International

Emergency numbers

Reviewed 2026-07-26

Use at your own risk. For education and research only. Not medical advice. Check the numbers and rules for the country you are in, because they change. Before you rely on these cards, ask a medical professional or a fire safety specialist to review them. Disclaimer

Do this first

Dial 112. It works in every EU country, from a locked phone and without credit.

112 reaches police, fire and ambulance across the European Union and in more than 70 countries worldwide. The dispatcher chooses which service to send, so you do not have to work out which one you need.

Step by step

Say where you are first. Give the street and number, the town, a landmark, a road marker, or the GPS position from your phone.
Say what happened in one sentence. A fall, a fire, a crash, chest pain.
Say how many people are hurt, and whether anyone is unconscious or not breathing.
Give your phone number, in case the line drops and they need to call back.
Stay on the line. The dispatcher tells you when the call is over.
Follow the instructions exactly. That includes starting chest compressions if you are told to.
Send someone out to the street to wave the ambulance in, and unlock doors and gates.

Never do this

Do not hang up before the dispatcher says you can.
Do not use the emergency line for general medical questions. Call the non-urgent health line instead.
Do not assume someone else has already called. Ask out loud and confirm it.

Call emergency services if

Someone is unconscious, breathing abnormally or not breathing at all.
Chest pain, sudden weakness on one side, sudden confusion or trouble speaking.
Bleeding that soaks through dressings, a serious fall, a fire or a crash.

Common questions

Does 112 work without credit or a SIM card?

Without credit, yes, anywhere. On mobile networks a locked phone can still reach 112, and it uses any available network, whoever the operator is. Without a SIM card it depends on the country. Most EU states allow it. Germany blocked SIM-less emergency calls in July 2009 and France in 2004, both because of hoax calls. Do not count on it abroad. Keep a working SIM in the phone.

What if I do not speak the local language?

Ask for English. Most 112 centres in the EU have interpreters or an English-speaking operator. Give your location first anyway, because numbers and street names carry across languages.