What to Do if You Lose Your Passport, Get Sick, or Have No Internet in Shanghai

这是最常见也最容易处理的紧急情况。

• 第一步：停下来，不要继续走。没网时导航会失效，越走越容易迷路。
• 第二步：回到最近的酒店、商场、便利店或咖啡馆，用他们的 WiFi 联网。
• 第三步：用离线备份处理下一步——截图保存的酒店地址、离线地图、翻译工具的离线包。
• 预防：出发前下载好上海离线地图和中文翻译离线包。

This is the most common and easiest emergency to handle.

• Step 1: Stop moving. Without internet, navigation fails and you will get more lost.
• Step 2: Go to the nearest hotel, mall, convenience store, or café and use their WiFi.
• Step 3: Use offline backups for the next step — saved hotel address screenshots, offline maps, translation app offline pack.
• Prevention: download Shanghai offline maps and Chinese translation offline packs before departure.

护照丢失不常见，但一旦发生需要冷静处理。

• 第一步：联系你的酒店前台，他们会协助你联系当地派出所报案。
• 第二步：联系你国家驻上海的领事馆，申请临时旅行证件。
• 第三步：准备护照的数字副本——出发前把护照页拍照存到手机和云盘。

护照复印件不能替代原件，但在补办过程中能大大加快流程。

Losing a passport is uncommon, but if it happens you need to stay calm and follow a clear process.

• Step 1: Contact your hotel front desk. They will help you file a police report at the local station.
• Step 2: Contact your country's consulate in Shanghai to apply for an emergency travel document.
• Step 3: Have digital copies of your passport page — take photos before your trip and save them on your phone and in cloud storage.

A passport copy cannot replace the original, but it significantly speeds up the replacement process.

• 轻微问题：感冒、肚子不舒服——去药店买药，上海药店很多，店员通常能理解基本英文。
• 需要看医生：去国际医院或酒店推荐的诊所。不要随便去一家本地小诊所，语言和流程可能完全不通。
• 严重情况：拨打 120 急救电话。上海的急救系统响应速度很快。
• 保险：出发前确认你的旅行保险覆盖中国，把保险号码和紧急联系方式存在手机里。

• Minor issues: cold, stomach problems — go to a pharmacy. Shanghai has many pharmacies and staff usually understand basic English.
• Need a doctor: go to an international hospital or a clinic recommended by your hotel. Do not go to a random local clinic — language and processes may be completely different.
• Serious situation: call 120 for emergency services. Shanghai's emergency response is fast.
• Insurance: confirm your travel insurance covers China before departure. Save your insurance number and emergency contact on your phone.

如果你住在朋友家或 Airbnb 而不是酒店，要注意一个容易被忽略的规定。

• 24 小时登记规则：外国人住在中国私人住宅，必须在入住后 24 小时内到当地派出所登记。
• 酒店会自动帮你做这一步，但私人住宿需要你和房东一起去办理。
• 如果不登记，可能会在离境时遇到麻烦。

最简单的做法是让房东在你到达当天带你去最近的派出所登记。通常只需要护照和房东的身份证。

If you stay with friends or in an Airbnb instead of a hotel, there is one easily overlooked rule.

• 24-hour registration rule: foreigners staying in private residences in China must register at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.
• Hotels do this automatically, but private stays require you and your host to handle it together.
• Failure to register may cause problems when leaving China.

The simplest approach is to have your host take you to the nearest police station on the day you arrive. Usually only your passport and the host's ID are needed.