Services

Sending Emergency Funds to China

What are the different methods for my friends and family to send emergency funds to China?

OCS Trust
An OCS Trust can be used to send money to a U.S. citizen in an emergency financial situation. When one uses this service, a Department of State trust account is established in the recipient’s name in order to forward funds overseas. There is a $30 processing fee. The person sending the funds must transfer the money to the Department of State via Western Union, bank wire, or cashier’s check. Upon receipt, the Department of State sends a telegram to the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad authorizing next workday disbursement. The recipient must contact the Embassy or Consulate to arrange receipt; funds are normally disbursed in the foreign country’s currency and not in U.S. dollars. Depending on the method used to transfer funds to the Department of State, it can take 3-10 business days to complete the transfer to the recipient overseas.

Western Union
In light of the time required to process an OCS Trust transaction, many prefer to work directly with Western Union to send money overseas. Western Union operates in China in partnership with the China Courier Service Corp. The money transfer information is sent through the company's international computer network. The recipient can collect the funds a few minutes after the transaction is complete. Funds can be picked up in person, or delivered by courier to the recipient at the address provided by the sender. At present, only US dollars or Chinese Renminbi Yuan can by transferred through this service. Western Union charges a 0.5% service fee. They have hundreds of locations in Beijing, please see their website for specific locations.

MoneyGram
Similar to Western Union, MoneyGram tranfers funds electronically through its network of over 50,000 international agents. However, unlike Western Union who charges a flat fee, MoneyGram’s fee is based on the origination and destination cities, amount of money sent, and the desired speed of transaction completion. MoneyGram has 38 locations in the Beijing Consular Discrtict, including six locations in Shanghai, two in Nanjing, and one in Wuxi, Suzhou and Ningbo. Most CITIC Industrial Banks are MoneyGram Agents. Please see their website for locations.

What if no one can send me money?
In certain cases, the U.S. Embassy may be able to help a destitute American return home. However, applicants must meet strict criteria in order to qualify for a loan, and will not be permitted to leave the U.S. again until they repay the full amount of their loan. Assistance will not be provided to pay existing debts.