Child to China 2026: parent checklist

A parent needs a verifiable plan, not a reassurance slogan: who supports the student, which records and contacts work offline, how insurance is used, and what happens when communication fails. Build that card together before departure.

Safety: prepare scenarios instead of comparing countries

A national safety ranking cannot describe one student's route, campus, or personal risk. Ask the international student office for campus rules, an after-hours contact, the medical route, and late-arrival procedure.

• Save the dormitory address in Chinese and English offline.
• Agree on a regular check-in and one independent backup channel.
• Never send a passport, banking code, or payment to a person whose identity cannot be confirmed through an official contact.

Insurance: what's mandatory

• University rule: PKU, for example, requires comprehensive insurance before registration; your institution may use a different purchase process.
• Coverage: check inpatient and outpatient treatment, medicines, mental health, pre-existing conditions, deductible, and exclusions.
• Claim process: keep the policy number, hotline, network-provider list, and pre-authorisation steps on the phone and on paper.

Money: primary and backup routes

Bank and payment restrictions change by country, provider, and customer documents. Before travel, make a small test transfer through every lawful planned route and obtain current fees from the provider.

• Separate an emergency reserve from the normal monthly budget.
• Do not make all access depend on one phone, app, or card.
• Record the bank's official support number and card-blocking process.
• Confirm accepted payment methods with the university and dormitory before sending money.

Communication and messengers

• Set up the channel used by the university and an independent backup channel.
• Save phone numbers and addresses offline because apps and overseas services may be unavailable.
• Agree how many hours without a reply is a normal delay and when a parent should contact the dormitory or international office.
• Use services in accordance with local law and institutional rules.

Crisis playbook

Embassy, consulate, and immigration authority: different roles

• The Chinese embassy, consulate, or visa centre publishes the local visa checklist for the lawful place of application.
• The embassy or consulate of the student's nationality in China handles consular matters such as a lost travel document.
• NIA and the local exit-entry office handle registration and stay or residence procedures inside China; hotline 12367 operates around the clock.

Contacts every parent must have on day one

1. Police 110, fire 119, and medical emergency 120.
2. The international student office and dormitory's after-hours contact.
3. The insurer hotline and policy number.
4. The embassy or consulate of the student's nationality in China.
5. NIA 12367 for immigration consultation.
6. A trusted backup contact in the city of study.