International Emergency Numbers Reference

112 works on almost every mobile network worldwide. When in doubt in any country, dial 112. Mobile carriers route this number to the local emergency dispatch regardless of whether you have a SIM, credit, or roaming agreement.

The Universal Standard: 112

112 is the international emergency number standardised by the International Telecommunication Union and mandated across all EU member states. On GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks worldwide, 112 will connect to emergency services even:

• Without a SIM card
• On a locked phone (no PIN entered)
• With no credit or active plan
• While roaming outside your home carrier's coverage
• Even when the phone shows "No Service" on other calls

⚠️ In the United States and Canada, 911 is the primary emergency number. However, 112 also works on US and Canadian networks and will route to 911 dispatch.

Calling from a Locked Phone

Most smartphones allow emergency calls without unlocking:

Platform	Method
iPhone (iOS)	On lock screen: swipe or press "Emergency Call" button
Android	On lock screen: tap "Emergency" beneath the PIN/password field
Older phones	Dial 112 — calls route without unlocking on most devices

What to Say When You Call

When connected to emergency services, provide information in this order:

1. Your location — address, intersection, landmark, GPS coordinates. This is the single most critical piece of information.
2. Nature of emergency — fire, medical, crime in progress, accident.
3. Number of people involved — injured, unconscious, trapped.
4. Your name and callback number — in case the call drops.
5. Stay on the line unless specifically told to hang up.

If you cannot speak, dial the emergency number and leave the line open — dispatchers are trained to trace silent calls.

Emergency Numbers by Region

North America

Country	Police	Fire	Medical	Notes
United States	911	911	911	Single number for all; 112 also works
Canada	911	911	911	Single number; 112 also works
Mexico	911	911	911	Unified 911 since 2017

Europe

Country	Police	Fire	Medical	General Emergency
All EU Countries	112	112	112	112 (mandatory)
United Kingdom	999	999	999	112 also works
Germany	110	112	112	—
France	17	18	15	112
Spain	091	080	061	112
Italy	113	115	118	112
Netherlands	112	112	112	—
Sweden	112	112	112	—
Norway	112	110	113	—
Switzerland	117	118	144	112
Russia	112	101	103	112
Turkey	155	110	112	112
Ukraine	102	101	103	112
Poland	997	998	999	112

Asia-Pacific

Country	Police	Fire	Medical	Notes
Australia	000	000	000	Primary; 112 also works on mobile
New Zealand	111	111	111	112 also works
Japan	110	119	119	Fire and medical share 119
China	110	119	120	No English dispatchers in most areas
India	112	101	102/108	112 unified system since 2019
South Korea	112	119	119	Fire and medical share 119
Singapore	999	995	995	—
Hong Kong	999	999	999	—
Thailand	191	199	1669	—
Indonesia	110	113	118/119	—
Philippines	911	911	911	—
Malaysia	999	994	999	—
Vietnam	113	114	115	—
Bangladesh	999	999	999	—
Pakistan	15	16	1122	Varies by province
Sri Lanka	119	110	110/1990	—
Nepal	100	101	102	—

Middle East and Africa

Country	Police	Fire	Medical	Notes
Saudi Arabia	999	998	997	—
UAE	999	997	998	—
Israel	100	102	101	—
Turkey	155	110	112	112
Egypt	122	180	123	—
South Africa	10111	10111	10177	—
Kenya	999	999	999	—
Nigeria	199	—	—	Limited coverage outside major cities
Ethiopia	911	939	907	—
Ghana	191	192	193	—

Latin America and Caribbean

Country	Police	Fire	Medical	Notes
Brazil	190	193	192	—
Argentina	911	100	107	—
Colombia	123	119	125	—
Chile	133	132	131	—
Peru	105	116	117	—
Venezuela	171	171	171	—
Cuba	106	105	104	—

TTY / Text Emergency Services

Many countries now offer emergency text messaging for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or in situations where speaking is dangerous:

Country	Service	Method
United States	Text-to-911	SMS to 911 (where available — check local coverage)
United Kingdom	Emergency SMS	Register at emergencysms.net first, then text 999
Australia	106	TTY service; triple zero for general SMS
Canada	Various	Text 911 (available in growing number of areas)

Satellite Phone Emergency

If calling from a satellite phone, you cannot dial a standard 3-digit emergency number because the call does not route through a local carrier. Instead:

• Iridium satellite phones: Dial +1-480-768-2500 (IERCC — Iridium Emergency Response)
• Inmarsat: Dial 505 (Maritime) or check device documentation
• Starlink / broadband: Use IP-based emergency calling if available in your region

Garmin inReach and similar satellite messengers have a dedicated SOS button that routes through their own coordination centres — do not try to make a call.

Quick Reference

Situation	Action
Emergency in unknown country	Dial 112 — works on all GSM networks
Phone is locked	Swipe to "Emergency Call" on lock screen; dial 112
Phone has no SIM	Dial 112 — calls route without SIM on GSM networks
Language barrier with dispatcher	Stay on line; give location clearly; indicate emergency with tone/context
Deaf or unable to speak	Text 911 (US, check local availability) or register for UK Emergency SMS
Emergency in US	911 (or 112)
Emergency in Europe	112
Emergency in Japan	110 (police) or 119 (fire/ambulance)
Emergency in Australia	000 (or 112)
Emergency in India	112