Emergency bilingual cards

Direct Answer

What should travelers know about emergency bilingual cards?

If hotel check-in fails with a foreign passport in China, first separate the cause: booking mismatch, payment issue, passport-name mismatch, visa or entry-basis question, or the hotel being unable to process accommodation registration. Show the original passport and booking confirmation, ask for a supervisor, request that the hotel contact its local registration support or booking platform, and if the property cannot register you, move to a larger hotel that handles foreign guests. NIA guidance confirms hotels must register foreigner accommodation; for non-hotel stays, foreigners or hosts must complete registration through the required channels.