🚨 Who to call, where to go — all offline
Emergency & lost passport
Who to call, where to go — all offline
Step by step
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Dial the right number
110 police · 120 ambulance · 119 fire · 122 traffic accident. Free from any phone, including foreign roaming. Say “English” for a multilingual operator (best in big cities). Give a landmark first, stay on the line.
Open SOS card
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Passport lost — 4 steps
① Police station report (报案回执) → ② Exit-entry bureau: loss certificate, 1–3 working days → ③ Your embassy: new passport or emergency travel document → ④ Exit-entry bureau: visa/exit permit, ~5–7 working days. Airlines won't board you without it. Total: often 1+ week — build buffer into your plans.
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Re-register your stay
New documents in hand? Re-do the accommodation registration (住宿登记) at your hotel or the local police station — the exit permit requires it.
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Hospital basics
Pay-as-you-go: registration, tests and pharmacy are billed separately. Inpatient care needs a deposit (¥thousands+). International departments (国际部) have English staff and take foreign cards — bring your insurance hotline; direct billing (GOP) can waive deposits.
Good to know
Save your embassy's 24/7 emergency line and your insurance hotline in your phone NOW — before you need them.
If something goes wrong
cannot-explain-address
You can't explain where you are or where you're going
What to do: Open the SOS card (top-right on every screen): hotel address card + “take me to…” phrases work offline. Landmarks beat street names with drivers.
police-report-language
The police station has no English speakers
What to do: Big-city stations have foreign-affairs police (外事警察) — ask for them by name. Otherwise show the phrase card; the report receipt (回执) is what you actually need for step 2.
embassy-unreachable
Your embassy doesn't answer — it's the weekend
What to do: Most embassies run a 24/7 emergency line — find it on your government's travel site and save it offline NOW. For documents, weekday mornings are fastest. Note: the loss certificate (step 2) doesn't wait for the embassy.
hospital-deposit
The hospital demands a big deposit upfront
Likely cause: China runs pay-first: deposits are standard for inpatient care.
What to do: International departments accept card/Alipay deposits. With direct-billing insurance, call the insurer first — GOP can waive the deposit. Always collect itemized receipts (发票) and medical records for reimbursement.
Official apps and links
- National Immigration Administration (NIA) official
- U.S. Embassy China — emergency info (example; find your own country's) official