A
Check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs safety alerts once before you leave, and don't go anywhere marked “do not travel for now”
Value for cost Very high
In plain termsThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs sorts safety risks abroad into four levels, and the highest is called “do not travel for now.” Starting September 15, 2026, avoiding high-risk countries and regions has been written into administrative regulations. When you apply for your documents and when you go through exit checks, staff will also remind you, and when necessary they will try to talk you out of going. Go through that page once before you leave; it is a matter of a few minutes.
- Cost
- No money. Open the China Consular Service website (中国领事服务网) and go through it; it takes a few minutes.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size large
- Benefit
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly issues safety alerts about other countries according to the level of risk. From low to high there are roughly four levels: “pay attention to safety,” “strengthen safety precautions,” “travel with caution” and “do not travel for now.” New rules in force from September 15, 2026 also write the individual's obligation into administrative regulations. The original text: “Chinese citizens shall pay attention to overseas safety alerts and safety risk warnings for travel destinations, and avoid traveling to or staying in high-risk countries or regions.” The new rules also require the immigration administration authorities (the departments that issue exit-entry documents and run border inspection) to remind people heading to high-risk areas, when issuing documents and at exit border inspection. The original text of this provision: “Chinese citizens preparing to travel to countries or regions whose risk level is the highest, or where cases seriously endangering personal safety are breaking out suddenly and frequently, shall, when necessary, be dissuaded from going”
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The alerts change with the situation, so this guide does not copy the list; check that page yourself once before you travel. As of September 7, 2026, that section still carried these “do not travel for now” alerts: Eswatini (2026-08-25), Palestine (2023-10-10), Sudan (2023-04-17). Another four are Afghanistan (2023-02-17), Syria (2023-01-04), Peru (2022-12-29) and Somalia (2022-11-24). There are also dedicated alerts for northern Myanmar and for some provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Travel agencies also have a duty to inform you. Before joining a group tour, you can ask the agency to explain the risks at the destination in writing
A
Save 12308 and the local embassy or consulate's consular protection number in your phone, and copy them onto paper for your wallet; don't wait until something happens to look for them
Value for cost High
In plain termsWhen something goes wrong, there is just one number to call for help. In China, dial 12308; abroad, dial +86-10-12308. Since it opened, this hotline has taken more than 3 million calls. Over the same period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and missions abroad handled more than 500,000 consular protection cases.
- Cost
- No money. Save two numbers and copy them out once more; a few minutes.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a global emergency hotline for consular protection and services, answered 24 hours a day. In China, dial 12308. Abroad, dial +86-10-12308 or +86-10-65612308. Since it opened in 2014, this hotline has answered a cumulative total of more than 3 million calls. Over the same period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and missions abroad handled more than 500,000 consular protection cases of all kinds
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The embassy or consulate in the country you are in also has its own consular protection number, which is usually faster than the main line. Before you leave, look it up by country on the China Consular Service website and save it in your phone together with the main hotline number. If your phone is lost or its battery dies, the saved numbers are no use. So also copy them by hand onto paper and keep it in your wallet, or write the numbers down for your family
A
Know what consular protection can and cannot do: it can visit you, it cannot get you released, and you still pay the costs yourself
Value for cost High
In plain termsIf you are arrested abroad, what the embassy or consulate can do is: verify the situation with the local authorities, ask that you be dealt with fairly according to law, visit you, and sit in on your court hearing. It cannot change the verdict for you, and it cannot take you away. Food and lodging, transport and medical costs that someone else pays up front are, in the end, still paid by you. So get your money and insurance ready before going abroad, and don't treat “if something happens, the state will cover it” as a plan.
- Cost
- No money. Spend a few minutes getting this boundary clear.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- When you are arrested, the embassy or consulate can do a few things. It verifies the situation with the relevant authorities of the host country and asks that you be dealt with fairly according to law. The regulation's original text: “in accordance with the laws of the host country and the international treaties that China has concluded with or jointly acceded to with the host country, visit or contact them, learn of their related needs, and require the relevant authorities of the host country to give the Chinese citizen humanitarian treatment and fair treatment.” Put plainly: under local law and the treaties the two countries have signed, it visits you, keeps in contact with you and asks what you need, and requires the local side to treat you by humane and fair standards. When your case goes to trial, the embassy or consulate can sit in on the hearing and can ask that your litigation rights be safeguarded. If you are injured or caught in a disaster, it can press the local side for emergency rescue, and it can help your family deal with the aftermath. But on costs the regulation is just as clear: “Chinese citizens, legal persons and unincorporated organizations that, in the course of consular protection and assistance, obtain food and lodging, transport, medical care and other goods and services provided by a third party shall pay the costs that they should bear themselves.” Food and lodging, transport and medical care that someone else pays up front: whatever is yours to pay, you still pay
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The embassy or consulate does not pay your fines, does not pay your medical bills, does not buy your plane ticket, and cannot change the conclusion of a court in the country you are in. What it can give you is information on local lawyers, interpreters, medical facilities and funeral service providers; it can also help you contact relatives and friends and help you find channels for relief. So get your own money and insurance ready before going abroad, and don't treat “if something happens, the state will cover it” as a plan
C
Buy insurance that covers overseas medical care and medical evacuation, not just flight-delay insurance
Value for cost High
In plain termsMedical bills abroad come out of your own pocket. Medical insurance (医保) in China basically does not reimburse them, and the embassy or consulate does not advance the money either. What can really ruin a family is not outpatient fees; it is hospitalization after a serious injury, and getting the person back home, which takes a chartered plane or a medical escort. When buying travel insurance, look mainly at two limits: overseas medical expenses, and emergency medical evacuation and repatriation.
- Cost
- A short-term overseas travel insurance policy costs from a few dozen to a few hundred yuan.
A little money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size large
- Benefit
- Medical bills abroad are paid by you. Medical insurance in China basically does not reimburse treatment abroad. Consular protection does not advance this money either (see Item 3, what consular protection can and cannot do; the basis is Article 26 of the regulation). What will really ruin a family is not outpatient fees; it is hospitalization and medical evacuation after a serious injury. Moving someone from a hospital abroad back home takes a chartered plane or a medical escort, one of the most expensive kinds of out-of-pocket items. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency transport of a patient from a remote place to a good hospital may cost more than $100,000 if you pay for it yourself. When buying insurance, look first at two limits. One is the limit for overseas medical expenses. The other is the limit for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, which covers the most that can be paid for moving you to another hospital and sending you back home after something happens
- Evidence grade
- C
- Notes
- $100,000 is a lower-bound statement, not a cost range. No published official or industry statistics on the range of costs were found, so this guide does not give a specific range. Before buying, confirm three things. First, whether the country you are going to is within the coverage area. Second, whether high-risk activities such as diving, skiing and riding motorcycles are excluded. Third, whether claims are settled directly between the insurer and the hospital, or you pay first and get reimbursed afterward. Buy it just the same when going to a visa-free country
A
Treat every “high-paying job overseas” as a scam; if you are tricked into telecom fraud, you will also be barred from leaving the country after you come back
Value for cost High
In plain termsAbsurdly high monthly pay, no questions about education or experience, no proper contract, told to gather first in a border city, and they hold on to your passport for you. Go to a job like that, and neither you nor your passport is in your own hands. If you fake your materials when leaving the country, border inspection will stop you and not let you through. If you took part in illegal or criminal activities abroad, after you come back you may also be barred from leaving the country for 6 months to 3 years.
- Cost
- No money. The hard part is turning down, yourself, a job that looks very good.
No money
Done in passing
Some willpower
Benefit size large
- Benefit
- The official characterization of these cases is blunt. In recent years there have been cases of people “being deceived into going abroad, or fabricating reasons to leave the country illegally, to engage in cross-border gambling, telecom and online fraud and other illegal activities, seriously endangering the lives and property of the people.” It means people tricked into going abroad, or making up a reason to slip out, and then doing gambling and telecom fraud over there. The new rules tighten things at both ends in response. On the way out: “The reasons for applying for exit and entry, stay and residence shall be true and lawful.” If you submit false materials or make false statements, the immigration administration authorities have the power to refuse to issue your documents and to refuse to let you leave the country. On the way back: “Where a Chinese citizen engages in illegal or criminal activities abroad that endanger national security and interests, may ... decide that the person shall not be permitted to leave the country for a period of 6 months to 3 years from the date of return.” People given administrative detention for obtaining documents by fraud or for illegal exit or entry are likewise barred from leaving the country for 6 months to 3 years
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The telltale signs are basically fixed: monthly pay far above the same job elsewhere, no education or experience required, no proper contract, told to gather first in a border city, and they handle your visa and hold on to your passport. There is already a dedicated consular alert for northern Myanmar. If you actually go, your personal freedom and your passport are not in your own hands, and even if you want to leave, you can't
A
Cash withdrawals abroad may not exceed 100,000 yuan a year, counted across all the cards in your name combined
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsThe limit on cash withdrawals abroad is not one per card; all the bank cards in your name (supplementary cards included) count together, at 100,000 yuan per calendar year. Once you reach it, you cannot withdraw cash abroad for the rest of that year or for the following year. Only cash withdrawals are suspended; card spending is not affected, and it does not count against your annual US$50,000 quota for buying foreign exchange.
- Cost
- No money. Before you leave, estimate how much cash this trip needs and pay by card for the rest. The hard part is changing the habit: when you can pay by card, don't withdraw cash.
No money
Done in passing
Some willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The basis is the State Administration of Foreign Exchange's Notice on Regulating Large Overseas Cash Withdrawal Transactions with Bank Cards (关于规范银行卡境外大额提取现金交易的通知) (Huifa [2017] No. 29, in force from January 1, 2018). Article 1: “When individuals withdraw cash abroad with domestic bank cards, the bank cards in their name (including supplementary cards) combined may not exceed the equivalent of 100,000 yuan per calendar year. Those who exceed the annual limit will have overseas cash withdrawals with domestic bank cards suspended for the current year and the following year.” The second paragraph of the same article: “Individuals may not evade, or help others evade, the administration of overseas cash withdrawals by means such as borrowing other people's bank cards or lending out their own bank cards.” Article 2: the foreign exchange administration sends the suspension list to card-issuing banks every day, and card-issuing banks shall, starting no later than 17:00 Beijing time that same day, suspend overseas cash withdrawals with their cards by the people on the list. Article 3: people placed on the suspension list can take their own valid identity document to a branch of the foreign exchange administration to look up the details of their overseas cash withdrawals. Article 4: the daily limit for each foreign-currency card is changed from the equivalent of US$1000 to the equivalent of 10,000 yuan; renminbi cards stay at no more than the equivalent of 10,000 yuan per card per day. Article 6: card-issuing banks, domestic renminbi card clearing organizations and individuals that violate this notice are penalized under the relevant provisions of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Exchange Administration (中华人民共和国外汇管理条例). The foreign exchange administration's answers to reporters also made several points clear. The Notice does not affect individuals' card spending abroad. Current-account transactions for food, lodging, travel, shopping and the like involved in outbound tourism, business and study abroad can all be paid by bank card. This spending also does not count against the individual's annual facilitation quota of US$50,000 for buying foreign exchange. The annual limit is calculated by the foreign exchange administration from data pooled from all card-issuing financial institutions; because real-time control would slow transaction response, “the foreign exchange administration uses a delayed control method” (it does not block withdrawals on the spot). In addition, according to statistics, in 2016, 81% of overseas cash withdrawals with domestic bank cards were under 30,000 yuan (nationwide)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The limit runs by calendar year, and the count starts over on January 1. Only cash withdrawals abroad are suspended; card spending is not affected. If you really need a large amount of cash abroad, follow the Measures for the Administration of Individual Foreign Exchange (个人外汇管理办法): first buy the foreign exchange, then carry the foreign-currency cash out of the country. Withdrawing cash has two pitfalls of its own, which UnionPay International's “Overseas ATM Withdrawals” page spells out. One: with dual-brand cards, some ATMs in some countries do not let you choose the UnionPay network for the withdrawal. Two: some ATMs abroad show an extra fee (surcharge) on the screen; this fee is charged by the local acquiring institution and “has nothing to do with UnionPay.” The same page also advises: “Because credit card withdrawals incur overdraft interest, cardholders are advised to use UnionPay debit cards for withdrawals abroad.” For what to do if a card is lost, swallowed by an ATM or fraudulently charged, see Section 14, Item 5 (if your card is fraudulently charged, first report it lost and freeze it, then call the police)
C
Photograph your passport, visa and ID card and keep a copy in the cloud; if they are lost, report to the police first, then get a replacement travel document
Value for cost High
In plain termsIf you lose your passport, the embassy or consulate can issue you a replacement travel document to get home. The condition is that you can prove who you are. With photos of the data page and the visa page and your entry-exit records in hand, the replacement goes much faster. You also have to report to the local police first and get a receipt; both exit inspection and insurance claims accept this piece of paper. Phones often get lost together with passports, so don't keep the photos only on your phone.
- Cost
- No money. Take a few photos before you leave.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- If you lose your passport, the embassy or consulate abroad can issue you a travel document for returning home, but you first need to prove your identity. Whether you have clear photos of the passport data page, photos of the visa page and your entry-exit records makes a big difference to how fast the replacement goes. At the same time, you need to report to the local police first and get a report receipt. In many countries, exit inspection and insurance claims require this document. The way to reach the embassy or consulate is the two consular protection numbers you saved in Item 2
- Evidence grade
- C
- Notes
- The way to store them: after taking the photos, put them in two different places, for example one copy in cloud storage and one sent to a family member. Also print a paper copy and keep it separate from the originals. Photograph your bank cards and the prescriptions for medicines you take regularly as well. Phones and passports are usually lost together, so storing the photos only on the phone is as good as not storing them. If your cloud login requires a verification code sent to your phone, you may be unable to log in once the phone is lost. Before you leave, try logging in once on another device to confirm you can open it without this phone. Photos of documents are sensitive information, so a storage method that can be encrypted is safer. But with encrypted storage, if you forget the password no one can open it, so the copy sent to your family cannot be skipped.
A
Before driving yourself abroad, first confirm whether the local authorities recognize a Chinese driver's license; most “international driver's licenses” sold online are worthless paper
Value for cost Very high
In plain termsAn “international driver's license” arranged through an online agent has no standing in mainland China. That booklet is a translation document recognized mutually among the parties to the 1949 Geneva convention, and mainland China is not among the 103 parties. So no matter who in China gets one for you, it has no legal effect. Whether you can drive on a Chinese license depends on the destination's own rules; if you haven't confirmed it, don't drive.
- Cost
- No money. Check the destination's rules once before you leave.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size large
- Benefit
- The so-called “international driver's license” (IDP) is a translation document recognized mutually among the contracting states of the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (道路交通公约). The convention was concluded in Geneva on September 19, 1949, and entered into force on March 26, 1952. It currently has 103 contracting parties (the countries and territories that have signed on). Mainland China is not on that list. So China does not issue this kind of international driver's license. Any organization in China that “gets you an international driver's license” produces nothing with legal effect. Whether you can drive on a Chinese license depends on the destination country's or region's own rules: some accept a Chinese license plus a notarized translation, some require you to exchange it for a local license, and some do not recognize it at all
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- In most countries, driving without a license is a criminal offense or carries heavy penalties. On top of that, if something happens, the insurer will very likely refuse to pay, and that is the real cost. There are two ways to check: on the China Consular Service website, find the “notes for Chinese citizens” for the destination country, or simply ask the car rental company for written confirmation. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as some countries, have separate arrangements
A
When using an agency for visas, study abroad or emigration, first ask whether it has filed with the immigration administration authorities
Value for cost High
In plain termsStarting September 15, 2026, agencies that handle visas, study abroad and emigration must file with the immigration administration authorities. Promises like “guaranteed to pass,” “visa guaranteed” and “we'll do the documents for you” are themselves among the things explicitly prohibited. If you fill in the forms wrong yourself, at worst you are refused a visa this time. If you use fake materials and are found to have committed fraud, the stain stays in your exit-entry record from then on.
- Cost
- No money. Ask one extra question about whether it has filed, and keep the written materials.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- In 2018 the licensing requirement for private exit-entry agencies was abolished (opening an agency no longer required approval first). After that the number of agencies grew rapidly, and problems appeared: “the base number of agencies is unclear, some agencies conduct business illegally and in violation of rules, and they harm the lawful rights and interests of people exiting and entering the country”; officials could not even count how many there were. Starting September 15, 2026, these agencies are moving to filing-based management. An agency shall file with the immigration administration authorities where it is located within 15 days of being established. Those already operating must complete filing within 90 days of the date the rules take effect. The explicitly prohibited conduct falls into these categories. One, “publishing false information, or attracting clients by means such as exaggerated or misleading publicity.” Two, “providing or helping to provide false materials, or helping others improperly obtain visas, stay and residence permits, passports and other exit-entry documents or procedures.” Three, “leaking, selling or illegally providing ... personal privacy or personal information.” Four, “organizing or helping others to engage in cross-border illegal and criminal activities.” Foreign enterprises and organizations may not provide this kind of agency service within China
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- An agency that keeps saying “guaranteed to pass,” “visa guaranteed” and “we'll do the documents for you” is doing exactly what is explicitly prohibited. Once it is found out, the stain is left on your visa record. If something goes wrong when you fill in the forms and apply yourself, at most you are refused this time. If you used fake materials and are found to have committed fraud, the consequences are much heavier. Policy consultation and information lookups that are not for profit do not count as agency services
A
Don't issue invitation letters for strangers, and don't let anyone use your name to handle exit-entry procedures
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsIf you issue an invitation letter or application materials for someone else and the content is false, the one penalized is the issuer. An individual is fined 5000 to 10,000 yuan, and any illegal gains are confiscated as well. An organization is fined 10,000 to 50,000, and the people who handled it are fined a further 5000 to 10,000. One favor, and what you get in return is paying this money yourself.
- Cost
- No money. The hard part is turning down a favor to someone's face.
No money
Done in passing
Some willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The person who issues an invitation letter is responsible for whether its content is true. The original text: “Where an individual issues a false invitation letter or other application materials for another person's application for exit, entry, stay or residence, the immigration administration authorities shall impose a fine of not less than 5000 yuan and not more than 10,000 yuan; where there are illegal gains, the illegal gains shall be confiscated.” An organization that issues false materials is fined not less than 10,000 yuan and not more than 50,000 yuan. At the same time, the directly responsible person in charge and other directly responsible personnel (the leader in charge and those who handled it) are fined a further amount of not less than 5000 yuan and not more than 10,000 yuan
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- This is the same kind of risk as “don't carry things for strangers” in Section 8: the materials are issued in your name, so the consequences land on you. When public officials or military personnel try to improperly obtain foreign nationality or overseas residence status through an agency, the agency not only must not handle it but must also report it to the supervisory authorities
C
Before leaving the country, send your itinerary, accommodation and travel companions to one family member, and agree how often you will be in touch
Value for cost High
In plain termsIf you lose contact while abroad, your family can ask the embassy or consulate for help; the embassy or consulate will tell them how to report to the local police, and once a case is opened it will press for it to be handled. The precondition is that someone in China knows where you should be and when you should be in touch. Send your flight number, address, travel companions' phone numbers and how often you have agreed to be in touch to one family member; that is enough.
- Cost
- No money. Send one message before you leave.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- When a Chinese citizen goes missing abroad, relatives can ask the diplomatic missions abroad for help. The regulation's original text: “the diplomatic missions abroad shall provide the local means of reporting to the police and other information on obtaining assistance.” After the local police open a case, the embassy or consulate will press them to handle it promptly. Whether this help can be set in motion depends on whether someone in China knows where you are supposed to be and when you are supposed to be in touch
- Evidence grade
- C
- Notes
- Writing down four things clearly is enough: flight number, the address where you are staying, travel companions' names and phone numbers, and the agreed contact frequency. If you are going somewhere with poor signal or poor public security, also spell out “if there's no word from me for this long, call the police.” All of the assistance procedures above can only begin if a family member knows your itinerary in the first place
