Residents of the United States know that in the event of an emergency, they can dial 911 to summon an ambulance, the police, the fire department, or other emergency services. However, while most every country in the world utilizes a similar system, very few use the specific number 911. Additionally, many countries have separate emergency numbers for police, ambulance, and fire, as well as for other services like a domestic abuse hotline. Several countries also utilize one emergency number for landlines and a different number for mobile phones.
Most public telephone networks utilize a single emergency telephone number that enables callers to contact local emergency services for assistance in emergencies. Emergency calls are answered by either a telephone operator or an emergency service dispatcher, who determines the nature of the emergency and connects the caller to the appropriate emergency service. Dispatchers are often also trained to give urgent advice and assist the caller in life-threatening situations while emergency personnel are on the way.
The first emergency number system anywhere in the world was deployed in London on July 1, 1937. The number was 999. In the United States, the first emergency number appeared in 1946. The number was 116, which was an emergency line for Los Angeles, California. The first 911 emergency phone service first went into use in Alabama in 1968 and 911 systems became widespread during the 1980s.
Conventional wisdom advises international travelers to save the emergency numbers of the countries they plan to visit to their phones ahead of time, so as to remove the need to remember the numbers during the stress of an emergency. This is especially important because many countries use separate numbers for police, fire, and medical emergencies. Like the United States, most countries utilize three digit numbers for emergencies, but a few countries utilize extended numbers. Chad and Comoros both use longer numbers for medical emergencies (2251-4242 and 772-03-73 respectively) and Guinea uses a six-digit emergency number for fire (442-020).
On a simpler note, several nations have joined the United States in utilizing 911 as their emergency phone number. These nations include American Samoa, Aruba, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, and many more. For a full list of the emergency police, ambulance, and fire numbers for more than 230 countries and territories, see the table below.
Country | Police | Ambulance | Fire |
---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 119 | 112 | 119 |
Albania | 129 | 127 | 128 |
Algeria | 1548 | 14 | 14 |
American Samoa | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Andorra | 110 | 116 | 118 |
Angola | 113 | 112 | 115 |
Anguilla | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 911 or 999 | 911 or 999 | 911 or 999 |
Argentina | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Armenia | 112 or 911 | 112 or 911 | 112 or 911 |
Aruba | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Austria | 112 or 133 | 144 | 122 |
Azerbaijan | 102 | 103 | 101 |
Bahamas | 911 or 919 | 911 or 919 | 911 or 919 |
Bahrain | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Bangladesh | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Barbados | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Belarus | 102 | 103 | 101 |
Belgium | 101 | 112 | 112 |
Belize | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Benin | 117 | 112 | 118 |
Bermuda | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Bhutan | 113 | 112 | 110 |
Bolivia | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 122 | 124 | 123 |
Botswana | 999 | 997 | 998 |
Brazil | 190 | 192 | 193 |
British Virgin Islands | 911 or 999 | 911 or 919 | 911 or 919 |
Brunei | 993 | 991 | 995 |
Bulgaria | 112 or 166 | 112 or 150 | 112 or 160 |
Burkina Faso | 17 | 112 | 18 |
Burundi | 117 | 112 | 118 |
Cambodia | 117 | 119 | 118 |
Cameroon | 117 | 119 | 118 |
Canada | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Cape Verde | 132 | 130 | 131 |
Cayman Islands | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Central African Republic | 117 | 1220 | 118 |
Chad | 17 | 2251-4242 | 18 |
Chile | 133 | 131 | 132 |
China | 110 | 120 | 119 |
Colombia | 123 | 123 | 123 |
Comoros | 17 | 772-03-73 | 18 |
Cook Islands | 999 | 998 | 996 |
Costa Rica | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Croatia | 192 | 194 | 193 |
Cuba | 106 | 104 | 105 |
Curacao | 911 | 912 | 911 |
Cyprus | 112 or 199 | 112 or 199 | 112 or 199 |
Czech Republic | 158 | 155 | 150 |
Denmark | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Djibouti | 17 | 19 | 18 |
Dominica | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Dominican Republic | 911 | 911 | 911 |
DR Congo | 112 | 118 | 118 |
Ecuador | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Egypt | 122 | 123 | 180 |
El Salvador | 911 | 132 | 913 |
Equatorial Guinea | 114 | 115 | 112 |
Eritrea | 113 | 114 | 116 |
Estonia | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Eswatini | 999 | 977 | 933 |
Ethiopia | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Falkland Islands | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 |
Faroe Islands | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Fiji | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Finland | 112 | 112 | 112 |
France | 17 | 15 | 18 |
French Guiana | 112 | 112 | 112 |
French Polynesia | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Gabon | 1730 | 1300 | 18 |
Gambia | 117 | 116 | 118 |
Georgia | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Germany | 110 | 112 | 112 |
Ghana | 191 | 193 | 192 |
Gibraltar | 199 or 112 or 999 | 190 or 112 or 999 | 190 or 112 or 999 |
Greece | 100 | 166 | 199 |
Greenland | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Grenada | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Guadeloupe | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Guam | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Guatemala | 110 | 128 | 122 |
Guernsey | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 |
Guinea | 117 | 18 | 442-020 |
Guinea Bissau | 117 | 119 | 118 |
Guyana | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Haiti | 114 | 116 | 115 |
Honduras | 911 | 195 | 198 |
Hong Kong | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Hungary | 107 | 104 | 105 |
Iceland | 112 | 112 | 112 |
India | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Indonesia | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Iran | 110 | 115 | 125 |
Iraq | 112 | 122 | 115 |
Ireland | 999 or 112 | 999 or 112 | 999 or 112 |
Isle of Man | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 |
Israel | 100 | 101 | 102 |
Italy | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Ivory Coast | 110 or 111 or 170 | 185 | 180 |
Jamaica | 119 | 110 | 110 |
Japan | 110 | 119 | 119 |
Jersey | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 | 112 or 999 |
Jordan | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Kazakhstan | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Kenya | 112 or 999 or 911 | 112 or 999 or 911 | 112 or 999 or 911 |
Kiribati | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Kuwait | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Kyrgyzstan | 102 | 103 | 101 |
Laos | 191 | 195 | 190 |
Latvia | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Lebanon | 999 or 112 | 140 | 175 |
Lesotho | 123 | 121 | 122 |
Liberia | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Libya | 1515 | 193 | 1515 |
Liechtenstein | 117 | 144 | 118 |
Lithuania | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Luxembourg | 112 | Police - 113. | 112 |
Macau | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Madagascar | 117 | 124 | 118 |
Malawi | 997 | 998 | 999 |
Malaysia | 999 | 994 | 994 |
Maldives | 119 | 102 | 118 |
Mali | 17 | 15 | 18 |
Malta | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Marshall Islands | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Martinique | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Mauritania | 117 | 101 | 118 |
Mauritius | 112 | 114 | 115 |
Mayotte | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Mexico | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Micronesia | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Moldova | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Monaco | 17 | 15 | 18 |
Mongolia | 105 | 105 | 105 |
Montenegro | 122 | 124 | 123 |
Montserrat | 911 or 999 | 911 or 919 | 911 or 919 |
Morocco | 19 | 15 | 15 |
Mozambique | 119 | 117 | 198 |
Myanmar | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Namibia | 10 111 | depends on town/city | depends on town/city |
Nauru | 110 | 111 | 112 |
Nepal | 100 | 102 | 101 |
Netherlands | 112 | 112 | 112 |
New Caledonia | 112 | 112 | 112 |
New Zealand | 111 | 111 | 111 |
Nicaragua | 118 | 128 | 115 |
Niger | 17 | 15 | 18 |
Nigeria | 112 | 112 | 112 |
North Korea | 110 | 119 | 119 |
Norway | 112 | 113 | 110 |
Oman | 9999 | 9999 | 9999 |
Pakistan | 15 | 115 and 1122 | 16 |
Palau | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Panama | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Papua New Guinea | 112 | 111 | 110 |
Paraguay | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Peru | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Philippines | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Poland | 997 | 999 | 998 |
Portugal | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Puerto Rico | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Qatar | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Republic of the Congo | 117 | 118 | 118 |
Reunion | 112 | 15 | 18 |
Romania | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Russia | 102 | 103 | 101 |
Rwanda | 112 | 912 | 112 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Saint Lucia | 911 or 999 | 911 or 919 | 911 or 919 |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 911 or 999 | 911 or 919 | 911 or 919 |
Samoa | 999 | 999 | 999 |
San Marino | 113 | 118 | 115 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Saudi Arabia | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Senegal | 17 | 18 | 1515 |
Serbia | 192 or 112 | 194 | 193 |
Seychelles | 112 | 151 | 112 |
Sierra Leone | 19 | 999 | 999 |
Singapore | 999 | 995 | 995 |
Slovakia | 158 | 155 | 150 |
Slovenia | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Solomon Islands | 911 or 999 | 911 or 999 | 911 or 999 |
Somalia | 888 | 999 | 555 |
South Africa | 10 111 | 10 177 | 10 177 |
South Korea | 112 | 119 | 119 |
South Sudan | 999 | 999 | 999 |
Spain | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Sri Lanka | 119 | 110 | 110 |
Sudan | 999 | Traffic police - 777 777. | 999 |
Suriname | 115 | 115 | 115 |
Sweden | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Switzerland | 117 | 144 | 118 |
Syria | 112 | 110 | 113 |
Taiwan | 110 | 119 | 119 |
Tajikistan | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Tanzania | 112 | 114 | 115 |
Thailand | 191 or 911 | 1669 | 199 |
Timor Leste | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Togo | 117 | 8200 | 118 |
Tonga | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 999 or 911 | 811 | 990 |
Tunisia | 197 | 198 | 190 |
Turkey | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Turkmenistan | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Tuvalu | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Uganda | 112 | 911 | 112 |
United Arab Emirates | 999 | 999 | 999 |
United Kingdom | 999 or 112 | 999 or 112 | 999 or 112 |
United States | 911 | 911 | 911 |
United States Virgin Islands | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Uruguay | 911 | 911 | 911 |
Uzbekistan | 102 | 101 | 103 |
Vanuatu | 112 | 911 | 911 |
Vatican City | 112 | 112 | 112 |
Venezuela | 911 and 171 | 911 and 171 | 911 and 171 |
Vietnam | 113 | 115 | 114 |
Western Sahara | 150 | 150 | 150 |
Yemen | 194 | 191 | 191 |
Zambia | 999 | 992 | 993 |
Zimbabwe | 999 | 994 | 993 |
European countries do not use 911 to reach emergency services. The phone number to use depends on the county and services needed.
Calling 911 anywhere in the world may not reach emergency services. However, the Philippines, Mexico, Canada, Peru, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Aruba, Venezuela, Bermuda, and others do use 911.