Guidance

Information pack for British nationals arrested or detained in China

Updated 7 April 2025

1. Key points

1.1 Overview

If you are a British national, and are arrested or detained in another country, consular staff will do what they can to help you. However, we cannot interfere with the local justice system, get you released, or pay for services such as a lawyer.  Information about who we can help, including the circumstances in which we can assist dual nationals, is available at: Support for British nationals abroad. You can also request a paper copy from consular staff.        

This information pack aims to give you, and your family and friends, information about the local system in China and who can help. Consular staff can provide a printed copy to those in prison or in custody. We welcome feedback to help us improve the information we can provide to others.

Contacting us

If you are arrested or detained in another country:

• The authorities should ask whether you want them to contact the British Embassy or the Consulates (and must do so if you want them to)
• If they do not ask, you can make the request yourself. You should do this if you are charged with a serious offence or need any kind of assistance
• Friends or family can also contact the local British Embassy or the Consulates or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in London on +44 (0)20 7008 5000

In China, the authorities might notify the British Embassy or the Consulates even if you do not want anyone to know that you have been arrested. This is because there may be an agreement in place with the British government which requires a mandatory notification to be made. 

Who we are

Consular staff work in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in the UK, and in British Embassies and Consulates in China. 

British Embassy in Beijing

Add: 11 Guang Hua Lu, Jian Guo Men Wai, Beijing, 100600

Tel: (+86) (0)10 5192 4000

Covers cities and provinces including: Beijing, Chongqing, Gansu, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin, Yunnan, Xinjiang, and Xizang (Tibet).

Email: beijing.consularsection@fcdo.gov.uk 

British Consulate General in Guangzhou

Add: 22/F Guangzhou International Finance Centre, 5 Zhujiang Road West,

Zhujiang New Town, Guangzhou, 510623

Tel: (+86) (0)20 8314 3000              

Covers provinces including: Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hainan, and Jiangxi

Email: consularsection.guangzhou@fcdo.gov.uk      

British Consulate General in Shanghai

Add: 1702, British Centre, Garden Square, 968 West Beijing Road, Shanghai, 200041

Tel: (+86) (0)21 3279 2000

Covers cities and provinces including: Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang.

Email: consularsection.shanghai@fcdo.gov.uk.

You can also contact us by phone 24/7 for help or advice from anywhere in the world by calling the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

What we can do

The FCDO can offer you impartial and non-judgemental help. When we are notified of your arrest or detention, we will aim to contact you as soon as possible, so that we can assess how we can help you. We then aim to provide assistance according to your individual circumstances and local conditions. Our priority is to provide assistance to those British nationals overseas that need our help the most. Our contact with you may be in person, or by telephone or in writing.

In China when you are detained or arrested, the Police will, generally speaking, inform the British Embassy or the Consulates officially in writing. It usually takes a few days before we receive their notification. Police may also inform your employer.  Sometimes, they may allow you to make a phone call to inform your family/friends yourself before the detention. 

We can also:

• Provide a list of local English-speaking lawyers and interpreters.
• Provide general information about the country, detention conditions, and the local legal system (including if legal aid is available).
• Provide general information about the local prison or remand system, including visiting arrangements, mail and censorship, and welfare services.
• Keep in regular contact with you, either by visiting or by telephone/letter. The frequency of contact will depend on local conditions and your personal circumstances.
• Tell the police or prison doctor, with your permission, about any medical or dental problems including medication.
• Put you, or your family, in touch with a prisoners’ welfare charity called Prisoners Abroad.
• In some circumstances we may be able to help take up complaints with the police or prison authorities about ill treatment, personal safety, or discrimination, if you are not treated in line with internationally recognised standards.
• Help to transfer money to you from your friends or family. In places where phone or postal services are not available, we can also try to pass on messages and deliver letters to the prison (but generally we cannot arrange for delivery directly to you).
• In some circumstances we may be able to help you apply for a transfer to a prison in the UK.

What we cannot do

• Get you out of prison or detention.
• Help you get special treatment because you are British.
• Offer legal advice, start legal proceedings or investigate a crime.
• Pay for any costs because you have been arrested.
• Forward you packages sent by friends or family.
• Prevent authorities from deporting you after release.

If you have dual nationality and are imprisoned in the country of your other nationality the British Embassy or the Consulates would not be able to assist you formally, under international law. Consular staff will provide whatever informal assistance the local authorities will allow. China does not recognise dual nationality. If you were born in China to a Chinese national parent, you will most likely be considered by the Chinese authorities to have Chinese nationality and our support may be very limited. Nationality in China (accessible) - GOV.UK

1.2 First steps

Informing family members

If you want us to, we can tell your family or friends that you have been detained and provide them with information about how to contact you. With your consent, we can also keep them updated on your wellbeing. 

If you are not sure about informing your family, we can help you consider what the impact of not doing so might be. For example, it may cause them distress if they do not know where you are or cannot contact you. It can also be a disadvantage to you if you need someone to send you money or act on your behalf while you are detained.

Informing the UK police

If you are accused of certain serious offences, such as sexual assault or drugs trafficking, we are obliged to share information about your arrest with UK police. Information about this may appear if a Criminal Records Bureau check were carried out by a prospective employer. There may be other circumstances when information about you may need to be shared with authorities in China.

Legal assistance: lawyers

We cannot give legal advice, start legal proceedings, or investigate a crime. However, we can provide information about the local legal system, including whether a free legal aid scheme is available. We can also give you a list of local interpreters and a list of local English-speaking lawyers. You should consider the benefits of local legal representation and discuss all the costs beforehand with the legal representative. We cannot pay your legal or interpretation costs in any circumstance.

Consular assistance: fair treatment        

We cannot get you out of prison or detention or get you special treatment because you are British. If you are not treated in line with internationally accepted standards, we will consider whether to approach the local authorities if you would like us to do so. This may include if your trial does not follow internationally recognised standards or is unreasonably delayed compared to local cases.

Other organisations that can provide assistance

We can put you, or your family, in touch with Prisoners Abroad, a UK charity which supports British citizens detained overseas and their families.

2. Detention conditions in China

2.1 Visits: friends and family

Who can visit and how to arrange visits

You should consult FCDO travel advice before you travel to China for the latest information on safety and security, entry requirements and travel warnings.

Generally speaking, only consular staff and your lawyer are allowed to visit you before trial and while you are in the detention centre. Your family within China may be allowed to call you during the interim, this depends on the instructions of detention centre in China. You can receive family visits when you are transferred to prison if you were found guilty and received a custodial sentence. The local authorities may request to see the proof of relationship of you to your next of kin e.g. a marriage certificate or a birth certificate. Visit by friends may be allowed during administrative detention, however it is not allowed if you are in criminal detention and in prison.

After sentencing, you will be allowed to receive family visits. Some prisons only allow immediate families to visit you - such as spouse, parents, and children. For those family members who are not married they cannot visit. Other family members may be allowed to visit with special permission and on case-by-case basis.

The first family visit should be requested by Embassy/Consulate to the Prison authority in writing and can take a long time before permission is granted. So please inform us as early as possible if you know a family member wants to visit. Any follow up visits can be requested directly to the prison authorities by family members. If the family members are Chinese, they would need to apply directly to the prison authorities.   

What to expect when you visit

All visitors need to bring their ID card, or other officially recognised ID documentation. Visitors are only allowed to the visiting area and are not allowed to enter other parts of the prison. Visiting guidance and the rules for visiting should be clearly displayed in the prison. This is usually issued by the prison to visitors, listing how and what can be taken during the visit, how many visitors are allowed for one visit, how long visitors can stay, etc. In most prisons in China, a glass window will separate the visitor from the prisoners, and security guards will be on both sides (sometimes right next to you), monitoring.

What you can take on your visit

The rules on what visitors can bring varies in different facilities. Prior approval is usually required from the authority before visitors can bring anything to you.  Generally speaking, clothing and reading materials are usually allowed but must follow prison rules. Different prisons and detention centres may have different rules and requirements for reading materials. All reading materials will be checked by the prison before they can be passed on to you. Some prisons may allow visitors to bring snacks. There are restrictions around some items e.g. alcohol, inflammable substances, tools and glass.

Visits: consular staff

We aim to contact you as soon as we have been notified (whether by family, friends or Chinese official) and visit you if that is what you want. The aim of the visit is to check on your welfare and to ensure that you are not being treated any worse than local nationals. At the initial meeting, if you wish to have no more contact with the Embassy/Consulate, please inform us and we will respect your wishes. You can change your mind at any point.

We aim to keep in regular contact with you after our initial contact, either by visiting personally or by telephone/letter. The frequency of contact will depend on local prison conditions and your personal circumstances. We usually contact you every month when you are in detention centre, and every three to six months when you are in prison, but if we class you as particularly vulnerable, we will contact you more often.

Consular visits are approximately 30 minutes long and are jointly attended by prison/detention officers and the authority who leads the investigation of your case. During our visit, we are not permitted to discuss the specifics of your case.

You can write to us at any time on matters of concern, but if it is urgent, it may be quicker to ask prison authorities to contact us on your behalf.

Emergency trips outside of prison

These are discretional, require agreement from the local authority, and are considered on a case-by-case basis.

2.2 Police custody and initial arrival at prison

Arriving at the police station: your basic rights

When you are detained or arrested, in most cases, you can be held in the police station up to 24 hours, during which period you are questioned, and Police conduct an initial investigation, before they decide whether to proceed with charges against you or not. Generally speaking, Police provide an interpretation service if you are not proficient in Chinese language, but this arrangement may take some time.

If the Police decide to charge you, you will be transferred to a detention centre. You may be allowed a short telephone call/ message to inform your friend or family member or the Embassy/Consulate. During this call you will be able to ask your contact to bring you some basic daily necessities such as medications, socks, underwear, a small amount of cash, etc. 

Appearing at court

In criminal cases, if you don’t have a lawyer, there will be a court-appointed/pro bono lawyer to represent you, for which there is no charge. Usually, the court-appointed lawyer is appointed at a very late stage and will arrange to meet you just before the court hearing. If the lawyer does not speak English, he will be accompanied by a court-appointed interpreter. 

Initial arrival at the detention centre/prison

The detention centre or prison will conduct a medical check for detainees/prisoners.  You need to tell the medical staff all information about your health and medication, to ensure you get proper treatment when you need. 

The cash you have with you will be deposited in your personal account, with which you can purchase basic necessities in the small shop in detention centre. 

Your personal belongings that were with you when you were first detained will be held by the prison or detention centre who will return them to you on your release.

2.3 Prison: conditions and daily life

There are two main kinds of detention in China: Administrative and Criminal. 

Administrative detention is usually given to people who violate the Chinese Immigration law or the Public Security Administration Punishment Law. You do not go through a court process but can be sentenced to a detention from 5 days to 15 days, a fine, deportation, travel ban, or all of the afore mentioned. You may be detained further while awaiting deportation.

Criminal detention is given to people who are suspected to have committed a criminal offense under Chinese Law. Such detentions will need to go through the Chinese judicial process, including possible trial. Proceedings can take more than one year before they go to trial. If found guilty, a custodial sentence is normally passed. Time already spent in detention before the trial is deducted from the sentence. People with a custodial sentence are usually transferred from detention centre to prison to serve the rest of sentence. 

Accommodation

Living conditions are basic in detention centres and prisons, and may vary between cities and provinces, however meals, medical care and other basic necessities should be provided in all detention centres and prisons. 

In detention centres, one cell may hold over 30 inmates, and it is common for detainees to only have a basic sleeping set and sleep on the floor. You may need to purchase toiletries at the shop based at the detention centre. In prisons, lights are left on 24/7. Generally, one cell may hold 10 to 20 inmates, and there will be bunk beds. Each cell has a separate toilet or a bucket and wash basin. There is a shower room to which you normally get access a few times a week, but hot water may not be available.

Most detention centres and prisons have a shop which sells food items and toiletries, and you will have to pay for these items out of your own money via the personal account. In some prisons, the amount of money you are allowed to receive and spend will depend on the ‘level’ you are on, which is based on whether you pleaded guilty or innocent.

Prisons and Detention centres usually try to put English speaking prisoners together, but there are times you may find you are the only English speaker. 

Food and diet

Three basic meals are provided per day. Chinese cabbage is common, and meat and eggs are provided but very limited. Usually, prisons will provide a Muslim diet for Muslims. If you need extra food, drinks or fruits, you will need to buy them from the prison shop, once or twice a month depending on the facility.

Hygiene

If you need medical care whilst in the detention centre or prison, you should tell the detention/prison officers. They will normally arrange for you to see the detention/prison doctor. If your request for treatment is refused, please tell us as soon as possible. Sometimes, it can be difficult for you to receive dental checks or treatment in the detention centre or prison.

Work and study

Once you are sentenced and transferred from detention centre to prison, you will be required to take up some work if you are able or eligible. Prison also encourages prisoners to study, but the subject has to be approved by them first. If you are above 70 years of age, you will not have to work, but will have to attend, and watch others working or help others out in the kitchen. Work can include making ear buds, fixing valves to cups, sticking stamps to envelopes for China post and coiling copper wire, etc. 

Contact and languages

While in detention, you will not be allowed to make phone calls, although the authorities will sometimes allow you to receive them from the Embassy/Consulate.

If you are in prison, you may be allowed to make phone calls, but this varies. Overseas phone calls may need to be arranged via the Embassy/Consulate.

You may send and receive letters, but they will be inspected by the responsible authorities. This could be the police, prosecutors, courts or prison authorities. Sometimes the authority will need to make translations before they can inspect them, so this could take months for letters you write to be released. The prison may withhold any letter with content which is deemed improper by the authority, for example criticism of the conditions. 

Please note that we cannot forward parcels to your family on your behalf. Your personal belongings that were with you when you were first detained will be held by the prison or detention centre who will return them to you on your release.

You can request local language materials through the post from Prisoners Abroad (including language textbooks and dictionaries).

Exercise

Opportunities for exercises should be available each week, mainly indoor in detention centres and outdoor in prisons. Entertainment is limited. There are TVs in most prisons and detention centres, but use is limited, and programmes are normally in Chinese. Some prisons and detention centres hold small libraries with English books.  

Climate

China is huge and the country has a great variety of climates. Winter is freezing cold in the north, while it’s mild in the south. Heating is provided in prisons in northern China. Summer is hot everywhere, except in highlands.

Religion

There is no specific religious services in detention centres/prisons in China. Practice of religion would be at the discretion of the local authorities and should be made by request. Religious leaders would need to apply for a visit subject to approval by the prison authorities.

Rules and regulations (including drugs)

Prison rules and regulations are explained to prisoners. Every cell has a designated Guan Jiao (officer in charge), who will look after the health and safety of the detainee/prisoner. China has a zero-tolerance policy to drugs, including within any prison or detention centre in China. Further criminal charges and punishment would be applied to those attempting to receive drugs in prison. 

Tobacco cigarettes are not permitted in any detention/prison facilities.

2.4 Prison: access to help and services

Receiving money

There are 2 ways you may be able to receive financial assistance while in prison:

• Private funds: deposited to you by your family or friends.
• Prisoners Abroad: depending on the country where you are detained, if your family cannot support you financially, Prisoners Abroad may be able to send you a small grant every quarter for essentials (enough for one hot meal a day).

The UK government does not provide financial assistance to prisoners.

Private funds

While the FCDO does not provide financial assistance to prisoners, we may be able, within certain limits, to send you money from your family or friends. Please note that you cannot have cash sent to you in the post.

The FCDO operates a ‘Prison Comfort’ system for money transfers to prisoners. Ask your family or friends to get in touch with the FCDO to arrange this.

We cannot receive payment by credit or debit card, or by cash.

As an alternative, if your family/friends are in China, they can send money to you either by postal order or by bank transfer (if you have been given a Chinese bank account). Some prisons/detention centres may require an individual to visit the prison/detention centre to make the deposit. If your family/friend are in the UK and cannot transfer money to you, they can send it via the FCDO within certain limits. It does not cover the transfer of lawyers’ fees. Please note that we can accept only one transfer of funds for prisoner comforts per calendar month of up to £100 without charging fees. 

Prisoners Abroad

Prisoners Abroad may be able to assist you with funding for prison essentials and some medical care if you are not receiving regular funding from other sources. If you have no access to funds and have signed up with Prisoners Abroad, you can apply for the Craig Feehan Fund (CFF). If your application is successful, Prisoners Abroad will send you a small regular amount (£25 per month) to cover necessities.

Medical and Dental treatment

While you are detained, China is responsible for ensuring your basic medical needs are met.

There usually are three levels of medical service. The first one is the clinic inside the detention centre or prison. If you have a more serious illness, the clinic doctor can refer you to the second level the Prison Hospital which is a general hospital within the prison system. If required, with permission from the prison authority, they can also arrange to take you to a public hospital outside the prison system for any necessary checks. If you are diagnosed with a serious illness and are serving a fixed-term sentence or in criminal detention, you may request medical parole. The Chinese authorities will decide if the medical parole will be granted in accordance with the laws and regulations. If you have any long-standing medical problems and have received treatment in the UK, it may be useful to have your medical records (or a medical report) sent from the UK for the information of the prison doctor/specialist. Consular staff may ask you to complete a medical record consent form to facilitate this

Please note that in the unfortunate event that you are diagnosed with a potentially terminal disease (i.e. cancer), this will not automatically mean you will be released early. In the event of this happening, the British Embassy/Consulates would consider asking for medical parole, but there is no guarantee that this will be considered by the Chinese authorities.

With your permission, we can make sure that any medical or dental problems you might have are brought to the attention of any police or prison doctor. We can also contact your GP in the UK, if the police or prison doctor requests previous medical records.

Making a complaint about mistreatment

If you feel you have been mistreated, you should inform Consular staff as soon as it is safe for you to do so. We will do our best to visit you as soon as possible, to check on your welfare, discuss the allegations, and explain any local complaints’ procedures and supportive organisations that you may wish to consider. With your permission, and where appropriate, we will consider approaching the local authorities if you have not been treated in line with internationally accepted standards. If you have been mistreated, try to see a doctor, obtain a medical report and if possible, get photographs of the injuries you have received.

3. The China judicial system

3.1 Overview

The system is very different to the UK. Your case will go through stages including initial detention at a detention centre, formal arrest, then a court hearing before a verdict is made. It can take from six months to more than one year before a verdict is announced, depending on the severity and complexity of the crime.

When you are detained, the police will do an initial investigation which can take up to one month. After that, they will submit your case to the Prosecutor’s Office for approval. When the Prosecutor’s Office approves your arrest, the police will be given more time to carry out a formal investigation. This formal investigation period is two months, but they can apply for several extensions. Once the police complete their investigation, they will submit the case to the Prosecutor’s Office again for review. If the Prosecutor’s Office feel further evidence is needed after reviewing the case, they can send it back to the police to carry out supplementary investigations. These can take several months. Once the Prosecutor’s Office are satisfied with the case, it will be submitted to the court. The court can take several months to set a date for a hearing, and verdict may be announced at another hearing a few months later.

Throughout these stages, you will remain in the detention centre unless you have been given bail. The time you spend in the detention centre from formal arrest will be deducted from your sentence if you receive one. If sentenced, you will be transferred to a prison. The process for this can vary from one week to months.

Prisoners sentenced to imprisonment tend to have more relaxed conditions, depending on where you are in China. Telephone calls will be permitted to family members as well more regular opportunities to exercise.

The FCDO cannot interfere with the judicial system. We cannot ask for your case to be judged more quickly just because you are British or ask the authorities to waive any penalties.

3.2 First steps

What should happen after you are arrested

When you are detained or arrested, the Police will inform you of the reason for your arrest. You are allowed to make a brief call to inform your family/friend/lawyer yourself before the detention. If you don’t speak Chinese, local authority will normally arrange an interpreter. 

If you have any questions on the legal aspects of your arrest, contact your lawyer.

What happens when I am charged?

You will be charged when you are formally arrested. You will remain in the detention centre and police will carry on their formal investigation on the case. You can, at any stage of your case, decide whether you need to hire a legal representative or to wait for a pro bono lawyer to be appointed for you. You can share your decision with the local authorities or tell us during our visit with you. We are unable to find or pay for legal service for you, but we can pass your decision to your family/friend who you want us to tell. 

During the process, you may be required to sign some paper documents, please make sure you only sign after you fully understand and agree with the contents.  If the documents are written in Chinese, without an English translation version, normally an interpreter is arranged to explain contents for you.  If not, you can request a translation. 

Bail

Generally, there is no option of bail for foreign nationals. On rare occasions, we see people who receive bail when they have minor offences and are settled in China, but this is done on a case-by-case basis. People who are on bail will be restricted on their movement which means they cannot leave the country, and their passports are usually held by the authorities.

If a bail deposit fund is required, with your consent, we can help contact your family/friend who may be willing to help.

The FCDO cannot transfer bail funds.

3.3 Trial and legal assistance

Legal assistance: lawyers and legal aid

You or your family can hire a lawyer for you. Consular staff cannot give legal advice, but the British Embassy/Consulate can provide you with a list of English-speaking lawyers in China. We cannot recommend a particular lawyer or help you pay for any legal fees. The lawyer must be a Chinese national to represent you in the court. 

If you do not hire or cannot afford a lawyer, a pro bono lawyer may be appointed by the court however this is usually at the last stage of the process.

If you wish to hire a private lawyer, please see a list of English-speaking lawyers China: lawyers and translators/interpreters - GOV.UK.

Prisoners Abroad can also supply general (non-country specific) information on legal aid, court proceedings and can advise on appointing a lawyer.

Trial

There are open trials and closed trials. Most cases are open, but cases involve minors or sex offences are usually closed. There may be more than one hearing if the case involves several defendants or is complicated. Usually, family and friends can attend the hearing as observers, but they must submit applications to the court in advance via a lawyer or Embassy/Consulate (when there is no lawyer). 

Sentences

Sentence details are included in the judgement/verdict issued by court, either on the court hearing date, or on a date the judge announces at hearing. Other details, i.e. fine, victim compensation, disqualification, prison, are also included in the verdict. If a deportation order is included in the sentence, a British national is automatically deported to the UK, rather than a third country.  

Appeals

After the judgement is announced, you will receive the English translation. If you wish to appeal, you must inform your lawyer within 10 days. 

3.4 Reaching the end of your sentence

Reduction of sentence (remission)

According to Chinese prison law, prisoners can receive sentence reductions if they meet certain conditions. Good behaviour is one of them. You can earn points for good behaviour, which can count towards a reduction in sentence. 

You must serve a certain portion of your sentence before you are eligible for a sentence reduction. You also need to admit you are guilty and show remorse before you can make a reduction application. If there is a financial penalty in your sentence, you will be asked to pay the fine as well to receive reduction. The reduction must be approved by the court. 

Prison should provide you with more information with regards their regulations. The Embassy or Consulate have no influence on this.

Clemency or pardon

Generally, there is no provision for clemency or pardon.

Financial penalties

Financial penalties need to be paid in order to receive a reduction in sentence.

Transfer to another prison within China

We are unaware of a successful transfer to another prison. A request would need to be made to the Chinese Prison authorities.

Transfer to a prison in the UK

There is currently no Prisoner Transfer Agreement between China and the UK.

Release and deportation

If you have received a deportation order in your sentence, you will probably be deported on the day you are released. The local authority will usually contact the Embassy/Consulates several weeks before a prisoner is to be released to organise a passport or travel document if needed and to arrange a flight home. You will be asked to pay for this. If you cannot, we can help you try to obtain the money from other sources, such as family and friends etc. We cannot pay for a flight for you. We can also liaise between you and your family and the police with regards to release and deportation. If no funds of any kind are available, we will inform the Chinese authority who may then make arrangements for your flight to be funded, however this may cause delays in your deportation.

Sometimes people find that they face difficulties adjusting to life in the UK once they have left prison. You may find yourself ready for life on the outside but not prepared for living in the UK. You may not have lived in the UK before and have no connections there, or perhaps you have lost touch with friends and family. You may want to talk to another person who understands what you have been through, to help you consider what to do next.

If you are registered with Prisoners Abroad, you can arrange an appointment with their Resettlement Team when you first arrive back in UK. They can help with for advice, temporary luggage store, make essential phone calls or use a computer. If you have no belongings Prisoners Abroad may be able to help with basic toiletries and finding suitable clothing. If you know your release date in advance you should tell the Prisoner and Family Team when you are likely to arrive and what help you think you might need. If you have no money and nowhere to go, Prisoners Abroad’s Resettlement Service can help with:

• Advice on finding emergency accommodation in the London area.
• Claiming welfare benefits, including emergency benefit payments if you are destitute.
• Making appointments with doctors and dentists.
• Putting you in touch with local agencies if you are not returning to the London area.

Later on, you may want advice on housing, looking for work, applying for training or getting counselling. Prisoners Abroad can refer you to the right agency.

Other sources of practical help back in the UK are:

The Salvation Army

UK Helpline 020 7367 4500, or contact your local Salvation Army branch

The Prison Fellowship

UK Helpline 020 7799 2500, Monday to Friday 10 AM to 15.30 PM.

Your criminal record in the UK

We will not normally pass on information about your case to a third party without your consent. However, if you’re arrested for certain serious offences, such as child sex abuse or drugs crimes, our staff must tell other relevant UK authorities. It is possible that information about this may appear if a Criminal Records Bureau check were carried out by a prospective employer.

4. Additional information

4.1 Prisoners Abroad

Since 1978 the charity Prisoners Abroad has offered practical support and advice to British citizens imprisoned abroad. It is the only UK charity providing this service. It is available to all, whether guilty or innocent, convicted or awaiting charge or trial. Prisoners Abroad supports your health and welfare during your imprisonment. It can also provide support on your return to the UK, through their resettlement service (if you have registered whilst in prison). They can also provide support and advice to your family when you are in prison. To access any services, you must first register with Prisoners Abroad by signing and returning their authorisation form.

Once you seek help from Prisoners Abroad, the Prisoner & Family Support Service will be your point of contact for advice and information. The type of assistance they can offer varies from country to country, but generally they can provide you with information, in English, on:

• Your rights as a prisoner.
• Issues that may affect you such as health or transfer to the UK.
• Getting magazines, newspapers, books and the regular Prisoners Abroad newsletter.
• Learning the language of your country of imprisonment.
• Translating documents.
• Grants for food if you are in a developing country and do not have funds from other sources.
• Grants for essential medicines and toiletries if you do not have funds from other sources.
• Preparing for release.
• Help for your loved ones, including information, family support groups and, in a few cases, assistance with the cost of visiting.
• Freepost envelopes to help you stay in touch with others.

Prisoners Abroad

UK Helpline +44 (0)20 7561 6820 -select option 1 or for your relatives in the UK, Freephone: 0808 172 0098

9.30am and 1pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 9.30am and 4.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday, UK time

89 – 93 Fonthill Road

London N4 3JH

UK

4.2 Glossary of terms

Key phrases – English into Chinese

English	Chinese Characters/pinyin
Detention centre officer	管教 guan jiao
Court	法院 fa yuan
Police	警察 jing cha
Prosecutor	检察官 jian cha guan
Hearing Session	开庭Kai ting
Guilty	有罪 you zui
Innocent	无罪 wu zui
Prison	监狱 jian yu
Lawyer	律师 lü shi
Complaint	投诉 tou su
Deportation	驱逐出境 qu zhu chu jing
Embassy	大使馆 da shi guan
Interpreter	翻译 fan yi
Judgement	判决书 pan jue shu
Prison rules	监狱条例 jian yu tiao li
Release	释放 shi fang
Sentence reduction	减刑 jian xing
Sentence	判决 pan jue
Telephone call	打电话 da dian hua
Visit	探视 tan shi
Diarrhoea	腹泻 fu xie
Headache	头疼 tou teng
Fever	发烧 fa shao
Toothache	牙痛 ya tong
Stomach-ache	腹痛 fu tong
Blood test	验血 yan xue
Doctor	医生 yi sheng
Clinic	卫生所 wei sheng suo
Hospital	医院 yi yuan
Blood Pressure	血压 xue ya
Food	食品 shi pin
Vegetable	蔬菜 shu cai
Vegetarian	素食者 su shi zhe
Meat	肉 rou
Pork	猪肉 zhu rou
Beef	牛肉 niu rou
Chicken	鸡肉 ji rou
Eat	吃 chi
Drinking Water	饮用水 yin yong shui
To Buy	买 mai
Money	钱 qian
Fruit	水果 shui guo
Vitamins	维生素 wei sheng su
Allergic reaction	过敏 guo min
Bed	床 chuang
Shower	洗澡 xi zao
Toilet	厕所 ce suo
Book	书 shu
paper	纸 zhi
Pen	笔 bi
Library	图书馆 tu shu guan

4.3 Annex

FCDO guidance: Support for British nationals abroad

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide

FCDO guidance: Arrested or in prison abroad

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arrest-or-detention/arrested-abroad-advice-for-british-nationals

List of English-Speaking Lawyers

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/china-list-of-lawyers/list-of-lawyers-in-china

List of Private Translators/Interpreters

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/china-list-of-lawyers/list-of-translators-and-interpreters-in-china

Prisoners Abroad Forms

https://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/arrest-and-imprisonment