A medical emergency is the worst moment to learn how a new city works. This guide collects the practical steps — who to call, where to go, what to bring, and how payment works — so you can prepare them once, while nothing is urgent. It is general orientation, not medical or legal advice. In a real emergency, call for help first and sort out paperwork later.
Call for help first
For a medical emergency, call 120. Beijing’s official Medical Guide for Foreigners in Beijing states that there are 120 emergency medical centres across the Chinese mainland, and that in Beijing you may dial (+8610) 120 to request pre-hospital emergency medical services. Give your location in Chinese if you can — a saved address card in your phone helps more than a spoken description when you are stressed.
The other emergency numbers are worth saving alongside 120: 110 for police, 119 for fire and rescue, and 122 for traffic accidents. All of them are collected on the Beijing official links and hotlines page. Beijing’s 12345 citizen hotline is for city services and non-emergency problems, not for an ambulance: do not spend emergency minutes on it.
If someone near you can help, ask them to call while you stay with the patient.
Which hospital to go to
The official medical guide notes that almost all hospitals are equipped with emergency departments. That is the rule to follow under pressure: go to the nearest capable hospital rather than travelling across the city to a preferred one.
For planning, the guide lists international medical institutions in Beijing with emergency services and their 24-hour emergency numbers:
- International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital: +86-10-69155288
- United Family Healthcare, Beijing: +86-10-59277120
- Raffles Hospital Beijing: +86-10-87937999
Save the one nearest your home and workplace, but recheck the official guide before you rely on a number: departments and capacity change. If the nearest hospital is a local public hospital, go there anyway — language help can be found after arrival, but lost time cannot be recovered.
If it is not an emergency
Not every medical problem needs an ambulance, and the booking route is different. The official guide describes outpatient appointments through the Beijing 114 Appointment and Registration Service Platform: open the “International Service Beijing” (京通) healthcare service in the WeChat or Alipay mini program, switch to the English version, and book according to your needs.
For everyday care, decide in advance whether you will use a public hospital, a designated medical insurance institution, or an international-facing clinic, and confirm that your insurance recognises it — the healthcare and insurance guide covers that choice. Beijing’s official designated medical insurance institution query lets you find designated institutions and pharmacies near your home and workplace before you need them.
What to take, and what to say
Keep an emergency kit, physical and digital, that anyone can use on your behalf:
- Passport or residence permit, and your insurance card or policy number.
- A payment method that works in China — see below.
- A short note in Chinese covering your conditions, regular medications, allergies, and blood type if you know it, plus an emergency contact and their phone number.
- A phone charger, and a translation tool you have already tested.
At the hospital, state the main symptom first, then the history: what happened, when it started, what medication you already take, and what you are allergic to. Show the Chinese note rather than relying on spoken Chinese, and ask for an interpreter or bilingual staff member rather than guessing at medical instructions.
Paying, and how insurance fits in
The official medical guide lists the payment methods available to international patients: RMB cash, credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Global Network, Diners Club, and JCB), UnionPay debit cards, and WeChat Pay or Alipay. It also states that the charge standard for international patients is the same as for Chinese residents. This guide states no prices: what a visit costs depends on the treatment.
Insurance works in two ways, and you should know which one yours uses before you need care. If your insurer has a direct-billing arrangement with the institution, the guide says you can simply present your insurance card and passport for identity verification, and the hospital settles claims with the insurer directly. If yours does not, you pay first and claim later — keep every receipt, invoice, itemised bill, and medical report, photograph them the same day, and notify your insurer’s assistance line as soon as someone can.
After the visit
An emergency visit rarely ends at discharge. Before you leave, ask what follow-up is needed and when, which clinic should handle it, and what warning signs should bring you back immediately. Book the follow-up through the same appointment route, keep the discharge papers with the receipts, and tell your insurer promptly if the visit may lead to a claim.
First-week emergency checklist
- Save 120, 110, 119, 122, and 12345 in your phone, and save your home and workplace addresses in Chinese.
- Save one nearby hospital and one international-facing option, with addresses in Chinese, in your map app.
- Prepare the Chinese-language medical note for each family member, with conditions, medications, allergies, and an emergency contact.
- Confirm whether your insurance offers direct billing at the hospitals you saved, and store the insurer’s assistance number.
- Test your payment method and your translation tool before you need either.
- Tell a colleague or friend where your emergency kit is, so someone else can find it for you.
Do that work once, in your first week, and an emergency stays a medical problem rather than a logistics problem as well.