The Emergency Contact List Every Expat in China Should Save
TL;DR (30-second version)
Save one number in your phone before you ever need it: 110 for police, 120 for ambulance — both work anywhere in China and have English-speaking dispatchers are rare but operators transfer. Save 119 for fire. Write your passport number and home address in both scripts somewhere offline. This list takes ten minutes and is the cheapest insurance you will buy all year.
The short answer
China’s emergency numbers are simple and national: 110 police, 120 medical, 119 fire. The work is preparing everything around them — documents, addresses, contacts — before the moment you are too rattled to think.
The numbers that matter
| Number | Service | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 110 | Police | National; works from any phone, even without a SIM card |
| 120 | Medical emergency | National; ambulance dispatch |
| 119 | Fire | National; also handles rescue calls |
| 122 | Traffic accident | For vehicle incidents specifically |
Build your personal card now
- Passport and visa/residence permit: photo copies in your phone and on paper, plus a note of the numbers.
- Home and work addresses in Chinese: written once, by a local friend, saved as a note and screenshot. You will need it for forms and taxis in a crisis.
- Your embassy or consulate contact: the consular emergency line, not just the general switchboard.
- Your landlord and building manager numbers. In a real incident they are often faster than any of your friends.
- Insurance policy number and helpdesk. If you have expat health insurance, the 24-hour line belongs on this card, not in a folder.
What to do first in each drill
- Medical: call 120, say “hospital” and your location; if you can, also call your landlord or a Chinese-speaking friend to relay details.
- Police: for theft or documents, go to the nearest police station in person with your passport — it is faster than phone support.
- Lost passport: do not rebook flights first. Report to police, get the report slip, contact the embassy, in that order.
The offline copy rule
Your phone dies, gets lost, or gets confiscated — the card is paper. Print one for your wallet and one for your apartment door. The ten minutes this costs is the cheapest insurance you will buy all year.
Quick answers
Q: Do I need a Chinese SIM card to call 110? A: No. Emergency calls work on any network, including none.
Q: Will the dispatcher speak English? A: Not always. Know your address in Chinese or have a local relay — it changes the outcome.
Q: What about my embassy’s number? A: Save it in your phone AND on the paper card. Embassies publish 24-hour consular emergency lines; use those.
Heads up: this is general information to help you plan, not official emergency guidance, and numbers and procedures can change. Confirm with your embassy and local sources. See our full disclaimer.
Editorial review: EasternReset Team · Snapshot: 2026-09. Found an error? Email us.