Emergency Services in Germany: Numbers and When to Call

Something goes wrong at night and you freeze on which number to dial, or whether the operator will understand English. Germany keeps this simpler than it feels in the moment: a few free numbers work 24/7 from any phone, including most mobiles without credit.

• 110: police
• 112: fire and ambulance (EU-wide)
• 116 117: medical on-call service (urgent, not life-threatening)

112 is the European emergency number. It works in all EU countries and can often be dialed even without a SIM card. Use emergency lines only for real emergencies. Calling an ambulance for a problem that can wait delays care for someone else, and operators treat misuse seriously.

Save 110, 112, and 116 117 in your phone now, before you need them. In an emergency you should not be searching this page.

Police, fire, and ambulance

Police: 110

Call 110 for:

• Crimes in progress
• Immediate threats to safety or violence
• Traffic accidents with injuries
• Situations that need police right now

Operators usually speak German. English is often available, especially in larger cities. If you only have a few English sentences ready, that is enough to start: say what happened and where you are.

Fire and ambulance: 112

Call 112 for:

• Fires
• Heart attack, stroke, severe breathing problems
• Serious injuries and heavy bleeding
• Loss of consciousness
• Severe allergic reactions
• Accidents with injuries
• Rescue when someone is trapped
• Drowning or near-drowning

This is the number for life-threatening medical emergencies. Operators speak German; English is often possible. Stay on the line until they tell you to hang up.

Medical on-call: 116 117

116 117 (Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) is for urgent medical problems when your GP is closed (evenings, nights, weekends, holidays).

They can:

• Send an on-call doctor to your home, or
• Direct you to a nearby emergency practice (Bereitschaftspraxis)

Do not use 116 117 for life-threatening emergencies. Call 112 instead. If you are unsure whether it is life-threatening, call 112 and let the dispatcher decide.

Examples for 116 117:

• High fever that will not respond to basic care
• Strong pain that is serious but not life-threatening
• Infections needing same-day treatment
• Minor injuries that still need a doctor
• Any urgent issue when your regular doctor is unavailable

Not for 116 117:

• Prescription refills (try a pharmacy first)
• Non-urgent questions (call your doctor on the next working day)
• Noise complaints (contact your local non-emergency police line)

When to call which number

Call 112 immediately if you suspect:

• Heart attack (chest or arm pain, shortness of breath)
• Stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech problems)
• Severe bleeding that will not stop
• Serious accident or unconscious person
• Major allergic reaction
• Fire, smoke, or gas danger

Call 110 if police are needed now (crime, violence, serious traffic incident requiring police).

Call 116 117 for urgent medical care when it is not life-threatening and your doctor is closed.

Hospital emergency rooms (Notaufnahme)

The Notaufnahme is the hospital emergency department. Go there (or arrive by ambulance) for serious injury, severe illness, or after-hours emergencies that cannot wait.

Patients are triaged by severity. Minor cases may wait a long time even if you arrived first. Bring your health insurance card (Versichertenkarte), ID, and a list of medications if you can. If you cannot find those items fast, go anyway; paperwork can wait behind safety.

In a life-threatening emergency, hospitals must treat you even without insurance. You will usually receive a bill later. For non-emergency care when you have no cover yet, see Health Insurance in Germany.

What to say when you call

Stay as calm as you can and give:

1. What happened (fire, accident, chest pain, etc.)
2. Where you are (street, house number, city, floor, landmarks)
3. How many people are affected
4. What help is already on the way (first aid, defibrillator used, etc.)
5. Your phone number for callbacks

Even if your phone sends location data, always state the address clearly. Dispatchers ask the same questions every time; short answers help more than long explanations. Speak slowly. Stay on the line until they tell you to hang up.

English is often possible in larger cities. A few German lines still help if the operator does not switch, or if the line is busy.

Opening lines.

• “Hier ist [Name]. Ich brauche einen Krankenwagen.”: This is [name]. I need an ambulance.
• “Es gibt einen Notfall.”: There is an emergency.
• “Ich spreche Englisch.”: I speak English. (Operators often switch or find help.)
• “I need an ambulance.” / “I need the police.”

Location.

• “Die Adresse ist [Straße, Hausnummer, Stadt].”
• “Wir sind an der U-Bahn-Station / am Bahnhof [Name].”
• “Im [Stockwerk], Tür [Nummer].”
• “My address is [street, number, city].”

Medical situations.

• “Eine Person ist bewusstlos.”: Someone is unconscious.
• “Jemand atmet nicht.”: Someone is not breathing.
• “Starke Blutung.”: Severe bleeding.
• “Verdacht auf Herzinfarkt.”: Suspected heart attack.
• “Verdacht auf Schlaganfall.”: Suspected stroke.
• “Schwere allergische Reaktion.”: Severe allergic reaction.
• “Verkehrsunfall mit Verletzten.”: Traffic accident with injuries.

While you wait. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Start chest compressions if the person is not breathing (a first-aid course teaches the correct rate). Many stations, airports, and malls have an AED (Defibrillator); follow the device voice and keep 112 on the line.

Official overview: Federal Health Portal: Emergency numbers.