Save three numbers before you ever need them: 110, 119 and 120. Here is every Shanghai emergency and help line worth keeping in your phone, and exactly which one to dial for what.
Save three numbers before you need them. In Shanghai you dial 110 for police and anything dangerous or criminal, 119 for fire, and 120 for an ambulance or medical emergency. All three are free from any phone, even one with no SIM, and the 110 line offers help in English and several other languages. Everything else, from a refund dispute to a leaking pipe at midnight, has its own number, and knowing which one saves you an hour of panic in a language you may not speak yet.
Good to know
- Good for 适合: everyone, screenshot the table below and keep it in your phone before you ever need it.
- What you'll pay 花费: nothing. Every number here is free to call, including from a locked or SIM-less phone for the emergency lines.
- Make the most of it 窍门: save your home address written in Chinese in your notes app, because the ambulance line works fastest when you can read it out or show a neighbour to relay it.
The three emergency numbers to memorise
If something is on fire, someone is hurt, or you are in danger, you dial one of three short numbers and you dial it first. In Shanghai, 110 reaches the police for crime, theft, a lost passport report, a threat or any emergency where you are unsure who else to call, and the city says the line runs in eight languages including English, so ask for English if the operator starts in Mandarin. 119 is fire and rescue. 120 is the ambulance and medical-emergency line; its operators may not speak much English, so keep your address ready in Chinese and, if you can, have a Mandarin-speaking neighbour or colleague relay the details. For the full picture of what happens after you call 120, our guide to medical emergencies and English help walks through the ER side.
Every Shanghai number worth saving, in one place
Most of the time the thing going wrong is not a 110 emergency, it is a faulty appliance, a refund a shop is refusing, or a question you cannot answer, and each of those has its own line. The city's one-stop hotline 12345 is the catch-all for non-emergency help and complaints and runs a multilingual service around the clock, so when you genuinely do not know who to call, call that. Here is the set worth keeping in your phone.
| If this happens | Dial | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Danger, crime, theft, lost-passport report | 110 | Police. English and other languages available |
| Fire | 119 | Fire and rescue |
| Medical emergency, ambulance | 120 | Have your address ready in Chinese |
| Traffic accident | 122 | Traffic police, or just dial 110 |
| Suspected scam or fraud | 96110 | Takes reports; also warns targeted people |
| Non-emergency help, info, complaints | 12345 | Multilingual, open 24 hours |
| Refund or faulty-goods dispute | 12315 | Consumer-rights line |
| Health advice, disease control | 12320 | Public-health hotline |
When you genuinely do not know who to call in Shanghai, dial 12345, the city's multilingual one-stop hotline; it runs around the clock and will route you to whoever actually handles the problem.
Scams, fraud and the money calls
If you think you are being scammed, there is a dedicated line and it is worth knowing before the moment arrives. The national anti-fraud hotline 96110 both takes reports of suspected fraud and is the number police use to warn someone they believe is being targeted, so if you ever get a call from 96110, answer it. For a suspected scam in progress, hang up on the caller and dial 110. Our honest look at safety in Shanghai covers the scams that actually circulate here, and for a disputed charge or a shop refusing a refund, 12315 is the consumer line and our guide to complaining and getting results shows how to use it.
The calls that beat a hotline
For a lot of daily problems the fastest help is not a city number at all, it is the person already responsible for your building or your money. A burst pipe, a broken lift, a power cut in your flat or a noisy neighbour is a job for your building's 物业 (wùyè, property management); their number is usually posted in the lobby and by the lift, so photograph it on move-in day. A banking or card problem goes to the hotline printed on the back of your card, which almost always has an English option. A passport lost or stolen, an arrest, a death or a hospital stay is when you call your own country's consulate, and our guide to what your consulate can actually do sets honest expectations. If what is wrong is heavier, low mood that will not lift or a crisis, Shanghai has English-speaking support and our guide to finding a therapist lists real options.
What is the emergency number in Shanghai?
There are three: 110 for police and any dangerous or criminal situation, 119 for fire, and 120 for an ambulance or medical emergency. All are free from any phone. The 110 line offers English and several other languages; for 120, have your address ready in Chinese because operators may not speak much English.
Does 110 or 120 have English-speaking operators in Shanghai?
The police line 110 runs in eight languages including English, so ask for English if you reach a Mandarin operator. The 120 ambulance line is less reliable in English, so save your home address in Chinese and, if you can, have a Mandarin speaker relay the details while help is on the way.
Who do I call for a non-emergency problem in Shanghai?
Dial 12345, the city's multilingual one-stop hotline, open 24 hours. It handles non-emergency questions, complaints and requests and routes you to the right department. For a consumer or refund dispute use 12315, and for a problem inside your building call your 物业 property management first.
What do I do if I think I am being scammed in Shanghai?
Hang up on the caller and do not transfer any money. The national anti-fraud line is 96110, which takes reports and is also the number police use to warn targeted people, so answer if 96110 calls you. If money has already moved or you feel threatened, dial 110 straight away.
Sources · 资料来源
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government 上海市人民政府. Public service and emergency hotlines (110, 119, 120, 12345, 12320), including the 110 multi-language service. english.shanghai.gov.cn
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government 上海市人民政府. The 12345 municipal one-stop hotline and its multilingual, 24-hour service. english.shanghai.gov.cn
- Ministry of Public Security 公安部. National anti-fraud hotline 96110. State Council and public-security announcements.
As Laozi wrote in the Dao De Jing, 为之于未有，治之于未乱, deal with it before it happens, set it in order before it falls apart; the numbers you save on a calm Tuesday are the ones that save you on a bad one.
Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.
