How to Call Emergency Services in a Foreign Country
A complete step-by-step guide โ from what to say and how to describe your location, to language barriers, hotel phones, and what to do when your phone is dead.
1. Step-by-Step Guide
Whether you are witnessing a medical emergency, have been the victim of a crime, or are facing a fire abroad, the following steps apply in almost every country. The order matters โ particularly putting location before everything else.
Stay calm โ take one deep breath
Panic reduces your ability to communicate clearly and think through the situation. Take one deliberate breath, then assess. You have more time than your brain is telling you.
Assess the situation
Determine which service you need: ambulance (medical emergency), police (crime, danger, lost documents), or fire (fire, gas leak, entrapment). This determines which number you dial in countries that use separate numbers.
Find the correct number
Open this website or your pre-saved emergency card. Different countries use different numbers โ do not assume 911 works everywhere. In Europe: 112. USA/Canada: 911. Australia: 000. Japan: 110 (police) or 119 (ambulance/fire).
Dial the number
Emergency calls are free from any phone, including mobile phones without a SIM card, on a locked screen, with zero credit, or on a foreign network. If your phone is locked, the 'Emergency Call' option appears on the lock screen on all major smartphones.
State your location first
The single most important thing you can tell an operator is WHERE you are. Your location before everything else โ including your name, what happened, or who you are. Operators need to dispatch help to a location, and cannot do so without it.
Stay on the line
Do not hang up unless the operator tells you to. Even if you cannot speak, leave the call open โ operators can trace location, hear background sounds, and keep the line live for returning responders. The call itself is a lifeline.
2. Language Barrier
Language barriers are one of the most common fears travellers have about calling emergency services abroad. The reality is more manageable than most people expect โ emergency dispatchers deal with foreign callers regularly, and there are proven strategies that work.
๐ก First words to say
"English? ยท Anglais? ยท Inglรฉs? ยท Englisch?"
Say this immediately. Dispatchers in EU countries are legally required to provide English assistance. Most will connect you to an English-speaking operator within 30โ60 seconds.
Show your phone screen
Open this page or type the word EMERGENCY in large text. Show the screen to a nearby person โ people understand visual distress signals even without shared language. Point to the number you need called.
Google Translate offline
If you downloaded the language pack before travel, Google Translate works entirely offline. Tap the microphone icon, speak in English, and show the phone to the local person. The camera translation mode also works on street signs and medical forms.
Find a local to help
Young people in tourist areas often speak conversational English. Hotel staff, airport personnel, and restaurant workers in tourist destinations are usually reliable English speakers. Do not hesitate to ask a stranger โ people respond to genuine emergencies.
Use universal words
A small set of words is understood in virtually every country: HELP, AMBULANCE, POLICE, FIRE, HOSPITAL, DOCTOR. Pair with pointing gestures โ pointing to your chest for heart/breathing, pointing to a wound, pointing to smoke โ to communicate without language.
For a full set of emergency phrases in 20 languages, see our Emergency Translator tool โ
3. How to Describe Your Location
Your location is the single most important piece of information in any emergency call. Dispatchers cannot send help without knowing where to send it. In a foreign country, where you may not know the area, street names, or local geography, here is how to communicate your position accurately.
Street address
Look at the nearest street sign or building number. State the street name, building number, city, and country. Even one of these is better than nothing.
Nearby landmark
Name a hotel, restaurant, monument, or recognisable building. 'I am outside the Marriott on the main boulevard' is highly actionable for dispatch.
GPS coordinates (iPhone)
Open Maps app โ long-press on your location dot โ tap the coordinates that appear at the top to copy them. Read out as: latitude then longitude.
GPS coordinates (Android)
Open Google Maps โ tap the blue dot โ your coordinates appear at the top of the screen. Alternatively, hold-press any location on the map to drop a pin with coordinates.
What3Words
The What3Words app divides the world into 3m ร 3m squares, each with a unique 3-word address. Emergency services in 80+ countries can locate you from these 3 words alone.
๐ Pro tip: Screenshot your GPS location before leaving your hotel
Every morning, take a screenshot of your hotel's location on Google Maps. Even if your phone dies or loses signal, emergency services or locals can read the coordinates from the screenshot.
4. What to Tell the Operator
Emergency operators are trained to gather information quickly. You do not need to have a perfect script โ operators will ask you the right questions. But knowing what they need helps you answer faster and more clearly.
Which service you need (police / ambulance / fire)
Your exact location (address, landmark, or GPS)
What happened โ brief description
Number of people involved or injured
Your callback phone number
Any immediate dangers (gas, fire, armed person)
Speak slowly and clearly. Operators deal with panicked callers constantly โ they are trained to stay calm and guide you. If you are too distressed to speak, simply leave the line open: dispatchers are trained to trace location from open calls.
5. After You've Called
Calling emergency services is the beginning of the process, not the end. What you do in the minutes after the call can significantly affect the outcome.
Stay on the line
Do not hang up unless the operator specifically tells you to. The open line helps dispatchers track location and monitor the situation.
Send someone to meet the ambulance
If possible, send a person to the entrance of your building or the nearest junction to guide the ambulance directly to you.
Keep the line clear
Tell others around you not to call the same number โ multiple calls about the same incident can create confusion and slow dispatch.
Follow operator instructions
The operator may guide you through first aid steps while help is on the way. Follow their instructions exactly โ they are giving you information from trained medical dispatch protocols.
Clear access routes
If indoors, prop open doors and turn on lights. If outdoors, clear a space and ensure vehicles can reach you. Move any obstructions that would slow the ambulance.
Collect information
When services arrive, note the attending officer/paramedic details, the incident number, and the hospital they are taking the patient to โ you will need this for insurance claims.
6. Special Situations
Calling from a hotel room phone
In most hotels you must dial '9' (or sometimes '0') to get an outside line before dialling the emergency number. Example: 9-112 or 9-911. Some hotels have direct emergency buttons on the phone. Ask at check-in โ not during the emergency.
Calling from a landline or payphone
Emergency calls from payphones are free worldwide โ no coins needed. Landlines may require dialling without a country code. On a payphone, simply dial 112 or the local number directly. Note: landlines cannot be GPS-located, so describing your exact location is even more critical.
No mobile signal
Move to higher ground or an open area away from buildings. Try 112 โ it connects via any available network, including networks from other carriers. If there is truly zero signal, find a payphone, borrow a local's phone, or approach a nearby business or police officer.
Phone completely dead
Find the nearest hotel, restaurant, or public building and ask staff to call emergency services on your behalf. Alternatively, flag down a taxi or police vehicle. Pre-printed emergency cards in your wallet โ with your destination's numbers โ are invaluable in this situation.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best emergency number to call abroad? +
What should I say when I call emergency services in another country? +
How do I describe my location to emergency services in a foreign country? +
Can I call emergency services from a hotel room phone? +
What do I do if I have no phone signal in a foreign country emergency? +
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