Emergencies and problem situations abroad – This is what you should do

Only approximately half of Finns know that the emergency number 112 works in all EU countries. When you call 112 in an EU member state, the call is always routed to a local emergency response centre.

When traveling abroad, it is a good idea to look up what to do in the event of an emergency in the destination country. In many countries, different authorities have dedicated emergency numbers, which can also vary between the different regions of the same country.  However, in EU countries, you only need to remember a single number – 112 – when you need help from the police, rescue services or prehospital emergency care. Calls to the emergency number 112 are always routed to a local emergency response centre in the country in which the call is made. Depending on the country, your 112 call may be picked up by representatives of different authorities. However, your call will always be referred to the correct authority.

If you are travelling outside the EU, you should look up the local emergency number or the numbers of different emergency authorities in advance online or in travel guides. 

Location information is important in emergencies

The most important thing in getting help is to know the location of the incident so that the dispatched authorities can get to you as quickly as possible. Luckily there are joint-European tools for determining your location in an emergency, such as the AML (Advanced Mobile Location) system, which is automatically enabled on all mobile phones sold in Europe. Thanks to this system, your location is automatically sent to the emergency response centre when you call the emergency number 112. The eCall system found in the newest vehicles also sends information about the location of the vehicle and its direction of travel to the local emergency response centre in the event of an accident.

The 112 Suomi mobile application is indispensable abroad as well. The application automatically sends your location to the emergency response centre in European countries that are part of the PEMEA (Pan-European Mobile Emergency Apps) network. You can also use the app to manually check your coordinates in any country. 

However, the Emergency Response Centre Agency would like to remind everyone that automated location tracking tools are just that: tools. When you call 112, your location is always determined verbally as well.

Reaching a Finnish emergency response centre from abroad

If you are abroad and receive an alert from a home burglar alarm system or know that a loved one needs urgent help in Finland, for example, calling 112 is not the correct course of action, as your call will not be routed to Finland.

The Emergency Response Centre Agency’s international number is intended for situations in which the caller is abroad, but the emergency is in Finland. The Emergency Response Centre Agency’s international number is +358 9 2297 0908. The number can also be found under the Emergency Numbers section of the 112 Suomi application.

The consular service provides help in problem situations

Before travelling abroad, it is a good idea to submit a travel registration to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Submitting a travel registration allows the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to send you information about the security situation in your destination country and contact you in the event of an emergency or crisis.

The on-call duty service in accordance with the Consular Services Act assists and guides Finnish citizens or foreign citizens residing permanently in Finland in situations in which they have encountered problems abroad because of illness, injury, accident, crime or other comparable reason, for example. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ 24/7 service is open round the clock on every day of the year. 

You can find a link to the travel registration and the contact details for the consular service in the 112 Suomi application.

The Missing Child Hotline provides help if an underage person goes missing

When an underage person goes missing, it is important to quickly report it to the relevant authorities. You can call the EU-wide Missing Child Hotline 116 000 about any underage children. The number provides help everywhere in Europe in the event of children going missing during a trip abroad, for example. The number for the hotline can also be found in the list of services in the 112 Suomi mobile app.

In Finland, the Missing Child Hotline is intended only for non-urgent calls. In Finland, you can call the Missing Child Hotline if you need to ask for advice in cases that involve a missing child, report that a missing child has been found or ask for information about your missing child. 

Remember the following about pan-European numbers (112 and 116 000)

• the numbers do not require an area code
• calls are free of charge.