🌍 Region Guide
🗺️
Emergency Numbers in the Americas
From 911 in the USA and Canada to country-specific numbers across Latin America — verified emergency contacts for the entire Western Hemisphere.
29 Countries
✅ Verified 2026
🇺🇸 911 Guide Included
📞
911 is the standard in North America — but not all of Latin America
The USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, and Ecuador all use 911 as their primary emergency number. However, Brazil uses 190 for police, 192 for ambulance, and 193 for fire. Chile's police is 133, and Peru's is 105. Do not assume 911 works across all of Latin America.
✅
Dialling 112 in the USA and Canada redirects to 911
If you are a European traveller visiting North America and instinctively dial 112, your call will automatically route to 911. This redirection is mandated by the GSM standard for mobile phones across both countries.
All Countries in the Americas
🇦🇷
Argentina
911
Police / Main
🇧🇸
Bahamas
911
Police / Main
🇧🇧
Barbados
911
Police / Main
🇧🇿
Belize
911
Police / Main
🇧🇴
Bolivia
911
Police / Main
🇧🇷
Brazil
190
Police / Main
🇨🇦
Canada
911
Police / Main
🇨🇱
Chile
911
Police / Main
🇨🇴
Colombia
123
Police / Main
🇨🇷
Costa Rica
911
Police / Main
🇨🇺
Cuba
106
Police / Main
🇩🇴
Dominican Republic
911
Police / Main
🇪🇨
Ecuador
911
Police / Main
🇸🇻
El Salvador
911
Police / Main
🇬🇹
Guatemala
None
Police / Main
🇬🇾
Guyana
911
Police / Main
🇭🇹
Haiti
118
Police / Main
🇭🇳
Honduras
911
Police / Main
🇯🇲
Jamaica
119
Police / Main
🇲🇽
Mexico
911
Police / Main
🇳🇮
Nicaragua
None
Police / Main
🇵🇦
Panama
911
Police / Main
🇵🇾
Paraguay
None
Police / Main
🇵🇪
Peru
911
Police / Main
🇸🇷
Suriname
115
Police / Main
🇹🇹
Trinidad and Tobago
None
Police / Main
🇺🇸
United States
911
Police / Main
🇺🇾
Uruguay
911
Police / Main
🇻🇪
Venezuela
911
Police / Main
🧳 Americas Travel Emergency Tips
- → In the USA, 911 operators can track your mobile GPS automatically — state your location anyway for speed.
- → Canada's 911 system is bilingual (English/French) and available in all provinces and territories.
- → In Mexico, 911 was standardised nationally in 2017 — it replaced all previous regional numbers.
- → Brazil's SAMU (192) is the national ambulance service — highly capable in major cities like São Paulo and Rio.
- → In tourist-heavy areas of Latin America, tourist police (policia turistica) often have English speakers — ask your hotel for the local tourist police number.
- → Keep a local SIM or an eSIM active when in Latin America — roaming plans sometimes block emergency shortcodes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the emergency number in the USA and Canada? +
911 is the primary emergency number for both the USA and Canada. It connects you to police, ambulance, and fire services. Dialling 112 in the USA and Canada will also automatically redirect to 911.
Does 911 work throughout all of Latin America? +
Not in all countries. Mexico and Argentina use 911, Ecuador also uses 911, but Brazil's police number is 190 (ambulance 192, fire 193), Chile's police is 133, and Peru uses 105. Always check the specific country's emergency numbers before travelling in Latin America.
Can tourists call emergency services if they don't speak Spanish or Portuguese? +
In Mexico and major Latin American cities, emergency dispatchers increasingly have basic English skills, especially in tourist areas. In Brazil, major tourist city dispatch centres have some English capability. It helps to learn a few key phrases — 'Ayuda' (help) in Spanish and 'Socorro' (help) in Portuguese — and to keep your hotel's address saved on your phone.