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Emergency Numbers And Helplines In Germany

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You are probably wondering," Which emergency numbers should I call while in Germany?"

Well, encountering any emergency is really scary and can become more daunting if it happens overseas where you might not be familiar with the local language or protocols in that country. Germany is one of the safest countries in the European Union, but it is always important to make sure that you and your family are well prepared for any likelihood of an emergency, accident, or crime in Germany.

Make note of these important emergency numbers Germany

Germany has three primary emergency responders, and they include:

Emergency Medical service[Rettungsdienst]
Fire Service{Feuerwehr]
Police{Polizei]

The emergency numbers in Germany are 110 for Police and 112 for the Fire brigade and Ambulance service. Let’s get a little bit more informed about these emergency numbers that may be very critical in our time of need.

Pan-European Emergency number [EMS and Fire Brigade]:112

If you need urgent medical attention during an emergency, you can call 112 for assistance. Calls to 112 are free of charge and can be made from a landline, payphone or mobile phone even without a SIM card. Dialing the number will direct you to an operator who will notify the appropriate nearest hospital [Rettungsdienst] or police [Feuerwehr] according to the state of your emergency.

Call 112 in case of:

Fire / smoke / explosives
Serious accidents
Someone is trapped / unconscious / bleeding / suffocating
You witnessed a suicide attempt

You can also call an ambulance through this number. The interesting part is that the call can not only be answered in Germany but also in English and other European union languages and sometimes Turkish hence making it easy to communicate with any difficulty.

German Police: 110

German police can be easily identified with their predominantly green and beige uniforms together with their green and white automobiles for their flexible movement during emergencies.Most German police personnel speak English and are easy to find even in busy areas like train stations, bus stops, and airports. To contact the police, you can call emergency number 110, which will connect you to the closest police station.

Call 110 in case of:

Attempted theft / damage
Assault/risk to life

So in case of any emergency, just be sure that the German police will always be at your service.112 / 110 instructions:

Dial and wait to be connected to an operator.
Clearly state the incident.
Indicate your location and explain how to reach you.
Answer all the questions asked and follow the operator’s advice.
Do not hang up until you are told to do so.
Try to keep your phone free after hanging up, as they may try to call back.

Do not use 112 / 110:

For a prank
To check it works
To report an accident/emergency again
For contact details for doctors, dentists, pharmacies, etc
For minor, non-urgent accidents or incidents - either go to a hospital or contact medical emergency services

The above stated are the two main emergencies numbers in Germany, but in addition to that there are a few more contacts that can be used during emergencies and they are as follows;

Helplines in Germany

Non-emergency medical: 116,117
Air rescue: [0711]70 10 70
Nurse advice line: 00800 4759 2330
Toxic substance emergency: 192,40
Suicide hotline: 00800 111 01 11
Alcoholics anonymous: 19295
Kids and youth hotlines: 0800 111 03 33
National directory esquires: 11833
International Directories inquires: 11834

Emergency in the Highway

While you are on Motorway (autobahn) and need to call Emergency service, you can use your handy or look at Posts with White Kilometre Stones on the side of the Road which is pointing arrows in the direction of the nearest Emergency Telephone

Lost or stolen credit cards

American Express: (069) 97 97 10 00
Diner’s Club: (05921) 86 12 34
EC and Bank Cards: (069) 74 09 87
MasterCard: (069) 79 33 19 10
VISA: (0800) 81 49 100

Lost passport in Germany

Emergencies are unpredictable and really unavoidable, and that's why these emergency numbers help you know that you have got help just around the corner only with the touch of a button. Source

Article author

About the Author

German Brain is the best online information portals for ex-pats (foreign Nationals) in Germany. It provides free and empirical guidelines for everything you need to know about, living and working in Germany as a foreigner, and provides reliable information about things, to help you navigate your life in Germany smoothly.