Emergency numbers in China, and what to do if you lose your passport

Photo: Hyory Liu / Unsplash

You'll almost certainly never need this page. Screenshot it anyway, because screenshots work offline, and the moment you need it is usually the moment your data or battery isn't cooperating.

The numbers

All of these work from a foreign number or a roaming eSIM. Calls to 110, 119 and 120 are free.

Will they speak English?

Depends on the city. Shanghai's government says its 110 line can handle eight foreign languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, German and French, and that 119 and 120 have English service. Other large cities offer some foreign-language help too, but don't count on it. In smaller places, assume the operator speaks Chinese only.

So my rule is simple. If anyone nearby speaks Chinese, a hotel desk, a shop assistant, a metro guard, ask them to call for you and show them one of these:

If you have to call yourself, say "English" clearly and slowly first, then give the most important things: what happened, where you are, how many people. Location is where most calls get stuck. Open Amap or your hotel booking and read out the Chinese address, or show the screen to whoever arrives. Hotel cards with the address printed in Chinese are worth keeping in your wallet for exactly this reason.

If your passport goes missing

This is the emergency visitors actually hit. It's stressful but very fixable, and the order matters.

1. Search properly, then call 12367. Check the hotel safe, the taxi (DiDi trip history shows the driver), and the last places you showed it. Then ring the immigration hotline for the exact steps in your city.
2. Report the loss. Go to the local police station (派出所) or the city's exit-entry administration office, as the hotline tells you, and get the official loss report. In Shanghai, the city says this usually takes about two working days.
3. Get a new passport or emergency travel document from your embassy or consulate. Bring the loss report, your passport photocopy, and photos.
4. Update your accommodation registration with the new passport number, through your hotel or the local police station. More on that in the registration guide.
5. Sort out your stay permission. Your visa or visa-free entry was tied to the old passport. Go back to the exit-entry office with the new document so you can legally stay and leave. Shanghai sets a 30-day window from the loss report for residence formalities.
6. Rebook your flight once you know when the new paperwork will be ready. Don't buy a ticket for tomorrow.

The whole process typically takes several working days, and longer around weekends and public holidays. If you're on a short visa-free stay, start the same day you notice.

A real example from the official side: in June 2025, Shanghai's government reported that an Australian tourist who had entered visa-free lost her passport and called 12367. Officers walked her through the reissue process and referred her to the Australian consulate. That's exactly how it should go, and it's why 12367 is the first call I'd make. The Shanghai line now runs in English, Russian, Japanese and Korean as well as Chinese.

Who handles what

People lose time going to the wrong office, so here's the split as I understand it:

• Police station (派出所): theft reports, loss reports in many cities, accommodation registration if you're not in a hotel.
• Exit-entry administration (出入境管理局): anything to do with your permission to stay or leave, including visa reissue after a lost passport.
• Your embassy or consulate: the passport or emergency travel document itself, plus help if you're arrested, seriously ill, or a family member needs to be contacted.
• Your insurer's assistance line: finding a hospital, guaranteeing payment for bigger bills, arranging medical evacuation.

Consulates only exist in some cities. If you're in, say, Guilin or Lijiang, your nearest one may be a flight away, which is one more reason to make the first call by phone.

Before you fly: ten minutes that save a day

• Photograph your passport photo page and your visa or entry stamp. Keep copies on your phone and in your email.
• Write your embassy's phone number somewhere that isn't your phone.
• Save your hotel's address in Chinese as a screenshot.
• Note your insurer's 24-hour assistance number. If you don't have a policy yet, start here.
• Keep a few hundred yuan in cash separate from your phone, for the day the phone is the thing that's lost.

Quick answers

Lost phone, not passport?

Report it to 110 or the nearest police station if it was stolen, then lock it remotely. Then use Alipay's and WeChat's help centers (from another device or a friend's phone) to freeze your accounts. Hotel staff can lend you a phone to make calls.

Hurt but not sure it's an ambulance case?

A taxi to the nearest big hospital's emergency department (急诊) is often faster. Take your passport. How hospitals work here.

Should I go to the police for minor theft?

Yes, if you'll claim on insurance. Insurers almost always want a police report, and it's much easier to get on the day than a week later.

Is China dangerous for tourists?

Violent crime against visitors is rare, and cities are heavily patrolled. The common problems are boring ones: lost passports, lost phones, minor scams and health issues. Plan for those.

Sources: Shanghai government: emergency numbers; Shanghai government: lost passports; Shanghai immigration hotline. Steps vary by city; call 12367 for yours.

If something here has changed, email me. I re-check every guide and update the date at the top.

Written by David, who lives in China. About me

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