Emergency Preparedness in Europe by Country
Every European country has its own emergency numbers, warning signals and advice for households, and most of it is published only in the national language. If you live, work, study or travel in a country that is not your own, this is where to start. Each guide explains, in English, who to call, how you will be warned, what the authorities expect you to have at home and where to find official information. There are 32 country guides.
112 works in every country of the European Union, and in Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, free of charge from any phone.
Compare countries
| Country | Emergency numbers | Public alerts | Tests | Manage on your own for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 110 fire, 112 police, 113 ambulance | Nødvarsel on mobile phones, sirens | 12:00, second Wednesday of January and June | At least one week |
| Sweden | 112, and 113 13 for information | VMA on radio P4, TV, text message and apps, sirens | 15:00, first Monday of March, June, September and December | About one week |
| Finland | 112 | General alarm signal, radio and TV, 112 Suomi app | About 12:00, first Monday of each month | At least 72 hours |
| Denmark | 112, and 114 for police | S!RENEN on mobile phones, sirens, DR and TV 2 | 12:00, first Wednesday of May | Three days |
| Iceland | 112 | Location-based 112 SMS, radio and TV | No regular public test | 72 hours (European advice) |
| Estonia | 112, and 1247 for information | EE-ALARM: SMS, sirens, apps, ERR | Several times a year | About one week |
| Latvia | 112 | Cell broadcast, sirens, radio and TV | Announced in advance | At least 72 hours, preferably a week |
| Lithuania | 112 | Sirens, mobile messages, LRT | Several times a year | At least 72 hours |
| Poland | 112, and 999, 998, 997 | Alert RCB text messages, sirens, radio and TV | Announced in advance | At least three days |
| Germany | 112 fire and ambulance, 110 police | Cell Broadcast, NINA app, sirens | About 11:00, second Thursday of September | Ten days |
| Austria | 112, 122 fire, 133 police, 144 ambulance | AT-Alert, sirens, ORF | 12:00 to 12:45, first Saturday of October | 10 to 14 days |
| Switzerland | 112, 117 police, 118 fire, 144 ambulance | Sirens, Alertswiss, radio | 13:30, first Wednesday of February | About one week |
| Czech Republic | 112, 150 fire, 155 ambulance, 158 police | Sirens, radio and TV, SMS | 12:00, first Wednesday of each month | 72 hours |
| Slovakia | 112, 150, 155, 158 | Sirens, radio and TV | 12:00, second Friday of each month | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Hungary | 112 | Sirens, radio and TV | Start of each month | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Slovenia | 112, and 113 police | SI-ALARM on mobile phones, sirens | Announced in advance | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Croatia | 112, 192 police, 193 fire, 194 ambulance | SRUUK on mobile phones, sirens | Noon, first Saturday of each month | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Romania | 112 | RO-ALERT on mobile phones, sirens | Announced Wednesdays | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Bulgaria | 112 | BG-ALERT on mobile phones, sirens | Announced in advance | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Greece | 112, 100 police, 166 ambulance, 199 fire | 112 alerts on mobile phones, in Greek and English | No regular public test | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Cyprus | 112 or 199 | CY-Alert on mobile phones, in Greek and English | Announced in advance | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Malta | 112 | Reverse 112 on mobile phones (being introduced) | Not yet | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Italy | 112, and 113, 115, 118 | IT-alert on mobile phones, regional alerts | Announced in advance | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Spain | 112 | ES-Alert on mobile phones, radio and TV | Announced by each region | 72 hours (EU and regional advice) |
| Portugal | 112 | Civil Protection text messages, radio and TV | No regular national test | 72 hours |
| France | 112, 15 medical, 17 police, 18 fire | FR-Alert, sirens, public radio | Midday, first Wednesday of each month | 72 hours |
| Belgium | 112, 101 police | BE-Alert by SMS, call and email (register) | Announced in advance | At least 72 hours |
| Netherlands | 112 | NL-Alert on mobile phones, sirens | 12:00, first Monday of each month | 72 hours |
| Luxembourg | 112 rescue, 113 police | LU-Alert: SMS, cell broadcast, app, sirens | Announced in advance | 72 hours |
| United Kingdom | 999 or 112, 111 NHS | Emergency Alerts on mobile phones | Announced in advance | Three days |
| Ireland | 112 or 999 | Met Éireann warnings, radio and TV; mobile alerts planned for 2027 | None yet | 72 hours (EU advice) |
| Ukraine | 101, 102, 103, 112 | Air raid sirens and alert apps | Real alerts daily | At least one week |
Test dates move when they fall on a public holiday. "EU advice" means the country has no fixed national figure and the reference is the European Union's 72-hour recommendation.
Nordic and Baltic countries
Central and Eastern Europe
South-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean
Western Europe
What is the same everywhere
- Call 112 in a life-threatening emergency.
- Keep emergency alerts turned on in your phone. In most countries, alerts reach every phone in the area, including foreign ones. See Emergency alerts and warnings.
- When sirens sound outside a test: go indoors, close windows and ventilation, and turn on public radio or television.
- The European Union recommends that every household can manage for at least 72 hours. See the 72-hour kit on a budget and the kit calculator.
- Before you travel, see Emergencies while travelling.
How we write these guides
Each country guide is an independent summary based on that country's official sources and reliable reporting, which are listed and linked at the end of the page with the date of the last review. Systems and test dates change. If you find something out of date, tell us.
Municipalities, schools and employers that need this information adapted for their residents, students or staff can ask for a custom edition.
Independent educational material, not an official publication. Always follow instructions from the authorities of the country you are in. Last reviewed: November 2026.