12. What If You Get Sick in China? A Foreigner’s Emergency Plan - Coolix

If You Need Help Fast

Call 120 and move help toward you

Call 120

For urgent medical assistance in mainland China, call 120 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Give the Chinese Location

Provide the city, district, road, building, floor or room, entrance, and a nearby landmark or map pin.

Condition and Callback

Briefly describe the main symptom or injury, when it began, and a phone number that can receive a callback.

Guide and Prepare

Send someone to the entrance if possible, clear the route, and prepare identity and medication information without delaying care.

Call 120

For urgent medical assistance in mainland China, call 120 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Condition and Callback

Briefly describe the main symptom or injury, when it began, and a phone number that can receive a callback.

Guide and Prepare

Send someone to the entrance if possible, clear the route, and prepare identity and medication information without delaying care.

China Medical Emergency Guide

What If You Get Sick in China? A Foreigner’s Emergency Plan

Know when to call 120, what information moves help toward you, how China’s hospital process may work, and what to prepare for language, payment, insurance, medicines, and claims.

See the Payment Checklist

Take the 2-Minute Readiness Check

If You Need Help Fast

Call 120 and move help toward you

Call 120

For urgent medical assistance in mainland China, call 120 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Give the Chinese Location

Provide the city, district, road, building, floor or room, entrance, and a nearby landmark or map pin.

Condition and Callback

Briefly describe the main symptom or injury, when it began, and a phone number that can receive a callback.

Guide and Prepare

Send someone to the entrance if possible, clear the route, and prepare identity and medication information without delaying care.

Call 120

For urgent medical assistance in mainland China, call 120 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Condition and Callback

Briefly describe the main symptom or injury, when it began, and a phone number that can receive a callback.

Guide and Prepare

Send someone to the entrance if possible, clear the route, and prepare identity and medication information without delaying care.

China Medical Emergency Guide

What If You Get Sick in China? A Foreigner’s Emergency Plan

Know when to call 120, what information moves help toward you, how China’s hospital process may work, and what to prepare for language, payment, insurance, medicines, and claims.

See the Payment Checklist

Take the 2-Minute Readiness Check

QUICK ANSWER

For urgent medical assistance in mainland China, call 120

If you believe the situation may be a medical emergency, call 120 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Do not delay the call while checking payment, insurance authorization, translation, transport, or hospital prices.

For non-emergency illness or follow-up care, contact the exact hospital, clinic, or insurer assistance line and verify the department, opening time, appointment route, language support, payment, and insurance arrangement. Emergency response, hospital capability, and English-language support differ by location and time. Do not assume that a 120 dispatcher, ambulance team, department, or hospital can communicate in English. Keep the Chinese address, emergency phrase, passport details, medication list, insurer contact, and a realistic payment backup available. This article helps with actions and preparation; it cannot diagnose a condition or determine its severity.

The practical chain is urgency → 120 or safe transport → suitable care path → passport and medical record → payment and insurance → claim documents and follow-up.

EMERGENCY

Call 120 for urgent medical assistance and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

COMMUNICATION

Keep the Chinese address, map pin, callback number, allergies, conditions, and generic medication names ready.

PAYMENT

Do not assume that a hospital accepts an international card or that travel insurance provides automatic direct billing.

Choose the response path without trying to self-diagnose

The first decision is the action route, not a diagnosis. If immediate medical help may be needed, call 120 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Situation

POSSIBLE MEDICAL EMERGENCY

First action

Call 120 and provide the exact location, main symptom or injury, callback number, and access instructions. Official mainland emergency numbers: https://en.nhc.gov.cn/2019-03/05/c_74520.htm

Boundary

Do not delay the call while checking insurance, payment, translation, transport, or hospital prices. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Situation

PROMPT CARE WITHOUT AN APPARENT IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY

First action

Contact a suitable hospital or clinic and confirm whether to use its emergency department, urgent service, or another department. Use safe transport only when appropriate for the situation.

Boundary

Hospital capability, hours, appointments, language support, and payment differ. If the condition worsens or you are uncertain, follow local emergency guidance rather than relying on this article.

Situation

NON-URGENT ILLNESS OR FOLLOW-UP

First action

Contact the insurer assistance line or exact outpatient provider to confirm the department, appointment route, language, cost, and documents.

Boundary

Do not assume that an international clinic is open, appropriate for the condition, covered by insurance, or able to provide every test or medicine.

Give 120 the information that moves help toward you

Do not assume that the dispatcher can communicate in English. Keep the Chinese address and call phrase ready, and ask nearby staff or a Chinese speaker to help if available.

STEP 1

Call 120

Say: “请帮我拨打120。我的地址是___。” This means: “Please help me call 120. My address is ___.”

Call first when urgent medical assistance may be needed; do not wait for insurance approval.

STEP 2

Give the exact location

Provide the city, district, road, building, entrance, floor or room, nearby landmark, and map pin.

A hotel’s Chinese name and address are often more useful than an English listing name.

STEP 3

Describe the condition briefly

State the main symptom or injury and when it began, then answer the dispatcher’s questions.

Give observable information without trying to provide a complete diagnosis.

STEP 4

Give a callback number

Provide a phone number that will stay available and listen for further instructions or calls.

Keep the line accessible and update 120 if the location or situation changes.

STEP 5

Guide the ambulance

If possible, send someone to the building entrance or nearest accessible point and clear hallways, gates, or paths.

Tell staff about locked gates, difficult entrances, lifts, building numbers, or access restrictions.

STEP 6

Prepare without delaying care

Gather the patient’s identification, medication list, allergies, phone, charger, payment backup, and essential belongings only when this does not delay help.

Shanghai’s official calling steps support the address, condition, callback, guidance, preparation, and access sequence: https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-EmergencyNumbers/20241210/cbc5280b9f96440a93234bfc5e0c1023.html

Match the care route to the situation and the exact facility

A hospital category does not guarantee that the needed department, emergency service, English-speaking staff, payment terminal, or insurer arrangement is available at every hour.

Care route

What it may provide

What to confirm

120 AND HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Pre-hospital emergency assistance and transfer to an appropriate hospital route. In urgent situations, follow the dispatcher and medical team rather than delaying for a preferred facility.

Confirm the destination when possible, but do not assume that the ambulance must take the patient to a chosen private or international hospital.

PUBLIC HOSPITAL GENERAL SERVICE

Emergency or outpatient care through the hospital’s standard registration, department, queue, testing, payment, and pharmacy process.

Confirm the exact campus, department, appointment or walk-in route, operating time, identity requirement, and language assistance.

PUBLIC HOSPITAL INTERNATIONAL OR SPECIAL SERVICE

A separate service may offer foreign-language assistance, a different registration route, or additional support at higher fees.

Confirm hours, department coverage, emergency capability, price level, and whether the insurer covers the service. Do not assume availability outside Beijing or at all times.

PRIVATE OR INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL OR CLINIC

It may offer easier communication, appointment support, or insurer coordination in some cities.

Confirm that the exact facility has the required department and current emergency capability. “International” does not guarantee 24-hour emergency care, universal English support, direct billing, or insurer coverage. Beijing’s local guide: https://english.beijing.gov.cn/quickguideservices/medicalguide/index.html

China medical emergency and hospital readiness checklist

Prepare this before departure and save the essential information offline for every traveler.

Save the emergency route

✓120 saved for urgent medical assistance in mainland China

✓110 saved for police and 119 saved for fire emergencies

✓Chinese hotel or accommodation name, full address, entrance, and map pin saved offline

✓One suitable hospital near the first hotel researched without treating it as a guaranteed emergency destination

✓Chinese call phrase and translation route available offline

Prepare identity and medical information

✓Original passport accessible when practical, with a secure copy stored separately

✓Traveler’s full name, date of birth, nationality, emergency contact, and insurer details recorded

✓Allergies, chronic conditions, prior relevant medical information, and blood type if known recorded

✓Every medicine listed by generic name, brand, strength, dose, and schedule

✓Prescription and clinician letter carried where appropriate

Confirm insurance and payment

✓Travel medical and evacuation coverage checked before departure

✓Insurer’s 24-hour assistance number and policy number saved offline

✓Pre-authorization, direct-billing, reimbursement, deductible, and exclusion rules checked

✓More than one realistic payment route prepared, including accessible emergency funds

✓No assumption made that an international card, mobile wallet, or insurer arrangement works at every hospital

Preserve the hospital and claim record

✓Registration documents, invoices, itemized bills, payment receipts, test results, prescriptions, pharmacy receipts, medical reports, and discharge summary requested and saved

✓Hospital, doctor, department, visit date, diagnosis or treatment wording, and follow-up instructions recorded

✓Original paper records photographed before handing them to an insurer or another organization

✓Insurer case number, authorization, communications, and deadlines saved

✓Translation needs identified for medical reports or claim documents

Medical emergency questions for foreign visitors

Use these answers for preparation and navigation, not diagnosis. Emergency response, hospital procedures, language support, payment, insurance, and medicine rules can change by location and institution.

What number should I call, and when should I use 120?

In mainland China, 120 is the first-aid ambulance number. If you believe urgent medical assistance may be needed, call 120 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Do not delay while checking payment, insurance, translation, or prices. Police is 110 and fire is 119.

Can foreign tourists use public hospitals in China?

Foreign visitors can seek care through public hospitals, but the exact campus, department, appointment route, language assistance, identity process, payment, and insurance handling differ. Confirm the institution for non-emergency care; in an emergency, follow local emergency and medical instructions.

Do I need my original passport at the hospital?

Hospitals commonly use a passport to identify and register an international patient, and an insurer may also require it. Bring the original when practical and keep a secure copy separately, but do not delay an emergency call while searching for documents. Ask the exact institution what it requires.

Will Chinese hospitals accept international cards?

Do not assume so. Beijing’s local guide lists several international cards and digital payment methods, but this is not a nationwide guarantee. Confirm the exact hospital or department and keep another realistic payment route. Medical care or admission may require payment or a deposit.

Will travel insurance pay the hospital directly?

Only sometimes. Direct billing normally depends on an active policy, covered treatment, authorization, and an existing arrangement between the insurer or assistance company and the exact medical institution. Insurance documents do not guarantee deposit-free care, so confirm the process and keep accessible backup funds.

What records should I keep for an insurance claim?

Keep the insurer case number, authorization, hospital registration record, medical report, test results, prescription, itemized bill, payment and pharmacy receipts, discharge summary, and follow-up instructions. Ask the insurer which originals, translations, forms, and submission deadlines apply.

Can I bring or refill prescription medication in China?

Do not assume that a medicine may be imported, that a fixed quantity is automatically permitted, that an overseas prescription can be refilled directly, or that the same product is available in China. Rules depend on the exact medicine, especially controlled or restricted medication. Check current Chinese customs or embassy guidance before travel, keep medicines in original packaging, and carry prescriptions, generic names, and a clinician letter where appropriate. Chinese customs guide: https://english.www.gov.cn/services/visitchina/202008/04/content_WS5f2905dec6d029c1c26372f0.html

Move through the hospital without losing the payment or claim record

The exact order varies, but registration, department selection, separate payments, tests, pharmacy collection, admission, and discharge records can involve different desks or digital steps.

STEP 1

Identity and registration

Show the requested identity and contact information, confirm the patient’s name is recorded correctly, and keep the registration record. Phrase: “这是我的护照。” means “This is my passport.”

Emergency care comes first, but the hospital and insurer may still need identity verification and complete records.

STEP 2

Department and queue

Confirm the correct emergency or outpatient department, campus, registration route, and queue. Phrase: “最近的医院急诊科在哪里？” means “Where is the nearest hospital emergency department?”

Do not assume that every department, international service, or English-speaking staff member is available at all times.

STEP 3

Consultation, tests, and payments

Explain when the problem began and show the prepared medical information. Phrase: “我的症状从___开始。” means “My symptoms started ___.” Pay only through the hospital’s official process and keep every receipt.

Registration, consultation, tests, treatment, and medicines may be charged separately or require repeated payment steps.

STEP 4

Pharmacy and medication

Confirm the medicine’s generic name, dose, schedule, duration, warnings, and follow-up plan. Phrases: “我对___过敏。” means “I am allergic to ___.” “我正在服用这些药。” means “I am taking these medicines.”

Do not substitute or stop a medicine solely because the brand name differs. Seek instructions from an appropriate clinician or pharmacist.

WANT THE STEP-BY-STEP VERSION?

Turn the rest of your China arrival plan into actions

The China Arrival Handbook helps you prepare payment, internet, essential apps, maps, transport, bookings, and offline backup before departure.

Check My Gap First

See the Payment Checklist

Payment setup steps

Alipay / WeChat Pay preparation checks
First-day transport backup
Hotel address card
Emergency offline cards

Payment setup steps

Alipay / WeChat Pay preparation checks
First-day transport backup
Hotel address card
Emergency offline cards

Inside the Kit:

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11. Do All Hotels in China Accept Foreigners?

13. What to Do If You Lose Your Passport in China

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