Emergency Numbers in Slovakia: Who to Call

How the emergency services work in Slovakia

Perhaps the most important thing anyone living in or visiting the Slovak Republic should know is where to turn in an emergency. The emergency numbers work round the clock and can be dialled from any phone.

When you call for help, describe the situation briefly and clearly, give your contact details and the address of the incident. If necessary, the emergency services can treat people on the spot or take the injured to a medical facility. Stay on the line until the operator ends the call and has given you any further instructions.

The single number 112

112 – the single number for calling the emergency services. It works across the whole EU 24/7, and the operator always speaks at least two languages — the language of the country you are calling from and English. You describe what has happened, and help is sent to your location accordingly.

Call 112 in the event of:

A fire in a building, a car, a forest or any other object
A natural disaster
A serious road accident
If you find suspicious luggage that may contain explosives
If you find a person lying unconscious on the ground
If you witness a suicide attempt

Individual service numbers

158: Police

155: Ambulance

150: Fire brigade

159: Municipal police (Mestská polícia) – this number is most often called for a road accident in town, or for badly parked cars.

18 300: Mountain rescue

18 155: Air ambulance (Air Transport Europe)

18 188: Vehicle recovery (Global assistance Slovakia)

(02) 16888: Emergency door-opening service (Sherlock)

0850 111 313 – Lifeline – medical advice on how to give first aid in an emergency

We very much hope you never need these numbers, but in any situation it is better to be prepared and know who to call.

All the numbers in one table

Save them in your phone in advance. In a stressful situation there is no time to look up the right number.

Number	Service
112	The single emergency number, works in every EU country
150	Fire brigade (Hasiči)
155	Ambulance (Záchranná zdravotná služba)
158	Police (Polícia)
159	Municipal police (Mestská polícia)
18 155	Air ambulance (Air Transport Europe)
18 300	Mountain rescue (Horská záchranná služba)
02 5477 4166	National Toxicology Centre — for poisoning
0850 111 313	Lifeline — medical advice

Poisoning: a separate number few people know about

If you suspect poisoning — by chemicals, medicines, mushrooms or plants — call the National Toxicology Information Centre on 02 5477 4166. They will tell you what to do in the first few minutes while the ambulance is on its way. The number is worth having for parents of small children and for pet owners too.

Important: do not induce vomiting unless a specialist tells you to. With corrosive substances it only makes the damage to the oesophagus worse.

In the mountains, call 18 300

The mountain rescue service takes calls from six mountain areas: the High, Low and Western Tatras, Veľká Fatra, Malá Fatra and Slovenský raj. An ordinary ambulance will not come into the mountains, so save this particular number before you set off on a hike.

Help on marked hiking trails is free, but rescue work outside marked routes and during closed seasons may be charged for. Travel insurance that covers mountain rescue costs little and settles the question.

What to tell the operator

The 112 operators answer in Slovak and English. If you are not confident in either, give the essentials in the first few seconds — the operator will understand even simple words.

Where. The address, the town, a landmark. This matters more than anything else: without an address no help can be sent.
What has happened. In one sentence: a fire, an accident, a person unconscious.
How many people are hurt and what state they are in — breathing, conscious, bleeding.
Your name and phone number so they can call you back.

Do not hang up first. The operator may give you first aid instructions and has to be sure the crew has found the address.

Frequently asked questions

Does the call cost anything?

No. Calling the emergency services is free from any phone, including a mobile with no credit.

Can I call without a SIM card?

You can call 112, yes, from any mobile phone that has a network signal.

What if I speak neither Slovak nor English?

Call anyway. Give the town and the street, and say the word for the problem: pomoc — help, oheň — fire, nehoda — accident. Your approximate location can be identified from the call.

What happens if I make a false call?

Deliberately making a false call to an emergency service is punishable as an offence. But if you called for help in good faith and the alarm turned out to be false, there will be no consequences.