Match the problem to the right service
For an emergency in mainland China, call the relevant emergency service directly. Do not wait for a website reply, a travel provider or a general information hotline.
- 110 — Police / 公安报警: urgent police assistance.
- 119 — Fire service / 火警: fire emergencies.
- 120 — Ambulance / 医疗急救: urgent medical assistance.
The Shanghai government’s emergency guide and the UK government’s China advice independently list these roles. These are mainland-China contact routes, not numbers for requesting a response in another country. This guide has not made test calls. Shanghai emergency services; FCDO China getting-help guidance.
Official Chinese and English text reviewed 18 October 2026. This page helps you find a responsible service; it does not provide diagnosis, treatment, legal representation or emergency response.
Make your location easy to describe
When connected, state what has happened and where you are. Give the city, Chinese street or venue name, building or entrance details, and a callback number you can answer. Answer the operator’s questions and follow their instructions.
A saved hotel address can help if that is where the incident is happening. If you are elsewhere, give the actual incident location instead. Ask nearby staff or another person for language help when needed; do not give a responder a general hotel address when you need help at a different entrance or street.
Shanghai’s guidance emphasizes the address, incident details and contact information. It also describes local foreign-language support, but that is not a guarantee of identical availability throughout China. The hospital guidance reviewed likewise says English-speaking medical staff are not universal. Shanghai reporting instructions; medical-treatment guide.
These short editorial communication examples can be shown to someone nearby. Use the number appropriate to the incident; do not postpone calling in order to fill out a template.
Please help me call 120 for urgent medical assistance.
请帮我拨打120，我需要医疗急救。
Please help me call 110 for police assistance.
请帮我拨打110，我需要警察帮助。
There is a fire. Please call 119.
这里着火了，请拨打119。
My current location is…
我现在的位置是……
The entrance is…
入口在……
Before travel, check how you would make a voice call with your own phone arrangement. If you cannot place the call during an incident, ask someone nearby to contact the service. The internet-options guide explains why connectivity choices need their own preparation.
For ordinary enquiries, use a non-emergency route
Beijing public-service questions: 12345
Beijing’s official 12345 page identifies it as a non-emergency channel for public-service enquiries and matters that may need referral to the responsible department. It also lists emergency numbers separately. Use the current city instructions for language and access, rather than assuming a complaint submission is an emergency call. Beijing 12345 service page.
The Beijing Foreign Affairs Office’s Chinese and English explanation confirms that foreign visitors can use these routes. Its article dates from 2022, so this guide does not repeat its old language-count or service-hours list as a current nationwide guarantee. 北京外办 hotline explanation.
Immigration questions: 12367
For immigration administration questions, consult the National Immigration Administration’s 12367 service. Its Chinese launch notice explains the consultation role; a December 2025 English update describes the hotline and NIA 12367 app/mini-program channels. A consultation does not itself approve entry, extend a stay or replace a document. 国家移民管理局12367说明; NIA service-channel update.
For a booking, payment or transport order problem, begin with the provider responsible for the actual transaction. Keep the order number, date, relevant messages and final payment state ready. This preparation is an editorial way to make the issue clearer; it does not guarantee a refund or complaint outcome.
If you need medical care
For urgent assistance, use 120 and the operator’s instructions. Do not turn a non-urgent hospital appointment process into a prerequisite for calling.
For a non-urgent visit, confirm the specific hospital or clinic’s registration, appointment, language and payment arrangements. Use the travel-insurance checklist to ask your insurer about its assistance route and the coverage of the facility and service you are considering. Do not assume that an insurance card or an international payment card means direct billing has been arranged.
Where available, take your travel identity document, insurer details, relevant medical information supplied by your clinician and a contact number. Do not delay seeking urgent assistance to retrieve paperwork. Keep records and receipts for the actual treatment and any later insurance enquiry.
The medical-treatment guide describes variable language support, appointment and payment processes, including facilities with particular insurance arrangements. This article does not reproduce its old indicative deposit amounts, recommend a hospital or establish treatment coverage for your case. FCDO medical-treatment information.
If your passport is lost or stolen
Deal with immediate danger first. Report the loss or theft to the local police or Public Security Bureau and ask what report or documentation is required. The UK getting-help page specifically advises obtaining a police incident report; consular eligibility still depends on your own nationality. FCDO passport-loss guidance.
Then contact your own country’s embassy or consulate through its official channels about replacement travel documents. Separately ask the local exit-entry authority or NIA how your entry record, stay status and departure arrangements must be handled.
Do not assume that a replacement passport alone solves every departure requirement, or that everyone needs the same extra permission. Shanghai’s Chinese/English visa-free-entry FAQ describes a conditional lost-document departure process involving identity and entry checks and consular documentation. That section concerns a particular entry situation; it is not a universal checklist for every traveller. The page’s older country list is not used here to determine present visa-free eligibility. Shanghai FAQ, question14.
Before rebooking a flight, confirm the current requirements with the responsible authorities and the carrier. This guide cannot promise when a replacement will be issued or when you will be able to travel. Once the responsible authorities and carrier confirm your next arrangement, rebuild the flight-departure plan and revisit any affected rail passenger details or attraction booking. Use those providers to resolve each existing order before relying on it.
Prepare a small help pack before you go
Keep these details accessible to you, with a copy available without relying on live mobile data:
- Your accommodation’s Chinese name, full address, entrance and contact method.
- Your own embassy or consulate’s official website and relevant contact details.
- Your insurer’s assistance channel and policy details, if you have cover.
- The booking references for transport and accommodation.
- The medical and dietary information your own clinician has advised you to carry, if applicable.
The address-card tool can display a Chinese address you supply. It does not verify the address, locate you or contact emergency services. The before-you-fly preparation guide helps put this preparation alongside your documents, phone and payment arrangements.
For an ordinary, non-urgent question about a bill or visitor behaviour, the etiquette guide’s short questions can help start a conversation with staff. Keep the urgent-contact guidance above for emergencies.