SOS
Emergency numbers by country
Learn the number for your country and for the places you travel to. Emergency calls are free and work on any carrier's network with coverage, even if it isn't yours.
| Country or region | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States and Canada | 911 | |
| European Union | 112 | Single number across all EU countries. |
| United Kingdom | 999 · 112 | Both work. |
| Spain | 112 | Handles all emergencies. |
| Mexico | 911 | National emergency number. |
| Argentina | 911 | Also 107 for medical emergencies and 100 for the fire service. |
| Colombia | 123 | Single emergency line. |
| Chile | 131 · 132 · 133 | 131 ambulance, 132 fire, 133 police (Carabineros). |
| Peru | 105 · 116 · 106 | 105 police, 116 fire, 106 medical emergencies (SAMU). |
| Ecuador | 911 | Integrated ECU 911 service. |
| Venezuela | 911 | |
| Uruguay | 911 | |
| Paraguay | 911 | |
| Costa Rica | 911 | |
| Panama | 911 | |
| Dominican Republic | 911 | |
| El Salvador and Honduras | 911 |
Before you call
- Say where you are first: address, nearest cross street or highway mile marker. If the call drops, at least they know where to go.
- Explain what's happening, how many people are affected and whether there's danger, such as fire, gas or water.
- Don't hang up until you're told to.
- If you can't speak, many services accept text messages to 911 or emergency apps: check whether yours does.
Does 112 work outside Europe?
In many countries, dialing 112 from a mobile phone redirects to the local emergency number, but not everywhere. Don't count on it: learn the number for the country you're in.
No signal at all
If there's no cell network of any kind, emergency numbers can't help. For backcountry, sea or remote areas there are phones with satellite SOS, satellite messengers and personal locator beacons. We explain them in the gadgets section.