Germany’s emergency numbers differ from most English-speaking countries (no 999, no 911). Memorize these before you need them — an emergency is not the right time to search online.
Core Emergency Numbers
- 112: Rettungsdienst (ambulance) and Feuerwehr (fire brigade). This is the EU-wide emergency number. Works from any phone, including without SIM credit, and from any EU country.
- 110: Polizei (police). For crimes in progress, accidents, threats to personal safety. Also works from phones without SIM credit.
If you call 112 or 110, speak slowly and answer three questions: Wo (where), Was (what happened), Wer (who is involved). If you don’t speak German, say “Ich spreche kein Deutsch, do you speak English?” — operators in most cities have English speakers or access to translation services.
Medical Non-Emergency
- 116117: Kassenärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst — the medical on-call service for situations that aren’t life-threatening but need a doctor outside office hours. Evenings, weekends, holidays. They advise you by phone and can dispatch a doctor to your home if necessary. No need to call an ambulance for a bad fever or a wound that needs stitches but isn’t life-threatening.
Mental Health Crisis
- 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222: Telefonseelsorge (crisis counseling). Free, anonymous, 24/7. Available in German and increasingly in English at some centers. Also reachable online at online.telefonseelsorge.de for written chat support.
- 112: If you or someone else is in acute danger of self-harm, call 112 — they dispatch a psychiatric emergency team.
Poison Control
- 030 19240: Giftnotruf Berlin (serves all of Germany). If a child swallows medication or cleaning products, call immediately. Tell them the substance, the amount, and the child’s weight.
ADAC (Roadside Assistance)
- 0800 5 10 11 12: ADAC Pannenhilfe (breakdown service). Members call free; non-members can call but pay for the service call. If you drive in Germany, ADAC membership (€10/month approx.) is worth it.
Dental Emergency
- 116117: yes, the same number — it routes you to the dental on-call service (Zahnärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) as well as the medical one.
Locate the Nearest Emergency Room
Save the term “Notaufnahme” — it means emergency room. Google Maps shows hospitals with 24-hour Notaufnahme. For life-threatening situations, call 112; for urgent but not life-threatening situations outside office hours, 116117 will tell you the nearest appropriate facility.
