Confirm airline acceptance and transit-country requirements for an emergency document before buying a new route. Ask your consulate for help understanding the process; Chinese authorities determine immigration requirements.

• Australian government: nationality-specific passport-loss and departure guidance →

Restore communication and protect payment access

Move to a staffed location and borrow a phone to contact a trusted person. If the device was stolen, report it to police and keep the report for insurance. Use official provider channels to lock the device, suspend the SIM and protect banking and wallet accounts. Follow each provider's recovery instructions; replacing a SIM may not immediately restore authentication.

Arrange food, accommodation and transport using separately held cash or a backup card where accepted. Ask the hotel to help contact your bank or provider if needed. Never give helpers passwords, PINs or verification codes. On borrowed devices, avoid saving credentials and sign out completely.

• Australian government: report crime and retain a police report →

Carry an offline recovery pack

Keep a paper copy separate from your phone, with secure digital backups accessible through another device. Contact your own consulate for nationality-specific assistance and your insurer for covered support; neither replaces local emergency responders. Save official contact details before departure.

• Passport identity page, visa or entry-permission details, entry record and accommodation registration information.
• Hotel name, Chinese address, telephone number and onward itinerary.
• Your consulate's daytime and emergency numbers, insurer's assistance number and policy number.
• Medication list, relevant medical information, allergies and personal clinician plan.
• Bank and mobile-provider contact numbers, recovery instructions, and separately stored backup payment.