China and the UK

Emergency help for British nationals

Get help if you're the victim of crime, you've been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad.

British Consulate General Chongqing
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Chongqing provides services to British nationals living in and visiting China.
British Consulate General Guangzhou
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Guangzhou provides services to British nationals living in and visiting China.
British Consulate General Shanghai
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Shanghai provides services to British nationals living in and visiting Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang.
British Consulate General Wuhan
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Wuhan provides services to British nationals living in and visiting Hubei Province.
British Embassy Beijing
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Embassy in Beijing provides services to British nationals living in and visiting China.
China Regional Cities Network
Extending UK understanding and influence into China’s key regional economies, building ties with local governments and supporting UK businesses.
Compensation for victims of terrorist attacks abroad
Compensation for terrorist attacks abroad - eligibility, acts of terrorism covered, application form, helpline
Compensation if you're a victim of crime abroad
If you're a UK resident and have been injured because of a violent crime abroad, you can usually apply for compensation
Get help if you're a victim of crime abroad
Contact the nearest British embassy, commission or consulate to get help if you're the victim of crime abroad
Help if you're arrested abroad
Find out what the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can do to help if you or someone you know is arrested abroad.
Rape and sexual assault abroad: returning to the UK
Information for British nationals affected by rape or sexual assault abroad and returning to the UK, including how to access medical treatment and legal advice in the UK.
What to do if you’re affected by a crisis overseas
Advice for British nationals affected by crises abroad, including terrorist attacks, natural disasters and major political unrest, and information on what help the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can provide.

Passports and emergency travel documents

Includes how to cancel a lost passport, renew a passport and apply for an emergency travel document.

Apply for or renew a British passport if you're visiting the UK
You can apply for or renew a British passport while you're visiting the UK - as long as you expect to be in the UK for long enough
British passports in China
This page is designed to provide British Nationals with guidance on what to do if their passport is lost or stolen in China.
Cancel a lost or stolen passport
What you need to do if your passport has been lost or stolen and you need to travel urgently - emergency travel document and replacement passport.
Get an emergency travel document
Apply for an emergency travel document if you're outside the UK and haven't got a valid British passport - apply online, how to apply, fee, timings
Overseas British passport applications
Renew, replace or apply for an adult or child British passport if you’re living abroad or working overseas - forms, prices, how long it takes

Travelling to China

Includes travel advice and how to get married abroad.

China travel advice
Latest travel advice for China including safety and security, entry requirements, travel warnings and health
Driving abroad
You'll need a Great Britain or Northern Ireland licence to drive abroad and an International Driving Permit in some non-EU countries
Getting married abroad
Requirements, paperwork and processes for weddings and civil partnerships overseas - registration, restrictions, fees
Reduce your risk from terrorism while abroad
How to minimise your risk and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack.
Taking a vehicle out of the UK
Taking your car out of the UK - when VAT is not payable on a car you are exporting, procedures, registration and vehicle tax

Coming to the UK

Get a visa to study, work or visit the UK.

Apply for a Commonwealth visa in China
Guidance on how to apply for a visa for a Commonwealth country or British overseas territory in China.
Apply for a UK visa in China
Guidance on how to apply for a visa for the UK in China.
Check if you need a UK visa
You may need a visa to come to the UK to visit, study or work.
Contact UK Visas and Immigration about your application
How to contact UK visas and immigration (UKVI) from inside and outside the UK.
Get your visa, immigration or citizenship documents back
Get your documents returned if you've made a UK visa, immigration or citizenship application but need them back urgently
Tuberculosis test for a UK visa: clinics in China
Where to get tested for tuberculosis (TB) in China for your visa application.

Living in China

Includes how to access healthcare, get a document legalised, lists of lawyers and how to vote abroad.

China travel advice
Latest travel advice for China including safety and security, entry requirements, travel warnings and health
China – Consular Fees
Details of Consular Fees
China – List of Lawyers and Translators/Interpreters
List of English speaking lawyers and translators/interpreters
Copyright Recordal in China
UK companies may benefit from voluntary copyright recordal as part of a China IP strategy.
Education opportunities in China
The China education and training market is a priority market for UKTI Education.
Factsheet on Bad-faith Trade marks in China
Bad-faith trade mark applications is the most common business irritant reported to the British Embassy in Beijing.
Get your document legalised
Use the online service to get a UK document legalised
IP and Education in China
Intellectual property protection can underpin success for UK companies in China's booming education sector.
List of hospitals in China
This list of hospitals has been prepared for the convenience of British Nationals who may require medical services in China.
Living in China
Advice for British people living in China.
Medical treatment in China
This page is designed to provide British Nationals with an overview of medical treatment in China and information on how the FCO can help if a British National is in hospital.
Nationality in China
This page is designed to provide British Nationals with guidance on nationality in China.
Support for British nationals abroad: A guide
This guide highlights some of the main ways you can help yourself stay safe abroad and what help the FCO can provide.
Voting when you’re abroad
How to vote if you're going to be abroad temporarily on election day, and what to do if you're moving overseas long term

Tax, benefits, pensions and working abroad

Includes how to pay tax, claim State Pension and get tax credits abroad.

Business Fact Sheets for Southwest China
The Business Fact Sheets is produced and quarterly updated by the British Consulate-General, Chongqing on priority trade and investment sectors in Southwest China.
Claiming benefits if you live, move or travel abroad
Benefits you can claim if you go abroad and countries with social security arrangements with the UK
Commercial disputes in China
Advice for British nationals and UK companies in China.
Moving or retiring abroad
What you need to know if you move or retire abroad - tax, pensions, voting and contacting your local council
National Insurance if you go abroad
Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to find out if you need to pay National Insurance when you work abroad
Report on China-Southeast Asia Anti-Counterfeiting
A summary report into anti-counterfeiting activity in China and Southeast Asia.
State Pension if you retire abroad
How to claim State Pension if you're overseas - payment, tax, change of circumstances - contact the International Pension Centre
Tax credits if you leave or move to the UK
Tax credits if you live abroad, go travelling, are a cross-border worker or subject to immigration control
Tax on foreign income
Find out whether you need to pay UK tax on foreign income - residence and ‘non-dom’ status, tax returns, claiming relief if you’re taxed twice (including certificates of residence)
Tax on your UK income if you live abroad
Find out whether you need to pay tax on your UK income while you're living abroad - non-resident landlord scheme, tax returns, claiming relief if you’re taxed twice, personal allowance of tax-free income, form R43
UK-China Film & TV Toolkit
Protecting confidential information and intellectual property in creative collaborations.
Work in another EU country
UK citizens can work in any European Economic Area country and Switzerland without a work permit - where you can work, your rights, protection for posted workers and National Insurance payments

Birth, death and marriage abroad

Includes how to get married, list of funeral directors and how to register a birth abroad.

Adoption in China
What to do if you are planning to adopt a child in China.
Affidavit form - China
In this document the applicant swears an oath that no impediment to marriage in China exists.
Affirmation form - China
In this document the applicant affirms that no impediment to marriage in China exists.
Bereavement in China
Information on support available and actions to be taken following the death of a British national.
Getting married abroad
Requirements, paperwork and processes for weddings and civil partnerships overseas - registration, restrictions, fees
Giving birth in China
Advice on how to ascertain nationality for your child
List of funeral directors in China
List of funeral directors in China.
Marriage in China
This page is designed to provide British Nationals with guidance on how to get married in China. You can find information on both opposite sex and same sex marriages.
Register a birth abroad
Parents must register the birth in the country where the child was born - find out if you can also register the birth in the UK
Surrogacy overseas
Information for British nationals who are considering entering into surrogacy arrangements in foreign countries.
What to do after someone dies
The steps you must take when someone dies - register a death, report a death with Tell Us Once, coroners, funerals and death abroad

News and events

Find out about the UK government's diplomatic, security and development work in China.

China and the UK
Updates, news and events from the UK government in China
DFID China
We work with the Chinese government to help reduce poverty in other developing countries.

Trade and invest

Includes investing and setting up a business in the UK and doing business in China.

Business investment in the UK: Guidance for overseas businesses
Guidance on why overseas companies should set up and locate their businesses in the UK. Includes information on UK business investment and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) opportunities.
Department for International Trade China
The Department for International Trade (DIT) helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high-quality investment to the UK’s dynamic economy.
Factsheet to support Chinese companies with overseas IP protection and technology commercialisation (Chinese-language)
Produced in partnership with the UK Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA).
Overseas Business Risk - China
Information on key security and political risks which UK businesses may face when operating in China.
Set up a business
What you need to do to start a business: choose a legal structure, see if you need licences and insurance, learn about reliefs and benefits
UK Science and Innovation Network Country Snapshot – China
An introductory brief from the UK Science and Innovation Network which covers the local Science and Innovation landscape, UK priorities and successes in China.
UK Science and Innovation Network in China
The Science and Innovation Network promotes and facilitates international collaboration in research and innovation.

British embassy or high commission

Includes contact details, opening hours and consular fees and local services.

British Consulate General Chongqing
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Chongqing provides services to British nationals living in and visiting China.
British Consulate General Guangzhou
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Guangzhou provides services to British nationals living in and visiting China.
British Consulate General Shanghai
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Shanghai provides services to British nationals living in and visiting Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang.
British Consulate General Wuhan
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Consulate General in Wuhan provides services to British nationals living in and visiting Hubei Province.
British Embassy Beijing
We maintain and develop relations between the UK and China. The British Embassy in Beijing provides services to British nationals living in and visiting China.
China Regional Cities Network
Extending UK understanding and influence into China’s key regional economies, building ties with local governments and supporting UK businesses.
Notarial and documentary services guide for China
Documents, certificates, letters and notes available at the British Embassy and Consulates in China.