Emergency phone numbers
for every country on earth.

How 112, 911 and 999 really work

These three numbers are widely described as "global" emergency numbers. None of them actually are. Here is what each one really covers — and why you should always check the local number for the country you are in.

112 is the official emergency number of the European Union. It is free of charge, works from fixed and mobile phones, and connects you to the police, ambulance or fire brigade in every EU country. Crucially, 112 runs alongside existing national numbers in most EU states — only a handful of EU countries use 112 as their sole emergency line. On almost any GSM mobile phone worldwide, dialling 112 will also route to the local emergency service, even with no SIM, no credit, or a locked keypad.

911 is the standard emergency number in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and is used throughout most of Latin America and the Caribbean. A handful of other countries — Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Jordan, Liberia — have adopted it too. Most of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania use different numbers.

999 is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, Macau and several former British territories. In several Asian countries that list 999, it only connects to the police — Malaysia, for example, uses 999 for police and ambulance but 994 for fire. Always check the service-specific numbers in the directory below.

000 is Australia's primary emergency number (with 112 working as a backup from mobiles). New Zealand uses 111. Many other countries have their own distinct numbers — from Japan's 110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance, to Brazil's 190 / 192 / 193 split.

Always check the specific police, ambulance and fire numbers for the country you are in. Many countries have service-specific lines, and in some places dialling the wrong number wastes precious seconds.