Emergency phrases in 10 languages, and the numbers to call

The numbers are not the same everywhere, and 112 does not mean the same thing in Seoul as it does in Madrid. Here are the numbers, the six sentences that matter, and what to prepare before you need any of them.

Foreigndly Guides · 9 October 2026 · 9 min read · who we are

In an emergency abroad, the two things that go first are the number you would dial at home and the words you would use on the phone. Neither transfers reliably: 112 reaches every service in Spain but only the police in South Korea, and an operator in Osaka will open with a question you need to understand before anything else can happen.

This page is meant to be read once before you travel and found again quickly if you need it. It gives the numbers, six phrases in ten languages, the word on the hospital sign, and the preparation that makes all of it easier.

The numbers, country by country

Across the European Union, 112 is the single emergency number and works from any phone. Outside it, the numbers differ, and several countries split police from ambulance. The numbers below were correct at the time of writing; save the ones for your trip in your phone's contacts before you leave.

Two traps hide in that table. In Japan and South Korea, 119 is the ambulance and the European instinct to dial 112 gets you the Korean police, who will help but are not the fastest route to a paramedic. And many mobile networks outside Europe do redirect 112 to the local service, but not all of them do and not always to the right one, so use the local number when you know it.

What the operator asks first

Almost every emergency call follows the same order: which service, where you are, what has happened, and a callback number. The second item is the one travellers cannot answer.

• Japan. A 119 call opens with 火事ですか、救急ですか (kaji desu ka, kyūkyū desu ka): is it a fire or a medical emergency? The answer is 救急です (kyūkyū desu, kyoo-kyoo dess) for an ambulance. Japanese ambulances are generally free, although a few areas now charge for transport that turns out not to be urgent.
• Thailand. If the 191 or 1669 operator does not speak English, the 1155 tourist police line can relay for you.
• The EU. Say the word "English" at the start of a 112 call; many centres can switch to an English-speaking operator. Some countries also receive your phone's location automatically during the call, but do not count on it.
• Everywhere. Know your address in the local script. A hotel name in English means little to a dispatcher in Bangkok or Shanghai; the Thai or Chinese address on the hotel's card or booking confirmation does. Screenshot it the day you arrive.

Six phrases in ten languages

These are the sentences that matter in the first minutes. The pronunciation is rough and English-based; the stressed syllable is in capitals. In Thai, add ครับ (krap) at the end if you are a man and ค่ะ (kah) if you are a woman. Spanish works in Spain and Mexico alike, and the Portuguese given is Brazilian, understood in Portugal.

One near-miss deserves a warning. In Japanese, byōin (hospital) has a long "oh" in the first syllable; stretch it into three syllables, biyōin, and you have asked for a beauty salon. If you are not understood, show the word 病院 written down.

The sign to follow

Hospitals are big, and the emergency department often has its own entrance round the side. This is the word over the door:

• Spain and Mexico: Urgencias
• France: Urgences
• Italy: Pronto Soccorso
• Germany: Notaufnahme
• Portugal: Urgência; Brazil: Pronto-Socorro
• Turkey: Acil or Acil Servis
• Japan: 救急外来 (kyūkyū gairai)
• China: 急诊 (jízhěn)
• Thailand: ห้องฉุกเฉิน (hong chukchoen)
• South Korea: 응급실 (eunggeupsil)

In mainland China, expect to register and pay at a counter before you are seen, even in the emergency department of many hospitals; carry a card or cash, and in big cities ask for the international department, 国际部 (guójì bù), where English is more likely.

For anything smaller, start at the pharmacy

A sprain, a fever, a stomach that has turned against you: in most of these countries a pharmacist is the quickest route to advice and the right medicine. The Spain field kit explains the Spanish system of duty pharmacies, and the Mexico field kit the doctor's room attached to many Mexican pharmacies. Elsewhere:

• Italy has the farmacia di turno and France the pharmacie de garde: the duty pharmacy open at night and on Sundays, listed on the door of any closed one nearby.
• Germany sells even basic painkillers only in an Apotheke, marked by a red gothic letter A, not in supermarkets. The night rota is called the Notdienst.
• Turkey posts its nöbetçi eczane, the on-duty pharmacy, in the window of every eczane.
• Japan has two kinds: the dispensing yakkyoku (薬局) and the drugstore chains, which have a pharmacist counter for advice. Some medicines common elsewhere, including certain cold remedies and stimulant-based prescriptions, are restricted there; check before you pack yours.
• Thailand's ran khai ya (ร้านขายยา), China's yàodiàn (药店) and Korea's yakguk (약국) will sell many medicines over the counter, and pointing at a symptom works surprisingly well.

Write down the generic name of anything you take regularly. Brand names change from country to country; the active ingredient does not.

Writing an allergy card

If you have a serious allergy, a printed card beats any phrase, because the person reading it can take it into the kitchen. A good card has four lines:

1. I have a severe allergy to [peanuts]. It can be life-threatening.
2. Even a small amount is dangerous, including [peanut oil], sauces and stock.
3. Please check with the kitchen before I order.
4. If you are not sure, please tell me. I will happily choose something else.

The last line matters more than it looks. In Japan, Thailand and elsewhere, a server may prefer not to say no to a customer; offering an easy exit makes an honest answer more likely. Have the card translated by a professional or a native speaker you trust rather than a machine, and add the allergen in local script in large letters at the top.

The second line is where local cooking hides things. In Thailand, fish sauce and shrimp paste are in a large share of savoury dishes, and peanuts appear in phat thai and many salads. In Japan, dashi stock contains fish, and buckwheat is in soba and sometimes in the water used to cook other noodles. Chinese kitchens often fry in peanut oil. In Turkey, pistachios and walnuts turn up in pastries and some meat dishes, and Mexican mole can contain nuts, seeds and chocolate. In the EU, restaurants are legally required to tell you which of 14 major allergens are in a dish when you ask, so the question will not surprise anyone.

Ten minutes before you go

• Save the local ambulance and police numbers as contacts, under names you will find in a hurry.
• Screenshot your accommodation's address in the local script.
• Save your travel insurer's emergency line and policy number in the same place.
• Write the generic names of your medicines, and carry prescriptions in their original packaging.
• Print the allergy card, two copies, if you need one.
• Read the six phrases aloud once. The Japan, Thailand and Mandarin field kits have audio for their phrases, which helps most where the romanisation misleads.