EMERGENCIES

How to call an ambulance in Portugal?

To call an ambulance in Portugal, you should dial 112. This is the national and EU emergency number, and it connects you to the emergency medical service via INEM (Instituto Nacional de Emergencia Medica) when the situation is medical.

1. Dial 112 and say you need an ambulance(preciso de uma ambulância).
2. Give your exact location first (address, nearby landmark, floor/door/gate code if relevant).
3. Explain what happened and the urgency (e.g., chest pain, breathing difficulty, serious injury), plus how many people need help.
4. Give the phone number you are calling from in case the call drops.
5. Follow instructions and don’t hang up until the operator tells you to.

If it’s not life-threatening but you still need medical guidance (for example, you’re unsure whether to go to an emergency department), you can call SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 for advice and referral.

Use this emergency number for any general emergency that needs immediate help, including the main emergency services: ambulance, police, and fire brigade. It is available 24/7 and works across Portugal and the EU. This is the pan-European emergency number, and it’s your single point of contact for any type of emergency, whether you need a doctor, a firefighter, the police or sea rescue.

In a medical emergency, your priority is to trigger the right emergency response quickly and give dispatchers the information they need to send emergency medical services.

Emergency call as a non-Portuguese speaker

For many immigrants, the immediate fear is the language barrier.

Even if your Portuguese is basic, try to learn these key phrases:

• “Eu preciso de uma ambulância.” (I need an ambulance.)
• “Eu preciso da polícia.” (I need the police.)
• “Eu preciso dos bombeiros.” (I need the firefighters.)

What are the 112 emergency services in Portugal?

• Ambulance. Calls are routed to medical triage and dispatch (INEM) when the situation is clinical.
• Fire and rescue (Bombeiros) Firefighters respond not only to fires, but also to rescues and many urgent incident types (e.g., road collisions, floods, and other critical situations).
• Police services (PSP/GNR and others) For immediate threats to safety, crime in progress, or urgent security incidents. The response may involve the relevant police force depending on location and incident type.
• Civil protection and major incidents (disasters, large-scale emergencies) In major accidents or disasters, Portugal’s civil protection system coordinates response planning and operations through the national authority (ANEPC), alongside other operational entities.

Who shows up when you call?

This is where understanding the system gets a little more complex and where many newcomers get confused. Unlike some countries where services are strictly siloed, in Portugal, there is significant and deliberate overlap.

1. INEM (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica): This is the national medical emergency service. INEM operates the advanced life support ambulances (Ambulâncias de Suporte Imediato de Vida – SIV) and the famous “VMUR” cars (Viatura Médica de Emergência e Reanimação), which are rapid-response vehicles staffed with a doctor and a nurse. They are dispatched for the most serious, life-threatening situations: cardiac arrest, major trauma, strokes, etc.
2. Bombeiros (Firefighters): This is the cornerstone of Portugal’s daily emergency response, and the group you are statistically most likely to encounter. The Bombeiros in Portugal are a fascinating mix of professional corps (Sapadores) in major cities and, for the vast majority of the country, volunteer corps (Bombeiros Voluntários). Their mandate is incredibly broad. They fight fires, but they are also the primary providers of basic ambulance transport.
3. An extremely common experience shared by expats is calling for an ambulance for something like a broken bone or a high fever and having a fire department ambulance arrive. This is completely normal. The Bombeiros are equipped and trained as emergency medical technicians and handle a massive volume of the country’s medical calls. Their presence is a testament to the deep community roots and volunteer spirit embedded in Portuguese culture.
4. PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) & GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana): These are the two main police forces. The PSP is the public security police, responsible for large urban centers. The GNR is a gendarmerie force with military status, responsible for policing the smaller towns and rural areas. Both forces handle crime-related emergencies, traffic control at accident scenes, and general public safety. If your emergency involves a crime or a significant public disturbance, they will be dispatched alongside or instead of medical services.

How to be prepared for an emergency in Portugal?

Save critical numbers:

Know your locale:

• Urban or rural.

Language strategy: A translation app or bilingual friend can be a lifesaver in tense situations.

Get local support: Join community chat groups.

Know your nearest hospital.  We come under Portimão Hospital region Tel. 282 450300. Faro Hospital Tel. 289 891100. 

Centro de Saude Algoz Tel. 282 574269

Centro de Saude Albufeira Tel.289 598400

Have basic Portuguese healthcare documents ready. Utente number, residency card or passport.

Install on your phone a reliable translation app or keep an interpreter’s contact handy,

Extra support services in Portugal (beyond 112)

Poisoning / toxic exposure	CIAV (INEM – Poison Information Centre)	800 250 250	Advice on suspected poisoning/exposure and what to do next.
Victim support (crime, violence, harassment)	APAV – Victim Support Helpline	116 006	Confidential support, information, and referrals for victims.
Domestic violence (confidential support)	CIG – Domestic Violence Information & Support	800 202 148	Support, rights information, and referral to local resources (call 112 if in immediate danger).
Domestic violence (silent/discreet contact)	SMS support (Domestic violence)	3060	When calling is unsafe or not possible; text-based support route.
Homelessness / urgent social protection	LNES – National Social Emergency Line	144	24/7 urgent social support, including emergency shelter pathways.
Drug and alcohol abuse / addictive behaviours	Linha 1414 (Linha Vida / addictions support)	1414	Confidential advice, support, and referral for substance use and other addictions.
Emotional distress / suicide risk (listening line)	SOS Voz Amiga	213 544 545 (landline) 912 802 669 / 963 524 660 / 930 712 500 (mobile)	Confidential emotional support (hours published by the service).
Missing child support	Missing Children Hotline (EU-wide)	116 000	Support and coordination in missing child situations.

GNR SMS service for the hearing impaired: 961 010 200

SOS Environment (GNR): 808 200 520

SOS Transit (GNR): 808 201 855

How to reach the Portuguese animal services

If you find someone’s pet, you should take it to a veterinarian. They can see if the animal has any chip or identification and search the databases if so.

You can report animal abuse to the GNR SEPNA – Environmental Protection Service at 808 200 520. In urban areas, you can also contact the PSP. If the abuse is ongoing or urgent, you can call 112.

Electricity Supply – report electricity faults to E-REDES, Portugal’s network operator, by calling their 24h free hotline at 800 506 506 (preferred), using the E-REDES Digital App, or messaging their WhatsApp channel at +351 913 846 398. The Balcão Digital is also available to report outages.