Written by Danny T., CMO and co-founder of PassportPhotos
Numbers last checked: 20 October 2026.
There's no single worldwide emergency number. In the EU it's 112, in most of the Americas it's 911, and many countries split police, ambulance and fire across different numbers. In Japan, for example, it's 110 for police and 119 for an ambulance. This guide lists the emergency numbers for 77 of the most visited countries, checked against the UK Foreign Office's current travel advice. Save the numbers for your destination in your phone before you fly.
Does 911 Work in Other Countries?
Only in some. 911 is the emergency number in the US, Canada, Mexico, most of Central America, much of the Caribbean, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, among others. In Europe, most of Asia and Australia, it isn't the number to call. Check your destination in the tables below.
What Is the Emergency Number in Europe?
112 is the emergency number in every EU country. It's free from any phone and reaches police, ambulance and fire (European Commission). Several countries outside the EU use 112 too, including the UK (alongside 999), Turkey, Georgia and Montenegro. Some European countries also keep direct lines for each service. France, for example, has 17 for police, 15 for an ambulance and 18 for fire. Those are listed in the tables below.
Can You Call Emergency Services Without a Local SIM?
It depends on the country, so check your destination's row before you go. For example, in Saudi Arabia, visitors without a Saudi SIM card should call 112 instead of 911. And in Australia, 112 works from mobile phones (not landlines) and connects you to the same Triple Zero service as 000.
Emergency Numbers by Country and Region
How to read the tables: "All emergencies" is the single number that reaches every service, so call that first where a country has one. Police, Ambulance and Fire are the direct lines, where they exist. A dash (-) means there's no separate number.
Europe
| Country | All emergencies | Police | Ambulance | Fire | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 999 or 112 | - | - | - | Both numbers work the same way |
| Ireland | 112 or 999 | - | - | - | |
| France | 112 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 114 by text for deaf and hard of hearing callers |
| Spain | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Italy | 112 | 112 | 118 | 115 | |
| Portugal | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Germany | 112 | 110 | 112 | 112 | 110 is police only |
| Netherlands | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Belgium | 112 | - | - | - | The 112 BE app shares your location |
| Switzerland | 112 | 117 | 144 | 118 | |
| Austria | 112 | 133 | 144 | 122 | 140 for mountain rescue |
| Greece | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Croatia | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Czechia | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Hungary | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Poland | 112 | 997 | 999 | 998 | |
| Iceland | 112 | - | - | - | Leave your route with Safe Travel Iceland before hiking |
| Norway | - | 112 | 113 | 110 | 112 is police here, not a general line |
| Sweden | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Denmark | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Finland | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Malta | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Cyprus | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Montenegro | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Turkey | 112 | - | - | - | One number for all services |
North America and the Caribbean
| Country | All emergencies | Police | Ambulance | Fire | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 911 | - | - | - | |
| Canada | 911 | - | - | - | |
| Mexico | 911 | - | - | - | Mexico City tourist police: +52 55 5207 4155 |
| Bahamas | 911 or 919 | - | - | - | |
| Jamaica | - | 119 | 110 | 110 | Easy to mix up: 119 is police here |
| Dominican Republic | 911 | - | - | - | 911 doesn't cover the whole country. Outside Santo Domingo, tourist police: +1 809 200 3500 |
| Cuba | - | 106 | 104 | 105 | |
| Aruba | 911 | 100 | 911 | 911 | |
| Barbados | - | 211 | 511 | 311 | |
| St Lucia | 911 | - | - | - | |
| Cayman Islands | 911 | - | - | - | |
| Turks and Caicos | 911 | - | - | - |
Central and South America
| Country | All emergencies | Police | Ambulance | Fire | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 911 | - | - | - | |
| Panama | 911 | 104 | 103 | 103 | |
| Colombia | 123 | 123 | 123 | 119 | |
| Ecuador | 911 | - | - | - | Tourism police in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca |
| Peru | - | 105 | 106 | 116 | |
| Brazil | - | 190 or 911 | 192 | 193 | |
| Argentina | - | 911 or 101 | 107 | 100 | |
| Chile | - | 133 | 131 | 132 |
Middle East and North Africa
| Country | All emergencies | Police | Ambulance | Fire | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | - | 999 | 998 | 997 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 911 | - | - | - | Without a Saudi SIM card, call 112 |
| Qatar | 999 | - | - | - | |
| Jordan | 911 | - | - | - | |
| Israel | - | 100 | 101 | 102 | |
| Egypt | - | 122 | 123 | 180 | Tourist police: 126 |
| Morocco | - | 190 | 150 | 150 | Gendarmerie (rural police): 177 |
| Tunisia | - | 197 | 190 | 198 | National Guard (rural areas): 193 |
Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean
| Country | All emergencies | Police | Ambulance | Fire | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 112 (from mobiles) | 10111 | 10177 | 10177 | |
| Kenya | 999 | - | - | - | |
| Tanzania (incl. Zanzibar) | 112 | - | - | - | |
| Mauritius | 999 | 112 | 114 | 115 | |
| Seychelles | 999 | - | - | - | |
| Maldives | - | 119 | 102 | 118 |
Asia
| Country | All emergencies | Police | Ambulance | Fire | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | - | 110 | 119 | 119 | |
| South Korea | - | 112 | 119 | 119 | Travel hotline with English support: 1330 |
| China | - | 110 | 120 | 119 | Traffic police: 122 |
| Hong Kong | 999 | - | - | - | |
| Taiwan | - | 110 | 119 | 119 | Help line for foreigners: 0800 024 111 |
| Singapore | - | 999 | 995 | 995 | |
| Malaysia | - | 999 | 999 (112 from mobiles) | 994 | |
| Thailand | 191 | 191 | 1669 | 199 | Tourist police: 1155 |
| Vietnam | - | 113 | 115 | 114 | Lines are answered in Vietnamese |
| Cambodia | - | 117 | 119 | 118 | |
| Indonesia (incl. Bali) | - | 110 | 118 | 112 | |
| Philippines | 911 | - | - | - | |
| India | 112 | - | - | - | Help in English, Hindi and other languages |
| Sri Lanka | - | 119 | 1990 | - | Tourist police: 011 2421052. Sources disagree on the fire number, so call police on 119 |
| Nepal | - | 100 | 102 | 101 | Tourist police (English speaking): 1144 |
Australia and the Pacific
| Country | All emergencies | Police | Ambulance | Fire | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 000 | - | - | - | 112 also works from mobile phones |
| New Zealand | 111 | - | - | - | |
| Fiji | 911 | - | - | 910 |
What to Do If Your Passport Is Lost or Stolen Abroad
Losing a passport isn't a 911 emergency, but it can wreck a trip just as fast. Here's the order that works:
- Report it to the local police and ask for a written report. Your insurer, and often your embassy, will want it.
- Contact your country's embassy or consulate. Most can issue an emergency passport or travel document so you can get home.
- Get a new passport photo. Every replacement application needs one, and it has to meet the same size and background rules as the original.
That last step is the one that sends travelers searching for a photo studio in a city they don't know. You don't need one. With PassportPhotos you take the photo on your phone, in your hotel room. Our tool guides you while you take it, checks it against the rules for your document, fixes the background and emails you the finished photo in minutes.
Every US passport photo order includes a 10 x 15 cm (4x6 in) print sheet you can print at a local photo shop, along with the digital file. Replacing a UK, Irish or New Zealand passport? Those applications use a digital photo, which you'll get by email: UK passport photo, Irish passport photo, New Zealand passport photo.
Not sure what your embassy needs? Check its website first, then pick your document from our photos for 140+ countries.
Before You Fly: Your Five Minute Safety Checklist
- Save your destination's emergency numbers in your phone, under a name you'll find fast (for example "Emergency Japan").
- Save your embassy's address and phone number in the same place.
- Photograph your passport's photo page and email it to yourself. A copy makes a replacement much faster.
- Check your passport's expiry date. Many countries want at least six months left on it when you arrive.
- Sort out your visa early. A rejected visa photo can push back your appointment, and with it your trip.
If your trip needs a visa, get the photo right the first time. Every photo is checked twice by our software: while you take it and again on the finished photo.
Popular travel visa photos:
- Schengen visa photo (France, Spain, Italy, Greece and the rest of the Schengen area)
- US visa photo
- China visa photo
- Vietnam e-Visa photo
- India e-Visa photo
Every photo comes with the option of our Acceptance guarantee: Accepted or double your money back. See how it works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the 911 of Japan?
Japan has no single emergency number. Call 110 for police and 119 for an ambulance or fire.
What Is the 911 of Canada?
Canada uses 911, the same as the US, for police, ambulance and fire.
What Is the Emergency Number in the UK?
Call 999 in the UK. 112 also works and reaches the same services.
Does 911 Work in Mexico?
Yes. 911 is Mexico's emergency number for police, ambulance and fire.
What Is the Emergency Number in Italy?
Call 112. It's the EU-wide emergency number and Italy's police line. For an ambulance you can also call 118, and for fire 115.
What Is the Emergency Number in France?
Call 112 from any phone. France also has direct lines: 17 for police, 15 for an ambulance and 18 for fire.
What Is the Emergency Number in Spain?
Call 112. It reaches police, ambulance and fire across Spain.
What Is the 911 of Germany?
Call 112 for an ambulance or fire, and 110 for police.
What Is the Emergency Number in Australia?
Call 000 (triple zero). From a mobile phone, 112 also works.
What Is the Emergency Number in Thailand?
Call 191 for police, fire or ambulance. The direct ambulance line is 1669, and the tourist police are on 1155.
What Is the Emergency Number in the Philippines?
Call 911 for police, ambulance and fire.
What Should I Do First If My Passport Is Stolen Abroad?
Report it to the local police and get a written report, then contact your embassy or consulate about an emergency travel document. You'll need a new passport photo for the replacement, which you can take on your phone with PassportPhotos.
Sources
The numbers in this guide come from current government travel advice. We checked them on 20 October 2026.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO): foreign travel advice, the "Emergency services" section of each country page. Used for every country except those listed below. Most pages were updated between December 2025 and October 2026.
- United Kingdom: 999 and 112: the UK's national emergency numbers (gov.uk).
- Austria: Emergency numbers (oesterreich.gv.at).
- Australia: Triple Zero (Australian Government, infrastructure.gov.au).
- 112 across the EU: European Commission.
Emergency numbers do change. If you're travelling somewhere with an unusual setup, check your government's travel advice for that country before you go.