The medical route

  • MomentUrgent medical rescue
    Action
    Call 120
    Boundary
    No reviewed national source proves access from every foreign SIM, data-only eSIM, locked phone or phone without a physical SIM.
  • MomentThe call connects
    Action
    Give the Chinese address or landmark, main symptom, patient count and callback number
    Boundary
    Give the event and location before the travel story.
  • MomentYou prefer a hospital
    Action
    State the hospital name and why
    Boundary
    Proximity, urgency and professional capability take priority; patient preference is considered, not guaranteed.
  • MomentPolice are also needed
    Action
    Make a separate 110 call
    Boundary
    Medical rescue and police reporting are different jobs.
  • MomentThe issue is immigration
    Action
    Call 12367
    Boundary
    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.

SHOW THIS OR READ IT ALOUD

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 ruleDoctor
    Verified duty
    China’s Physician Law requires emergency measures for a patient who needs urgent treatment and says emergency care may not be refused.
    What it does not prove
    This is a treatment duty, not a promise about language, price or a particular specialist.
  • Who or ruleMedical institution
    Verified duty
    The current 2022 regulation requires immediate rescue of a critically ill patient and timely transfer when equipment or technical capability is insufficient.
    What it does not prove
    This duty appears in Article 30. It does not prove that every institution has a separate emergency department.
  • Who or ruleEmergency scope
    Verified duty
    The implementing rules exclude emergency treatment and rescue from the penalty for working outside a registered treatment subject.
    What it does not prove
    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.

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

  • FacilityInternational Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital
    24-hour emergency line
    +86-10-69155288
  • FacilityUnited Family Healthcare, Beijing
    24-hour emergency line
    +86-10-59277120
  • FacilityRaffles Hospital Beijing
    24-hour emergency line
    +86-10-87937999

Seventeen facilities listed for full-process foreign-language service

  1. International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital
  2. International Department, China-Japan Friendship Hospital
  3. International Medical Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital
  4. International Medical Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital
  5. International Medical Department, Guang'anmen Hospital
  6. Beijing United Family Hospital
  7. Sanfine International Hospital
  8. General Administration of Customs (Beijing) International Travel Health Care Center
  9. International Medical Department, Fuwai Hospital
  10. Department of International Medical Services, Peking University People's Hospital
  11. International Medical Service, Peking University Third Hospital
  12. International Medical Department, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
  13. International Medical Department, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University
  14. VIP Clinic and International Medical Service Department, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University
  15. Department of International Medical Services, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital
  16. International Medical Services, Peking University International Hospital
  17. International Medical Department, Beijing DCN Orthopedic Hospital
OFFICIAL COVERAGE INDEX · 20 DECEMBER 2023

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 →
APP BOUNDARY

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 leadShaanxi Provincial People's Hospital · 陕西省人民医院
    Published number
    (029) 8525 1331 / 8524 9600
  • Contact-ready Xi’an leadThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University · 西安交通大学第一附属医院
    Published number
    (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 these leads as a current contact directory.

  • CityShenyang
    Mission-list name
    The First Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University
    Chinese name to confirm directly
    中国医科大学附属第一医院
  • CityJinan
    Mission-list name
    Qilu Hospital of Shandong University
    Chinese name to confirm directly
    山东大学齐鲁医院
  • CityDalian
    Mission-list name
    Dalian Municipal Central Hospital
    Chinese name to confirm directly
    大连理工大学附属中心医院(大连市中心医院)
  • CityQingdao
    Mission-list name
    The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University
    Chinese name to confirm directly
    青岛大学附属医院
  • CityZhengzhou
    Mission-list name
    The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
    Chinese name to confirm directly
    郑州大学第一附属医院
  • CityChangchun
    Mission-list name
    The Bethune First Hospital of Jilin University
    Chinese name to confirm directly
    吉林大学白求恩第一医院
  • CityTaiyuan
    Mission-list name
    The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University
    Chinese name to confirm directly
    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.

CONTACT LEADS, NOT RECOMMENDATIONSDFAT compiles the lists from public information, does not endorse a facility, does not guarantee accuracy or currency and accepts no responsibility for capability, service or fees.Use an entry as a lead for a call, not a certification or quality ranking.

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 listingHubei General Hospital / Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University
    Chinese listing
    湖北省人民医院(武汉大学人民医院)
    Published contact
    +86 27 8899 9120
  • English listingTongji Hospital
    Chinese listing
    同济医院
    Published contact
    +86 27 8366 2688
  • English listingUnion Hospital
    Chinese listing
    协和医院
    Published contact
    +86 27 8572 6114
  • English listingWuhan Union Hospital International Clinic
    Chinese listing
    武汉协和医院国际门诊
    Published contact
    +86 136 2721 4467 · appointments only
  • English listingWuhan Children’s Hospital
    Chinese listing
    武汉儿童医院
    Published contact
    +86 27 8243 3350
  • English listingHubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese & Western Medicine
    Chinese listing
    湖北省中西医结合医院
    Published contact
    +86 400 881 9216 · 24 hours
  • English listingHubei No.3 People’s Hospital / Hubei Zhongshan Hospital
    Chinese listing
    湖北省第三人民医院(湖北省中山医院)
    Published contact
    +86 27 8374 5674 · emergency 8374 5741
  • English listingZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University
    Chinese listing
    武汉大学中南医院
    Published contact
    +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 entry is not contact-ready and is excluded from these contact leads. 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.

READ OR SEND THESE FOUR QUESTIONS

Call the exact facility

  1. 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?
  2. 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?
  3. 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?
  4. 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

M1
DEFAULT

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.
M2
REVERSAL

“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.
M3
FAILURE

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.
M4
EDGE

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.
M5
FAILURE

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.

Failure recovery

R1

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.
R2

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.
R3

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.
R4

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

  1. Whether every foreign SIM, roaming plan, locked phone, phone without a physical SIM or data-only eSIM can place a 120 call
  2. What 112 does on every mainland network
  3. A nationwide or facility-wide deposit amount
  4. Foreign-card acceptance at ordinary hospital counters outside the Beijing guide's international-patient context
  5. The exact insurer list at each institution
  6. Emergency-line language capability outside Beijing
  7. Official Chinese names for every institution in the foreign-mission lists
  8. A national source establishing near-universal emergency-department coverage
DO THIS NOW

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 ↗

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