Emergency numbers: what to dial, and where it is confirmed
Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK: 112 and the national police, ambulance and fire numbers, medical advice and poison lines, and text or app options for deaf or speech-impaired people. Every number links to the official page it came from.
Countries8Numbers and options43Last checked2026-10-21
Official source readwe read it on an official page
Partly verifiedconfirmed only in part, see the note
Not verifiedwe could not confirm it
Planning help, not legal advice.Every number links to the official page it came from. Where we could not confirm something, it says Not verified and tells you whom to ask. Numbers and services change: confirm on the official page. In a real emergency, do not read this page: call.
The summaries of official texts are in English; labels, country names and notes follow your language.
112 is the European emergency number, available everywhere in the EU, free of charge. You can call 112 from fixed and mobile phones to contact any emergency service: an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police.
062 reaches the Guardia Civil directly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If the case belongs to another police body, the Guardia Civil keeps you on the line until that body can help.
091 is the National Police emergency number for reporting a crime, making a complaint or getting information (the Sala del 091 covers the whole country). We read this in a policia.es PDF dated 2017 because the current police pages need a browser to render.
A separate national number for ambulance (061) or fire brigade (080/085): the official pages we read do not list one. Dial 112 for both. Check with your regional health service or fire brigade before relying on a regional number.
A national non-emergency police number and a national medical advice line: not found on the official pages we read. Check with your local Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil post, and with your regional health service.
Text or video access for deaf or speech-impaired callers: we found no confirmed national service. Spain's 112 is run by each autonomous community. Check with the 112 service of your community.
The EU page says operators in many countries can answer in English or French. It does not say which countries, so we cannot confirm English for this one. Say it in the local language if you can, or ask for English. Check with the national emergency service.
112 voice calls from fixed or mobile phones are free and available 24 hours a day. Use it only for situations that need immediate intervention of security forces, emergency or civil protection services. The calls are answered and routed by the 112 operations centres of the security forces.
Separate national numbers for PSP or GNR police, INEM ambulance and fire brigades: not listed on the official pages we read. Use 112. Check with psp.pt, gnr.pt or inem.pt for local station numbers.
Linha Saúde SNS 24 gives triage, advice and referral for illness. Clinical contact 24 hours a day, every day; administrative contact 8:00 to 22:00 every day.
CIAV (Centro de Informação Antivenenos, run by INEM) answers by phone, for the public and health workers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, staffed by medical personnel. The number has been free since 1 July 2019.
The MAI112 app lets deaf people reach 112 by video call with a Portuguese Sign Language interpreter, send quick messages and share their location. It is free, available 24/7 across the country, for Portuguese and foreign citizens.
The EU page says operators in many countries can answer in English or French. It does not say which countries, so we cannot confirm English for this one. Say it in the local language if you can, or ask for English. Check with the national emergency service.
15 is the Samu (emergency medical assistance), for example in case of heart failure. Calls to these emergency numbers are free, geolocated, prioritised and available 24/7 from landline or mobile.
0 800 112 112 is not a number to dial. Emergency services use it to call back people who contacted them. It is free and not spam; you can save it as Emergency services.
116 117 is a toll-free number being set up on an experimental basis in some departments (for example Corsica, Pays-de-la-Loire and Normandy): medical advice, referral to a doctor, home visits. Evenings from 8 pm, weekends from Saturday noon and public holidays; during weekdays it redirects to 15. Elsewhere it may not work. Check with your CPAM or town hall.
Poison control: the page says poison control centres are medical services in university hospitals but gives no single national number. Check with your pharmacist or the centre for your region. If someone is unwell, call 15.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or cannot speak, send a free text message to 114. You then communicate in writing only. Available 24/7. The 114 can also be reached by video through the Emergency 114 app.
The EU page says operators in many countries can answer in English or French. It does not say which countries, so we cannot confirm English for this one. Say it in the local language if you can, or ask for English. Check with the national emergency service.
112 is the emergency number for the fire brigade and the rescue service (voice call or emergency fax). The 116117 page also says to call 112 in life-threatening cases.
116117 is the patient service of the ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst: it helps outside practice hours when you would normally see a doctor but cannot wait until the next day. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week; free with a German phone contract. Not for life-threatening cases or dental emergencies.
nora is the official emergency call app of the German federal states: it sends emergency calls to police, fire brigade and rescue without speaking, and passes your location to the control centre. Install it and register with your mobile number and name before you need it. It adds to 110 and 112, it does not replace them.
The EU page says operators in many countries can answer in English or French. It does not say which countries, so we cannot confirm English for this one. Say it in the local language if you can, or ask for English. Check with the national emergency service.
112 is free and dialled without a prefix. The operator connects you to the right authority or service. The response centre receives the 112, 113, 115 and 118 lines and passes calls to Polizia di Stato, Carabinieri, Vigili del Fuoco, medical rescue or the coast guard. It works from a locked phone or one without a SIM.
Carabinieri: no separate number appears on the pages we read; the Vigili del Fuoco page says 112 reaches them through the single response centre. Use 112.
A national non-emergency police number and a national medical advice line (116117): not confirmed on the official pages we read. Check with your local ASL or the nearest questura.
The 112 Sordi service lets a deaf person call 800 800 112, then chat in text with the response centre after an SMS from the centre. Registration and use are free. This number comes from a Polizia di Stato article (2021, edited 2023); the Interior Ministry's 2025 portal page confirms the service still exists but does not repeat the number. Confirm it on the NUE 112 site.
The Where ARE U app (Android and iOS) sends your GPS position to the 112 operator and allows silent or text communication through a chat. Which regions it covers is not stated on the pages we read.
The EU page says operators in many countries can answer in English or French. It does not say which countries, so we cannot confirm English for this one. Say it in the local language if you can, or ask for English. Check with the national emergency service.
Separate public numbers for ambulance and fire brigade: the pages we read do not list any. Dial 112. Check with the Dutch government (rijksoverheid.nl) if you need to be sure.
Call 0900-8844 for a crime nearby or online that does not require urgency; +31 34 357 8844 is given for calls from abroad. The Dutch page does not state its opening hours or call cost.
Emergency SMS (e-sms): register once by texting aanmelden to 112, reply aanmelden akkoord when the 112 centre asks, and you get a confirmation text. After that you can text 112 in an emergency and the control room replies by text.
The 112NL app reaches the control room and lets you store personal details that go with a report; the page says it also suits people who do not speak Dutch or English well. The Tolkcontact app lets you call 112 with a sign-language interpreter.
The EU page says operators in many countries can answer in English or French. It does not say which countries, so we cannot confirm English for this one. Say it in the local language if you can, or ask for English. Check with the national emergency service.
Ireland has two emergency numbers, 999 and 112, both free from mobile or fixed phones. Use them for a medical emergency, a crime or incident happening now, or anyone in immediate danger. The main (blue light) services are An Garda Síochána, the Ambulance Service, the Fire Service and the Irish Coast Guard.
For non-emergency or general Garda enquiries, contact your nearest Garda station; the station numbers are in the Garda Station Directory. No single national number is given.
A national out-of-hours doctor or medical advice number: not found on the official pages we read. The HSE suggests your GP or pharmacist for non-urgent problems. Check with your GP surgery for its out-of-hours number.
The National Poisons Information Centre in Beaumont Hospital advises the public on accidental poisoning between 8am and 10pm every day. Between 10pm and 8am contact your GP or local emergency department; in an emergency call 999 or 112.
The Emergency SMS service lets deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people text 112 to reach the Emergency Call Answering Service. Register your mobile number first on 112.ie. Location is not sent with the SMS, so say where you are. Do not text 112 from an Irish phone when roaming, including in Northern Ireland. If you can make voice calls, keep calling 999 or 112. The 112.ie page gives the textphone relay as 1800 207999.
English is the working language of the services in Ireland, but the official pages we read do not state it for 112 or 999 calls. The EU page says operators in many countries answer in English or French.
GOV.UK lists 111 as the non-emergency medical advice number, free to call. NHS 111 can direct you to the best place for help when you think you need medical help right now but it is not an emergency; it is also online and in the NHS App (online for ages 5 and over; call for under 5s). This NHS page is for England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own arrangements.
Poison control: no public line confirmed on the official pages we read. Check with NHS 111 (England) or your pharmacist. If someone is unwell or unconscious, call 999.
Emergency SMS: register in advance by texting register to 999, then you can text 999 in an emergency. BSL users can use the 999 BSL app or website for video relay.
English is the national language, but the official pages we read do not state how 999 or 112 operators handle other languages. The EU page says operators in many countries answer in English or French.