The medical route
| Moment | Action | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent medical rescue | Call 120 | No reviewed national source proves access from every foreign SIM, data-only eSIM, locked phone or phone without a physical SIM. |
| The call connects | Give the Chinese address or landmark, main symptom, patient count and callback number | Give the event and location before the travel story. |
| You prefer a hospital | State the hospital name and why | Proximity, urgency and professional capability take priority; patient preference is considered, not guaranteed. |
| Police are also needed | Make a separate 110 call | Medical rescue and police reporting are different jobs. |
| The issue is immigration | Call 12367 | It is a national immigration-service line, not medical dispatch. |
If the phone route fails: move to a local voice-capable phone, or ask nearby hotel, station, venue or security staff to help make the call. Do not place a false emergency call to test access.
Use the complete 110/119/120/122 selector when the event needs police, fire or road-traffic response instead.
120 medical rescue card
我需要紧急医疗救助。请帮我拨打120。地点是：[中文地址]。主要症状是：[症状]。有：[人数]人。回拨电话是：[号码]。I need urgent medical help. Please call 120. The location is [Chinese address]. The main symptom is [symptom]. There are [number] patients. The callback number is [number].
Fill the brackets, save a screenshot and keep a paper copy.Emergency treatment duties are national; emergency-department coverage is not
| Who or rule | Verified duty | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | China’s Physician Law requires emergency measures for a patient who needs urgent treatment and says emergency care may not be refused. | This is a treatment duty, not a promise about language, price or a particular specialist. |
| Medical institution | The current 2022 regulation requires immediate rescue of a critically ill patient and timely transfer when equipment or technical capability is insufficient. | This duty appears in Article 30. It does not prove that every institution has a separate emergency department. |
| Emergency scope | The implementing rules exclude emergency treatment and rescue from the penalty for working outside a registered treatment subject. | This supports rescue first; it does not prove nationwide emergency-department coverage. |
Do not turn duty into a facility promise. The national rules support emergency measures, immediate rescue and timely transfer. They do not establish that every medical institution has an emergency department. The Beijing government’s separate statement that almost all hospitals have emergency departments remains Beijing-only.
The 2024 schedule is not a current-hours promise
A 2024 official Beijing Chaoyang visitor guide published free telephone interpretation on 12345, 110, 119 and 120 in eight languages: English 24/7 and French, German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Japanese and Korean for eight hours each day. A March 2026 official report records more than 2,000 three-way interpretation sessions for 110, 120, 119 and 12345 during 2025; it does not publish current hours or promise real-time availability.
A 2020 Beijing tourism page says 110 supports more than 40 languages, while Beijing Police later described eight as the normal service and 21 as a temporary Winter Olympics expansion. This page therefore treats eight languages and the 2024 hours as dated published scope, not a current availability promise.
Beijing's published international medical routes
Three published 24-hour emergency lines
| Facility | 24-hour emergency line |
|---|---|
| International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital | +86-10-69155288 |
| United Family Healthcare, Beijing | +86-10-59277120 |
| Raffles Hospital Beijing | +86-10-87937999 |
Seventeen facilities listed for full-process foreign-language service
- International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital
- International Department, China-Japan Friendship Hospital
- International Medical Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital
- International Medical Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital
- International Medical Department, Guang'anmen Hospital
- Beijing United Family Hospital
- Sanfine International Hospital
- General Administration of Customs (Beijing) International Travel Health Care Center
- International Medical Department, Fuwai Hospital
- Department of International Medical Services, Peking University People's Hospital
- International Medical Service, Peking University Third Hospital
- International Medical Department, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
- International Medical Department, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University
- VIP Clinic and International Medical Service Department, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University
- Department of International Medical Services, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital
- International Medical Services, Peking University International Hospital
- International Medical Department, Beijing DCN Orthopedic Hospital
What the 125-entry appendix can and cannot do
Beijing’s official appendix lists exactly 125 medical institutions with the Chinese name, English name and published service languages across all 16 districts plus the Economic-Technological Development Area. This page has not converted all 125 rows into a current contact directory.
- Peking University Third Hospital Yanqing Hospital — English
- Beijing Huairou Hospital — English
- Beijing Pinggu District Hospital — English
- Miyun Hospital, Peking University First Hospital — English
Use the appendix only as a coverage index. Its “full-process foreign-language service” label does not prove 24-hour emergency language staffing, foreign-card acceptance or current availability. For a contact-ready choice, use one of the three published lines above or confirm the exact appendix row yourself.
Open the official 125-entry index →English booking still depends on WeChat or Alipay
The Beijing 114 platform carries “International Service Beijing” (京通). Its English route is inside a WeChat or Alipay mini program: open it and tap En. This guide has not verified first-time foreign-card setup in those apps. Keep the phone route and accommodation staff as fallbacks.
A coverage index, with published phone leads only where shown
The Australian Embassy's Beijing-area source contains sections for 20 cities. This city line shows source coverage; it is not a promise that this page has verified a contact route for every city:
Beijing · Tianjin · Shijiazhuang · Taiyuan · Hohhot · Shenyang · Dalian · Changchun · Harbin · Jinan · Qingdao · Zhengzhou · Lanzhou · Dunhuang · Yinchuan · Xining · Xi'an
| Contact-ready Xi'an lead | Published number |
|---|---|
| Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital · 陕西省人民医院 | (029) 8525 1331 / 8524 9600 |
| The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University · 西安交通大学第一附属医院 | (029) 8532 3112 |
Hospital names to confirm before calling
These seven institution names can help you identify a facility. Their phone routes have not been rechecked here; do not treat the table as a current contact directory.
| City | Mission-list name | Chinese name to confirm directly |
|---|---|---|
| Shenyang | The First Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University | 中国医科大学附属第一医院 |
| Jinan | Qilu Hospital of Shandong University | 山东大学齐鲁医院 |
| Dalian | Dalian Municipal Central Hospital | 大连理工大学附属中心医院（大连市中心医院） |
| Qingdao | The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University | 青岛大学附属医院 |
| Zhengzhou | The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University | 郑州大学第一附属医院 |
| Changchun | The Bethune First Hospital of Jilin University | 吉林大学白求恩第一医院 |
| Taiyuan | The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University | 山西医科大学第一医院 |
The Dalian institution now uses “Dalian University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital” before its older municipal name. Save both names. Other non-Beijing names remain unverified and are not guessed from domains or third-party directories.
Australian consular coverage: Australia has no consulate in Shenyang. Liaoning, including Shenyang and Dalian, and Shaanxi, including Xi'an, are in the Beijing mission's area. Separate Australian lists cover Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu; Hong Kong handles Hong Kong and Macao.
Eight published bilingual Hubei leads
The Australian Consulate-General Shanghai list publishes these English and Chinese names and contact numbers. It also says to call 120 in a medical emergency. The same DFAT non-endorsement boundary applies; confirm the exact facility directly before relying on a lead.
| English listing | Chinese listing | Published contact |
|---|---|---|
| Hubei General Hospital / Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University | 湖北省人民医院（武汉大学人民医院） | +86 27 8899 9120 |
| Tongji Hospital | 同济医院 | +86 27 8366 2688 |
| Union Hospital | 协和医院 | +86 27 8572 6114 |
| Wuhan Union Hospital International Clinic | 武汉协和医院国际门诊 | +86 136 2721 4467 · appointments only |
| Wuhan Children’s Hospital | 武汉儿童医院 | +86 27 8243 3350 |
| Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese & Western Medicine | 湖北省中西医结合医院 | +86 400 881 9216 · 24 hours |
| Hubei No.3 People’s Hospital / Hubei Zhongshan Hospital | 湖北省第三人民医院（湖北省中山医院） | +86 27 8374 5674 · emergency 8374 5741 |
| Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University | 武汉大学中南医院 | +86 27 6781 2888 / 2999 |
Excluded mismatch: the source pairs “Hubei Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital” with 武汉市江岸区妇幼保健所, but those names identify different institutions. That row is not contact-ready and is excluded from the table. Confirm a current institution directly; this page does not guess a replacement.
The four-answer payment call
Use these questions before travel, for non-emergency care, or while emergency care is already underway. If symptoms are urgent or worsening, tell medical staff immediately; outside a facility, call 120 or ask someone nearby to call. Do not delay seeking urgent care while waiting for insurance approval or payment confirmation. A companion can handle billing; this is not a promise of free treatment.
In its international-patient context, Beijing's municipal guide lists RMB cash; Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club and JCB credit cards; UnionPay debit; WeChat Pay; and Alipay. It says international patients use the same charge standard as Chinese residents.
Direct billing applies only when the exact insurer and institution have an arrangement. MSH China, Ping An, AIA, Cigna & CMB and Allianz Partners are named as common cooperating insurers, but the guide tells patients to check each institution's signed list. A brand name does not confirm your policy.
The guide gives no deposit amount. It also does not prove that every ordinary emergency counter outside this Beijing international-patient context accepts every method above.
Call the exact facility
- Do you require payment or a deposit before treatment, and at what point?请问治疗前需要付款或交押金吗？在什么环节交？
- Do you direct-bill my exact insurer and policy, or must I pay and claim back?请问医院能和我的保险公司及这份保单直接结算吗？还是需要我先付款再报销？
- Which payment methods and foreign cards do you accept at the exact counter I would use?请问这个窗口接受哪些付款方式和境外银行卡？
- Which English-language number confirms this before travel, and which number handles an after-hours emergency?请问出发前可以拨打哪个英文电话确认？非工作时间的急诊电话是什么？
Write down all four answers before you need care. Reconfirm changed arrangements with the facility; seeking urgent care must not wait for these answers.
Six worked cases
Urgent illness in Beijing
- Conditions
- The traveller calls 120, gives the Chinese hotel address and asks for English.
- Result
- A 2024 official Beijing Chaoyang visitor guide published 24/7 English interpretation. A March 2026 official report records more than 2,000 three-way interpretation sessions during 2025; it does not publish current hours or promise real-time availability, so use written Chinese and nearby staff as fallbacks.
“Take me to this international hospital”
- Conditions
- The traveller asks 120 for a named receiving hospital.
- Result
- The preference may be considered, but location, urgency and specialist capability come first. The expectation is preference, not choice.
An insurer logo is treated as direct billing
- Conditions
- The traveller expects no upfront payment because the insurer appears in a general list.
- Result
- The exact policy and institution have no arrangement. The fix is the four-answer call to the exact facility, not a brand assumption.
Illness in Xi'an
- Conditions
- The traveller needs medical help in Xi’an.
- Result
- For urgent medical rescue call 120. For a non-emergency facility call, use one of the two published Xi’an leads above and confirm the current department, language and payment route directly.
The English booking mini program will not open
- Conditions
- WeChat or Alipay is not usable on the traveller's phone.
- Result
- Use the facility phone route, ask nearby staff for help, or call 120 if the problem becomes urgent. The mini program is not the only fallback.
The injury also needs a police report
- Conditions
- Medical rescue and incident reporting are both required.
- Result
- Make separate 120 and 110 calls. Use the bilingual emergency call card for the police report; if the passport was also taken, follow the lost-passport recovery route.
Failure recovery
No known hospital
- Trigger
- Someone needs treatment now.
- First action
- Call 120 and give the location and main symptom.
- Alternative
- In Beijing, call one of the three published 24-hour international lines if a direct facility call is appropriate.
- Escalation
- Insurer assistance, then consular assistance and liaison; no promise that a mission will pay.
Language breaks down
- Trigger
- Nobody at the facility understands the traveller.
- First action
- Ask for the international department and show written Chinese symptoms, medicines and allergies.
- Alternative
- In Beijing, use a published international phone or booking route.
- Escalation
- Ask nearby staff or accommodation for help; use consular assistance for liaison.
Unexpected payment
- Trigger
- A payment or deposit request arrives before or during treatment.
- First action
- For an emergency or worsening symptoms, alert medical staff immediately; outside a facility, call 120 or ask someone nearby to call. Do not wait for insurer approval before seeking urgent care.
- Alternative
- For non-emergency care, or while urgent care is already underway, ask the hospital to contact the insurer about your exact policy. A companion can handle billing. Use a method confirmed by the counter and keep receipts and clinical documents.
- Escalation
- Insurer assistance, then consular contacts and communication. Do not assume an embassy will pay.
No published facility lead
- Trigger
- The location is absent from every list on the page.
- First action
- Call 120 for urgent medical rescue.
- Alternative
- Ask accommodation, station, venue or security staff if they can help place a local call; this is a request, not a sourced duty or routine.
- Escalation
- Ask the relevant embassy or consulate for a local referral.
What remains unverified
- Whether every foreign SIM, roaming plan, locked phone, phone without a physical SIM or data-only eSIM can place a 120 call
- What 112 does on every mainland network
- A nationwide or facility-wide deposit amount
- Foreign-card acceptance at ordinary hospital counters outside the Beijing guide's international-patient context
- The exact insurer list at each institution
- Emergency-line language capability outside Beijing
- Official Chinese names for every institution in the foreign-mission lists
- A national source establishing near-universal emergency-department coverage
Make the route usable offline
- Fill and save the bilingual 120 card on this page.
- Save the accommodation's Chinese address and callback number.
- Choose one published lead and confirm its current department, number, language and arrival route directly.
- Use the bilingual four-question script with the exact facility.
- Record the insurer assistance number and exact direct-billing status.
Sources and verification boundary
Key guidance checked on . Recheck the linked authorities before relying on this page. The national Physician Law and the current 2022 Medical Institutions Regulation support emergency measures, immediate rescue and timely transfer; they do not prove universal emergency-department coverage. The 120 destination principle is national. Language, international-facility and payment details are Beijing-only. Beijing's 125-institution appendix is a language directory, not proof of 24-hour staffing, foreign-card acceptance or current availability. Foreign-mission lists are contact leads carrying a non-endorsement disclaimer. No universal deposit, foreign-SIM, 112 or hospital-quality claim is made.
Measures for the Administration of Pre-hospital Medical Emergency Care — Article 23National Health Commission ↗Physician Law — emergency measures and no refusal of emergency careNational People's Congress ↗Regulation on Administration of Medical Institutions (current 2022 text) — Article 30Ministry of Justice ↗Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Regulation on Administration of Medical InstitutionsNational Health Commission / former Ministry of Health ↗Eight-language interpretation on 12345, 110, 119 and 120Beijing Foreign Affairs Office ↗2024 official Beijing Chaoyang visitor guide — published interpretation scheduleBeijing Foreign Affairs Office ↗March 2026 report — 2025 municipal interpretation service volumeBeijing Foreign Affairs Office ↗Eight normal service languages and Winter Olympics expansionBeijing Municipal Public Security Bureau ↗Medical Guide for Foreigners in BeijingBeijing Municipal Government ↗Bilingual medical institutions appendix — 125 institutionsBeijing Municipal Government ↗Protecting Your Rights — 2020 language-conflict sourceBeijing Municipal Government ↗Role and areas of responsibilityAustralian Embassy in China ↗Beijing-area hospital listAustralian Embassy in China ↗Shanghai-area medical facilitiesAustralian Consulate-General Shanghai ↗Maternal and child health facility directory — Hubei identity cross-checkNational Health Commission ↗Chengdu-area hospital listAustralian Consulate-General Chengdu ↗Guangzhou-area hospital list PDF — filename dated 2020Australian Consulate-General Guangzhou ↗