How to call emergency services in China as a foreign visitor
A calm, location-first guide to choosing 110, 119, 120, or 122, giving a usable handoff, and moving to city or provider help only after the immediate emergency is addressed.
For an immediate emergency in China, call the service that matches the danger: 110 for police and personal assault or property crime, 119 for fire, 120 for first aid, and 122 for a traffic accident. Beijing's official visitor guidance identifies these as nationwide emergency calls, while the State Council's current visitor guide separately directs foreign visitors to 110 for assault or property crime, 119 for fire, and 120 for first aid. State the exact location and the immediate problem, then follow the dispatcher or on-scene responder's instructions. Do not assume a particular language, response time, hospital, police outcome, insurance result, or onward transport arrangement; use non-emergency or provider routes only when the immediate danger is under control.
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Emergency numbers in China
Call only for a real emergency. Say the exact location first; ask nearby staff to help communicate when safe.
Choose the number by the immediate danger
Do not start with an app dispute, a hotel desk, a consulate, a city-service enquiry, or a transport provider when a person needs immediate public emergency help. Beijing's official guide lists 110 for police, including theft, robbery, or fighting; 119 for fire; 120 for first aid; and 122 for traffic accidents. The State Council's 2025 guide likewise directs foreign visitors to 110 for personal assault or property crime, 119 for fire, and 120 for first aid. More than one service can be relevant in a complex incident, but call the service needed for the facts in front of you and follow the live instruction rather than guessing who will coordinate every later step.
- Call 110 for an immediate police emergency such as assault, robbery, theft, or a personal-safety threat; move toward a safer visible place only when that does not increase risk.
- Call 119 for a fire or fire-related immediate danger; state the location and what is happening, then follow the fire service's instructions rather than returning for luggage or documents.
- Call 120 when someone needs first aid or urgent medical transport; give the location and the symptoms or known condition without delaying urgent care to arrange payment, insurance, or translation.
- Call 122 to report the traffic accident itself. Add 120, 119, or 110 only if injury, fire, or an immediate police emergency also requires that separate response.
Give a short, usable location-first handoff
The published emergency guidance asks callers to describe what happened and report the exact place. Begin with the city, district, road, station, hotel, terminal, venue, or landmark, then say which immediate danger is present and how many people need help. If speaking Chinese is difficult, show the exact Chinese address, map pin, booking address, station name, or a short written note to nearby staff or a trusted companion. Keep the phone reachable and answer only what the dispatcher needs; do not invent details or rely on a translated address without checking that it matches the live place.
- Use a precise landmark and direction where available: a metro exit, airport terminal, hotel reception, shop, road junction, or platform is more useful than a broad neighbourhood name.
- Say whether there is injury, fire, an active threat, a traffic collision, or a trapped person. Do not claim a diagnosis, fault, crime, or cause that you do not know.
- Keep a charged phone, your exact Chinese accommodation and destination details, and an offline map or address card available before a trip. These are preparation aids, not substitutes for an emergency call.
Keep emergency response separate from the next service
An emergency call opens the immediate response; it does not automatically resolve medical billing, hospital choice, police report, traffic liability, passport replacement, insurer communication, consular contact, vehicle recovery, or a missed transport connection. Once responders say it is safe to do so, contact the responsible provider through its verified channel and keep official records or references. For example, a hospital, traffic police, airline, rental provider, insurer, embassy, or local exit-entry authority may each own a different follow-up question.
- For urgent medical care, let the emergency and hospital teams direct the first step. Language support, payment, insurance, and a preferred hospital are separate, conditional questions that should not delay first aid.
- After a traffic accident, preserve the official report, safe factual records, and the provider's verified support route; do not assume a ride-hailing platform, driver, insurer, or rental company replaces 122, 120, 119, or 110 when one is needed.
- After a passport theft or loss, address immediate safety first. Then follow the local police-report process, your own consular channel, and the responsible Chinese exit-entry process for the actual case.
Use 12345 and other support channels only after the emergency is clear
The State Council's June 2025 guidance says matters needing 110, 119, 120, or 122 should be transferred to the corresponding emergency channels, while 12345 handles matters within its non-emergency government-service scope. Beijing's official 12345 page also calls itself non-emergency and directs emergencies to those four numbers. Treat 12345 as a local, non-emergency city-service route where it is published, not as a universal substitute for dispatch or a guarantee of language, response time, transfer, or outcome in every city.
- Use a provider's verified emergency or support route after contacting the appropriate public service when the issue concerns an airline, train, hotel, ride, rental, wallet, or insurer.
- Use your own embassy or consulate's official contact route for country-specific consular assistance, but do not wait for a consular response before seeking immediate police, fire, medical, or traffic help.
- Do not make nuisance or non-emergency calls to emergency numbers. Beijing's official guide warns that calls not requiring emergency assistance are prohibited.
Before you rely on this answer
China travel rules and app behavior can change by city, route, account, passport, airline, and local inspection practice. Treat this page as a traveler-friendly starting point, then verify official or provider details before booking or packing anything important.
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Frequently asked questions
What emergency number should a foreign visitor call in China?
Call the number that matches the immediate danger: 110 for police and personal assault or property crime, 119 for fire, 120 for first aid, and 122 for a traffic accident. Give the exact location and what is happening, then follow the dispatcher's live instructions. Do not assume one call settles medical, police, traffic, insurance, or transport follow-up questions.
What should I say on an emergency call in China?
Start with the exact location, then state the immediate danger and how many people need help. Beijing's official guidance asks callers to describe what happened and report the exact place. If speaking Chinese is difficult, show the exact Chinese address, map pin, station, hotel, terminal, or landmark to nearby staff or a trusted companion and keep the caller reachable.
Can I call 12345 instead of 110, 119, 120, or 122?
Not for an immediate emergency. State Council guidance says matters that need 110, 119, 120, or 122 should be handled through the corresponding emergency channels, and Beijing's 12345 service identifies itself as non-emergency. Use the relevant emergency number first; local non-emergency services can differ by city.
Will emergency services in China provide English or arrange everything after the call?
Do not assume so. Use simple location-first facts and get help from nearby staff or a trusted companion if needed. Language availability, response time, hospital destination, police outcome, insurance, transport, and other follow-up depend on the live location and responsible service; address those separate questions only after immediate safety is under control.