Emergency Medical Guide for Foreigners in China: 120, Hospitals and What to Say

> Short answer: In mainland China, call 120 for an ambulance in a medical emergency. Give the patient's exact location, describe what has happened, and provide a callback number; follow the dispatcher's instructions. Language arrangements vary: Shanghai's official guidance describes access to third-party translation, with possible delays, not guaranteed immediate English communication. Do not wait for a hospital escort, insurance approval, or a reply from ChinaMedGuide before seeking emergency help. Emergency numbers · Calling 120 · Shanghai language arrangements

By ChinaMedGuide | Official sources checked: 12 October 2026

This is an emergency-access and communication guide for mainland China, not a first-aid course or individual medical advice. Source checking is not clinical review. ChinaMedGuide is an information service, not an emergency dispatcher.

Which emergency number should you call?

Use 120 for medical emergencies; general information hotlines are not a substitute.

Beijing's official portal lists these emergency numbers and identifies 12345 as a non-emergency channel. For a medical emergency, use 120 rather than assuming 911 will reach an ambulance. This guide does not cover Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan. Official hotline guide

Beijing Municipal Health Commission identifies loss of consciousness, absent or abnormal breathing, breathing difficulty, facial drooping, limb weakness and unclear speech as reasons to seek 120 assistance promptly. These are examples, not a complete checklist: do not use absence from this list to rule out an emergency. Official warning signs

How to call 120 and explain your location

A usable location and callback number help dispatchers find the patient; a hotel name alone may not be enough.

Answer the dispatcher's questions before ending the call and keep the phone available afterward. Follow their instructions rather than instructions generated by a chatbot. These steps draw on Beijing Municipal Health Commission's call guidance. Official calling instructions

If someone nearby speaks Chinese, ask them to help relay the location and answer questions. This is a practical communication option, not a requirement to find an interpreter before calling.

English-Chinese phrases to show another person

These are editorial communication aids, not a diagnostic script. Use only phrases that match the situation.

More preparation phrases: Chinese medical phrases. A phrase card cannot replace the dispatcher's questions or a clinician's assessment.

Will 120 speak English, and which hospital will the ambulance use?

Do not assume immediate English support or a guaranteed hospital destination.

Shanghai's official emergency guide says its Chinese-language 120 service can connect callers to a third-party translator, although delays may occur. It also explains that critical patients are taken to a nearby suitable hospital. These are Shanghai-specific descriptions, not nationwide guarantees. Shanghai emergency guidance

Describe the patient's condition to emergency staff and follow their transport advice. Do not spend time comparing hospital rankings or arranging a routine companion when emergency help is needed. Beijing's official guidance likewise emphasizes timely transfer without delaying care. Beijing emergency guidance

What should a foreign patient expect at the emergency department?

Tell emergency staff what is happening first; administrative arrangements depend on the facility and the patient's condition.

Use this as a communication checklist, not a universal sequence of compulsory steps:

Beijing's foreign-patient guidance advises bringing a passport and residence registration when seeking medical attention. Prepare documents in advance where possible, but do not postpone an emergency call to retrieve paperwork. Beijing foreign-patient guidance

Shanghai's emergency regulations describe condition-based treatment, referral and admission/discharge arrangements. They do not establish identical capacity at every hospital. Shanghai emergency regulations, Articles 36–37

What about payment and insurance?

Emergency treatment, payment arrangements and insurance coverage are different questions.

Shanghai's published regulations state that critically ill patients should receive timely treatment before payment. That provision is specific to critical care under Shanghai's rules: it is not a promise of free treatment or a nationwide guarantee of cashless access. Article 36

Once urgent assistance is underway, ask the hospital and insurer separately:

These are questions to confirm, not statements that a hospital accepts foreign cards or offers direct billing. No national ambulance-price estimate or reimbursement promise is provided here.

Save a bilingual location card before you need it

Keep the patient's current location separate from any planned hospital destination.

Complete this editorial template in advance with a trusted person. A blank card is not useful during an emergency; do not delay a call to fill it in.

For a separately planned hospital visit, also record:

This second card does not reserve emergency access or determine ambulance routing. Keep passport numbers, medical records and insurance details privately; do not post a completed card publicly.

Can a hospital escort or medical interpreter help?

Support people can assist with communication and practical tasks, but they must not become an extra step before emergency care.

In this guide, a *hospital escort* means a non-clinical companion, not medically staffed transport. Before engaging anyone, agree on their actual role:

For consent, medicine instructions or other consequential discussions, ask the hospital what qualified interpreting support is available. Do not treat an unreviewed AI translation as the sole basis for a medical decision. WHO highlights accuracy and privacy risks in generative AI used for health. WHO guidance

For non-emergency preparation, read our hospital escort guide. This link is not an emergency booking channel.

After emergency care: follow-up and cross-border coordination

An unexpected emergency during a visit to China is different from a planned medical trip to China.

For follow-up planning, use these questions with the treating team:

For a planned cross-border visit, a coordinator's scope should be stated separately: hospital acceptance, appointment confirmation, record transfer with consent, language arrangements and written service charges. Ask who handles changes and how follow-up with your home-country clinician will work. These are due-diligence questions, not a claim that ChinaMedGuide provides or guarantees these services.

Do not interpret hospital discharge as automatic clearance to fly. Discuss travel with the treating team and applicable carrier requirements. Clinical transport is outside the non-clinical escort role described here.

For advance research only, browse hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Directory inclusion does not confirm emergency capability at a particular campus.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners use public hospital emergency departments in China?

Foreign visitors should seek emergency assistance rather than wait to arrange a routine appointment. Beijing's foreign-patient medical guide includes emergency access through 120. Identification and communication arrangements should be discussed with the receiving hospital; this does not mean every facility can treat every condition. Official foreign-patient guide

Should I call 911 or 120 in mainland China?

Use 120 for medical emergencies. The official mainland emergency-number list uses separate numbers for medical, police and fire assistance, rather than relying on 911. Official numbers

Is English available when I call 120?

Shanghai describes third-party translation with possible delays. This guide has not verified uniform English coverage across mainland China. Ask for language help without postponing the call. Shanghai guidance

Can I choose the hospital my ambulance takes me to?

Do not assume your preference can be guaranteed. Shanghai's guide describes a nearby suitable destination for critical cases; follow the emergency team's direction. Shanghai guidance

Should I wait for a hospital escort before seeking emergency help?

No. Routine accompaniment is not emergency medical response. Seek emergency help first; arrange practical support separately when it will not delay care.

Does emergency treatment mean my insurer will pay?

No payment outcome is established by this guide. Ask your insurer about the specific hospital, treatment, policy conditions and claims process; do not wait for its reply before seeking emergency help.

Is a cross-border hospital escort the same as medical evacuation?

No. The escort role discussed here is non-clinical coordination. It does not include medical monitoring or ambulance/air-ambulance care. Ask providers to specify exactly what service and personnel they offer.

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Source notes: This guide uses the linked Beijing municipal and health-commission guidance, Shanghai municipal emergency guidance and published regulations, and WHO guidance on health AI. Local rules and service descriptions are identified as local, not generalized nationally. Source pages were checked on 12 October 2026; their original publication dates are older. The bilingual cards and question lists are ChinaMedGuide editorial aids, not official forms or guarantees of service. No patient cases, hospital partnerships or clinical-review credentials are claimed.