Emergency Numbers and How to Call
Learn Germany’s emergency numbers and how to choose medical, fire, police, or on-call help.
Germany has two primary emergency numbers that English-speaking newcomers should save before arrival. Call 112 for fire and rescue services, ambulance assistance, life-threatening accidents, and medical emergencies. Call 110 for the police. The same 112 number reaches both the fire brigade and rescue service, while 110 reaches the police emergency service. Both numbers are free of charge, and the guidance supplied for Germany says they should be used only in emergencies. The simplest memory aid is therefore 112 for fire or urgent medical help and 110 for police help. The UK government emergency guidance for Germany lists ambulance and fire as 112 and police as 110, while the DAAD conference information for Germany also states that both numbers are free of charge. Keep the numbers in your phone under clear English labels, such as Germany ambulance and Germany police, and make sure a trusted person travelling with you knows them too. If you are studying, add the numbers to the emergency information in your university or accommodation notes. In a stressful situation, do not spend time searching online for an alternative number when the situation is clearly a fire, accident, life-threatening incident, or police emergency. Use the number that matches the service: 112 for fire, rescue, and medical emergencies; 110 for police emergencies. The Australian Germany travel advice presents the same local emergency contacts and identifies Germany’s overall advice level as exercise normal safety precautions. That means preparation is useful even though the general advice is not to treat Germany as a destination requiring exceptional daily restrictions.
For a serious medical problem, call 112 and ask for an ambulance. The UK guidance specifically tells travellers to dial 112 and ask for an ambulance, and the German healthcare information says that in an emergency you can go directly to a hospital emergency department, called an Ambulanz, or call emergency services. This distinction matters for international students and new residents because an ordinary appointment and an emergency are handled differently. If immediate treatment is required, 112 is the route described by the DAAD healthcare and health insurance information, and emergency treatment and ambulance rides are included in the basic coverage described for statutory health insurance. If the incident is not life-threatening but you cannot wait for your general practitioner’s opening hours, use the medical on-call service at 116 117. The DAAD advises that 116 117 connects callers with on-call doctors and that you can also look for a Bereitschaftspraxis, an urgent-care practice associated with a hospital or located in an accessible central place. This is different from 112: 112 is for immediate emergency services, while 116 117 is for an urgent medical situation outside normal practice hours when waiting for a regular appointment is not possible. A person who has a minor illness can usually begin with a general practitioner, known in Germany as a Hausarzt, who can assess whether specialist treatment is needed. Depending on the specialist, insurance type, and urgency, an appointment may take a few weeks or more than a month, so do not use a routine appointment route for an immediate emergency. The health care overview from IQWiG confirms that emergency telephone numbers can be reached day and night and that people may go straight to a hospital emergency department in emergencies.
Before you need emergency care, arrange the insurance and identification details that affect access to treatment. The DAAD states that every person in Germany must have health insurance, including international students and people attending a preparatory course or Studienkolleg. International students must prove equivalent coverage that meets German standards either when registering or, depending on their country of origin, when applying for a visa. Students under 30 may be offered a reduced statutory student rate of about 120–130 euros per month; once a student reaches 30, the standard contribution applies and is often more expensive than a student plan from a private insurer. The DAAD also explains that statutory insurance includes a basic plan covering most doctor visits, a broad selection of medicines, emergency-department visits, ambulance rides, and hospital stays. Students from the EU or European Economic Area may sometimes have home-country coverage recognised in Germany, usually with a European Health Insurance Card and a certificate showing that German statutory insurance is not required. The UK health guidance for Germany adds that a GHIC or EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance because it may not cover private healthcare, non-urgent treatment, medical repatriation, additional treatment costs, or changes to travel and accommodation. If you are referred to a medical facility, contact your insurer or medical assistance company quickly. If you have no insurance, hospitals may ask for payment up front, and the Australian guidance warns that medical costs can be higher than at home. Keep your insurance card or proof of coverage accessible, and know whether your policy is statutory, private, recognised from another country, or limited to travel. Those details are practical preparation for a student, worker, or family member who suddenly needs care.
A useful emergency plan for someone moving to Germany combines the national numbers with local contacts and language support. Save 112 and 110 before departure, then add your accommodation address, university International Office, insurer, and the nearest hospital after arrival. The DAAD guide says many doctors speak English or other languages, including Turkish, Spanish, French, or Polish, but it also notes that many doctor’s-office assistants speak only German. If booking online or by email is not possible, a German-speaking friend or the International Office may help arrange the appointment, and the International Office may be able to find a volunteer translator. This support is especially valuable when a medical problem is urgent but not a 112 emergency and you need a Bereitschaftspraxis or on-call doctor. If you are travelling with medication, check its legal status and regulation before departure because medicines prescribed or purchased in one country may be regulated differently in another. The UK medical guidance recommends checking vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks before travel and reviewing best practice for medicines abroad. If you are travelling for study, the DAAD practical guide also treats health insurance as an administrative matter to settle before arrival, not an issue to postpone until after enrolment. For routine care, you can choose a doctor’s practice, and accredited practices marked Alle Kassen generally treat people with public health insurance. In hospital emergencies, however, you can go directly to the emergency department or call 112. Keep this sequence simple: call 112 for fire, rescue, or immediate medical danger; call 110 for a police emergency; call 116 117 for urgent medical help outside regular hours when it is not an immediate emergency; and contact your insurer and university support after the immediate danger is addressed.
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Common Scams and Crime Prevention
Recognize impersonation, payment, shopping, identity, and online scams before sending money or data.
Newcomers should treat unexpected requests for money, account access, passwords, or urgent personal information as warning signs. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Germany financial scams guidance describes criminals who impersonate romantic partners, military members, police officers, doctors, airport staff, embassy personnel, and other trusted figures. A scammer may spend weeks, months, or years building trust before requesting money, or may manipulate the target into offering money without making a direct request. The warning signs include stories about a person being falsely arrested or detained at an airport, hospitalized until fees are paid, kidnapped, violently mugged, delayed by repeated flight problems, charged unexpected customs fees or taxes, or having a passport confiscated. Real airport, embassy, consulate, hospital, and police officials can help when emergencies arise, so a contact who insists that money must be sent before help is provided is a major danger signal. The embassy specifically advises people not to send money and recommends stopping contact with the individual and anyone claiming to represent them when the person has never been met. This is particularly relevant to English speakers studying, immigrating, or living in Germany because a scammer may use a genuine-looking international story, familiar institutional language, or a claim that a government office refused to help. Do not let a dramatic story override verification. If someone claims to be in Germany and asks you to pay a fee, ask the person in distress to contact the relevant embassy or consulate directly. The embassy guidance also states that embassies and consulates do not detain people. A message saying that a person is detained inside an embassy or that the embassy refused assistance is therefore a specific impersonation pattern described in the source. Pause, verify through a separate official channel, and keep the original messages and payment details for reporting.
Online security is part of daily crime prevention because scams can steal both money and identity. The FDIC guidance on avoiding scams and scammers identifies stolen identity and financial loss as the two main goals of many scams. Its practical advice is to avoid opening email from people you do not know, contact a supposed sender by another method when unsure, and avoid clicking a link unless you are certain it is safe. Website addresses can be malicious while appearing almost identical to legitimate addresses through a small spelling or logo variation. Even a message from a friend may contain a harmful link if that friend’s email account has been compromised. Before entering a date of birth, account number, password, or other personal information, check that the website is secure. Use strong passwords, keep applications and operating systems updated, and maintain preventative software such as antivirus, firewall, and email-filtering services. These steps are especially practical when connecting to university accounts, banking, accommodation platforms, visa services, and messaging apps from a new country. The FDIC also warns about money mules: criminals may recruit people without making them understand that they are helping fraudulent activity, then ask them to open a bank account, provide access to an account or debit card, move money, deposit funds, or purchase virtual currency. A newcomer should never let another person use a personal bank account or debit card for a promised fee, job, favour, or emergency transfer. Treat requests involving receiving and forwarding money as a financial-crime risk, even if the sender presents a plausible employment or friendship story. Germany’s counter-terrorism information also describes a national framework addressing money laundering and terrorist financing, with banks legally required to prevent abuse of the financial system. The safest daily rule is to keep account credentials, cards, passwords, and payment authority under your own control.
The supplied Germany scam research shows why a cautious payment routine matters. The Global Anti-Scam Alliance report on Germany says that 66% of German adults encountered a scam in the past year, based on a survey of 2,550 German adults. Respondents reported approximately 130 scam attempts per year on average. Among people who encountered a scam, 26% interacted with the scammer, and 7% ultimately lost money or personal data that led to financial loss. The report identifies shopping scams at 14%, identity-theft scams at 14%, and unexpected-money scams at 14% among the most commonly reported categories with which consumers interacted. Victims who lost money reported an average loss of €2,619, while the report estimates €12 billion in annual losses across Germany. It also says that 28% of reported losses occurred through traditional bank transfers, 27% through debit or credit cards, and 18% through cash. These figures do not prove that every seller, buyer, landlord, or caller is fraudulent, but they show that no single payment channel removes the risk. Before paying for an item, accommodation, service, or urgent request, independently confirm who is asking, what is being purchased, and whether the payment request matches the official process. Be particularly cautious when a message creates urgency or asks for a transfer before you can verify the recipient. The report says 57% of German adults are confident they can recognise a scam, yet confidence does not always translate into protection. For an English-speaking newcomer, a second opinion from a university International Office, bank, insurer, embassy, or another official contact can interrupt a rushed decision. If money or personal data has already been sent, stop further communication, preserve the messages and transaction details, and contact the relevant financial institution or official authority through an independently verified channel.
Crime prevention in Germany is organised at several levels, so newcomers should use local advice rather than assume that one national checklist describes every neighbourhood. The European Crime Prevention Network summary for Germany says that crime is primarily a local phenomenon and that responsibilities and activities are concentrated particularly in the federal states and municipalities. It reports some 2,000 crime-prevention bodies in Germany and describes prevention as a task involving the Federal Government, Länder, municipalities, and other relevant actors. The German Forum for Crime Prevention supports networking, cooperation, knowledge transfer, and public information, while the police prevention programme ProPK provides information and education about forms of crime and prevention options across regional boundaries. For daily life, this means a student or new resident can ask a local municipality, police prevention service, university, or accommodation provider about area-specific information rather than rely only on general internet advice. The source also describes practical measures such as overt video surveillance at crime hot spots in public areas, reducing prejudice-related crime, protecting migrants against xenophobic attacks, and reducing domestic violence. Prevention therefore includes both personal precautions and local institutions. Keep a record of a seller’s or landlord’s legitimate contact information, do not transfer money merely because a message looks official, and use a separate verified route to confirm urgent claims. For online threats, the United Nations information on Germany’s counter-terrorism measures notes that the EU Digital Services Act applies to online intermediary services and includes notice-and-action, complaint, dispute-settlement, transparency, and information requirements. Germany implemented the EU rules nationally through the Digital Services Law, which came into force on May 14 2024. That does not make every online interaction safe, but it gives users mechanisms for reporting illegal content and pursuing platform complaints. Combine those formal mechanisms with the basic habits of verification, limited disclosure, and controlled payments.
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Safety Information and Security Tips
Use normal precautions, protect belongings, follow official warnings, and prepare for health and public safety risks.
The current supplied travel advice rates Germany at exercise normal safety precautions overall. That is a practical baseline for an international student, worker, or prospective resident: use common sense, stay alert in public places, and follow official warnings without assuming that every public space is dangerous. The same Australian travel advice for Germany says there is an ongoing terrorism threat and that attacks could occur anywhere and at any time. It identifies transport hubs, public transport, places of worship, tourist sites, sporting venues, Pride events, schools, festivals, seasonal markets, Christmas markets, New Year’s celebrations, and other large events as locations that may attract attackers. The advice is not to avoid all such places; it is to be alert to possible threats, be cautious around known targets and crowds, report suspicious activity or items to police, take official warnings seriously, and follow local authorities’ instructions. If a terrorist incident occurs, leave the area if it is safe to do so and follow official instructions. The United Nations information on Germany’s counter-terrorism measures describes Germany’s Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre, established in Berlin in December 2004, and the Joint Centre for Countering Extremism and Terrorism, established in 2012. It says 40 security agencies collaborate through the joint platforms by sharing information and discussing individual cases. This institutional background does not replace personal judgment during an incident, but it explains why official alerts and police directions should be treated as important safety information. Before attending a major event, check current local news and authority notices, note how to leave the area, and keep your phone charged. If an official warning tells the public to avoid a location, follow it and monitor updates rather than relying on old plans.
Everyday personal security in Germany is mainly about protecting belongings and recognising situations that require extra attention. Violent crime unrelated to terrorism is described as uncommon, but criminal attacks can occur. The supplied advice identifies occasional petty crime, including pickpocketing and theft from cars and trains, and says bags and personal items can be stolen on trains. It recommends paying attention to personal security, particularly at night, and securing valuables in central districts and larger city train stations. For a newcomer carrying a passport, residence documents, laptop, phone, and bank cards, this means keeping essential items under control when changing trains, arriving at a major station, or moving through a busy central district. Do not leave valuables unattended in a vehicle, and do not assume a crowded train makes a bag safe. The travel advice also says racially motivated attacks have occurred against people of colour or people of particular racial backgrounds and may occur more often in urban areas and the former East Germany. Treat racial harassment as a real safety concern and use local support, university services, police, or emergency services when necessary. Drink spiking can happen anywhere. The practical advice is to remain alert, avoid leaving food or drinks unattended, watch while a drink is being mixed, tell friends immediately if you feel unwell, move to a safe place, stay with friends who feel unwell, and obtain medical help if needed. These recommendations apply to nightlife, festivals, student events, and private gatherings. A simple group routine helps: tell a friend where you are going, keep an eye on one another’s drinks, and do not leave an unwell person alone. The Germany safety section of Smartraveller is the relevant reference for terrorism, crime, harassment, and drink-spiking precautions.
Health preparation is part of security planning because a medical problem can become financially or practically difficult when you are new to Germany. The supplied advice says medical care and facilities in Germany are of a high standard, but hospitals may ask for up-front payment if you do not have insurance, and costs may be higher than in Australia. The DAAD states that health insurance is compulsory for everyone in Germany, including international students and participants in preparatory courses or Studienkolleg. Statutory health insurance provides a basic plan that includes most doctor visits, a broad selection of medicines, emergency-department visits, ambulance rides, and hospital stays. If your home-country coverage may be recognised, confirm that with your insurer and obtain the necessary evidence before registration or visa procedures. In forests, parks, and urban green areas, take precautions against ticks. The Australian guidance says there is a risk of tick-borne encephalitis and that ticks are especially active from March to November; check yourself for ticks and remove them as soon as possible. The UK guidance recommends checking vaccine recommendations for Germany at least 8 weeks before travel and reviewing the legal status and regulation of medicines prescribed or purchased at home. Keep medication in the form and packaging required by your travel arrangements, but do not assume that a medicine’s legal status is identical in Germany. For a non-emergency illness, a Hausarzt or family doctor is usually the first point of contact, and the doctor can decide whether specialist care is needed. At night or on weekends, an urgent but non-life-threatening problem can be directed to 116 117 or a Bereitschaftspraxis. For an immediate medical emergency, call 112. The DAAD health insurance guidance also notes that university accident insurance covers injuries during activities on the institution’s grounds or organised by the institution, but it does not replace personal health insurance. Keep both forms of coverage clear before starting your studies.
Security also includes respecting local law, protecting documents, and maintaining reliable information channels. The Germany travel advice says to always carry a photo ID. It also states that Nazi symbols, salutes, songs, and material such as flags or memorabilia are illegal. This is an important rule for English speakers who may not recognise the legal significance of an image, gesture, song, costume, or object in a historical or social setting. Do not treat prohibited symbols as harmless jokes, souvenirs, or party material. Keep a valid photo ID accessible, but protect it from theft and avoid sending a photograph of identity documents to an unverified contact. For changing conditions, the UK Germany travel advice recommends reading the full guidance, getting appropriate insurance, and signing up for email notifications when the advice is updated. It also reports that entry conditions and border arrangements can change at short notice, which is relevant when planning arrival, family travel, or cross-border study trips. For online security, keep operating systems and applications updated, use strong passwords, avoid suspicious email links, and check website addresses carefully. Germany’s national information on counter-terrorism states that the National Cybersecurity Strategy was revised in September 2021 and that the IT Security Act 2.0 was adopted in 2021. It also explains that the EU Digital Services Act covers online marketplaces, social media platforms, comparison and booking portals, employment websites, exchange platforms, cloud services, and app stores, with complaint and notification mechanisms. These systems are useful only when you report through the platform or authority’s genuine website. Finally, remember that crime prevention is shared across Germany’s federal, state, and municipal structures. The European Crime Prevention Network document describes around 2,000 prevention bodies, local prevention councils, and the ProPK police-prevention programme. Use those official or institutionally connected sources for local advice, keep emergency numbers ready, protect your documents and accounts, and review current warnings before major travel or events.