110 is the Mainland Police emergency route; Hong Kong's 999 belongs to a different jurisdiction. Before travelling, save accommodation, companion and reachable-contact details offline.
What to have ready
Before you start
Shenzhen Police provides 110 and official interaction channels, while Guangzhou Police publishes examples of urgent help and fraud reporting through 110. Explain the current situation directly for urgent assistance; ordinary document, appointment or application-status questions belong to the responsible authority, 12367 or applicable government-service channels. A call, attendance, formal report and investigation outcome are separate stages. Ending the call does not establish that a case has been resolved or that a traveller immediately has replacement travel permission.
What to do, step by step
- Move to a safe position where feasible. When calling 110, first state city, district, address or landmark and access, then explain what is happening, injuries and continuing danger. Follow the dispatcher's instructions rather than approaching a suspect or remaining at risk to obtain more evidence.
- Give your name and a reachable callback number, explaining a roaming +852 number and whether it receives calls. State language needs plainly and ask a trusted nearby staff member to help describe the address if useful. Do not delay urgent contact while searching for a perfect translation or assume every local online interface supports your document.
- Where safe, preserve original photographs, times, transactions and witness contacts, separating observations from guesses. Follow Police directions for attendance, evidence and available references. Do not publish suspected persons' private information or interfere with the scene; provide relevant identifying details directly to the responsible officers.
- For lost travel documents, separately ask exit-entry authorities, 12367 and the issuing authority about loss reports and replacement routes, retaining Police information. For fraud, contact the bank or payment provider as well. Transport, accommodation and return-to-Hong-Kong arrangements still require their own follow-up and cannot be assumed resolved by the Police call.
Costs, timing, and things to check
If away from the incident or already in Hong Kong, ask the Police authority where it occurred about remote or personal reporting arrangements. Do not assume dialling 110 in Hong Kong connects to Shenzhen. Use that authority's published contact channel to establish the appropriate route.
Do not use urgent reporting for ordinary train schedules, merchant refunds or visa-eligibility enquiries. Describe immediate personal danger or possible crime accurately and seek assistance. Lack of an installed app should not stop urgent contact, and a government-service form is not a replacement for emergency help.
A practical example
A traveller robbed near a Shenzhen hotel calls 110 from safety, giving the hotel, street and current position plus a reachable Hong Kong number. They then provide evidence as instructed and separately arrange suspension or replacement for any lost phone or travel document.
For urgent help, give location and facts first, follow Police instructions and separately handle documents and banking.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.