911, 112 and other international emergency numbers to know before traveling abroad
Looking up your destination’s emergency phone number isn’t a standard vacation-planning step. But the old adage of “it’s better to be safe than sorry” rings true – no one who finds themselves in an emergency situation abroad expects it to happen to them.
We’re all familiar with 911 in the U.S., but what number do you dial when you’re in a foreign country? Emergency numbers around the world aren’t something you want to be trying to figure out in the midst of extreme danger.
It only takes a few minutes to find the number that may save your or someone else’s life, thus making it the one thing you should be adding to your phone before a trip abroad. Consider it part of your itinerary research process.
SmarterTravel and USA TODAY pulled together a list of emergency numbers all over the world.
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Emergency numbers around the world
Click through the gallery below to learn the emergency numbers for more than 70 countries or check this alphabetized State Department list for others.
Where else does 911 work? Canada and Mexico use the North American standard of 911, as do all American territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands) and much of the Caribbean including Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Bonaire, Belize, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Turks and Caicos. (Jamaica, however, does not. Dial 119 for police and 110 for fire and EMS there.)
Dial 112 in Europe: If you can only remember one number while traveling, make it 112. it's the European Union's equivalent to 911 and it's even been adopted in some non-EU countries like Russia, Switzerland, India and South Korea. It also works in the United Kingdom, along with the British version, 999.
If you're traveling to a country that doesn't use one general emergency number – or you don't think you will remember 112, store those numbers in your phone's contact list.
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Write down or memorize the number, too
Once you have the emergency number for the country you’re visiting, take the time to store it in a place that’s easily accessible (such as your mobile device), but you should 4also remember it in case your phone isn’t readily available in an emergency.
Even if you do have your phone handy, you’ll be able to dial the number faster if you know it by heart rather than fumbling through your contacts and wasting precious time. It only takes a minute, and it really is better to be safe than sorry.
Program the nearest U.S. embassy number while you're at it
As a back-up to the 911 equivalent, consider saving the nearest U.S. Embassy’s direct and/or emergency line into your contacts. This could be helpful in less urgent emergencies, like a lost passport or an evacuation situation – each of which could require official assistance.
