初到香港 First2HK

Need

Emergency: 999, SMS 992 if you cannot speak

Police, ambulance, and fire: 999 in Hong Kong. SMS 992 if you cannot speak or hear. Public A&E, and your consulate for a lost passport.

Notes dated 2026-09

Calling

  • 999: police, ambulance, fire. Place, what happened, how many people. English or Cantonese.
  • 992: SMS for people who cannot hear or speak. Follow the current government registration / use rules.
  • Hotel desks can call. Do not delay chest pain, serious trauma, or breathing trouble to avoid fuss.

Hospitals

Public A&E is 24 hours. In Kowloon, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Yau Ma Tei / King’s Park) is a common example; on the Island, Queen Mary; in the New Territories, use the hospital for that district. Confirm on the Hospital Authority site or map “A&E”. Do not memorise an old blog.

Papers

  • Lost passport: police report first, then your consulate in Hong Kong for an emergency travel document.
  • Keep a photo of the passport bio page in a locked album.
  • Lost Octopus: registered cards can follow Octopus’s lost-card process. Unregistered value is like cash.

Questions

Does A&E cost money?

Public A&E charges non-eligible persons (most visitors) at Hospital Authority rates that day — it is not free travel insurance. Photograph the bill for your insurer. If it is life-threatening, go first; do not comparison-shop on the pavement.

Signal No. 8: most buses stop. Do not go to an island What tropical cyclone signals 1, 3, 8, 9, 10 do to transport. Franchised buses often stop about two hours after No. 8. Ferries stop. Underground MTR may keep limited service. Everyday: plugs, water, smoking, rubbish, crossing Hong Kong plugs are UK Type G, 220 V. Tap water is drinkable. Indoor smoking is mostly banned. Wait for the green man. Convenience stores solve a lot. Money: HKD, ATMs, wallets Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong dollar. ATMs, AlipayHK / WeChat Pay, and how much cash you actually need.