Dial 112 for any emergency in Poland. It is free, it works from any phone, and it is operated in both Polish and English. Poland also keeps its older service-specific numbers: 997 for the police, 998 for the fire brigade and 999 for an ambulance. Save 112 in your phone before you travel, read the short script below, and you are covered for almost every situation a visitor meets.
TL;DR
- 112 is the general emergency number for police, ambulance and fire. Calls are free, even without a SIM card.
- 997 police, 998 fire brigade, 999 ambulance, 986 municipal guard (city guard).
- You can ask for an English-speaking operator. Speak slowly and give your location first.
- Do not hang up until the operator confirms they have everything they need.
- Emergency ambulance care is, as a rule, free at the scene and on the way to hospital. Carry your EHIC or GHIC and take out travel insurance.
Table of Contents
- The numbers at a glance
- Police number in Poland
- Ambulance number in Poland
- Fire brigade number in Poland
- What happens when you call 112
- Calling from a foreign phone, and without a SIM
- If you cannot speak: the Alarm112 app
- When not to call 112
- Perspective
- Staying in Kraków: what to know locally
- Stay close to the Main Square
- A short pre-trip checklist
- FAQ
- Sources
The numbers at a glance
Poland's official sources give the same short list. The table below combines what the Polish Police and the EU Agency for Asylum booklet on Poland publish.
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General emergency | 112 | Free, any phone, English available |
| Police | 997 | 112 also reaches the police |
| Fire brigade | 998 | 112 also reaches the fire service |
| Ambulance | 999 | 112 also reaches the ambulance service |
| Municipal Guard (Straż Miejska) | 986 | City order and local nuisance matters, not for life-threatening emergencies |
| Mountain Rescue | 985 | Relevant if you head to the Tatras |
| Hotline for foreign tourists' safety | 800 200 300 | Listed in the EUAA booklet |
If you only remember one number, make it 112. The EU's Your Europe portal explains that 112 is the one number that works in every EU country, whereas national numbers differ from place to place. That matters if you are touring several countries on one trip.
Police number in Poland
The police number is 997, and 112 also puts you through to the police. For a visitor, 112 is the safer choice, because the operator can speak English and will route your call to the right service. Use 997 if you are already used to it or if a Polish speaker is dialling for you.
Typical reasons a visitor calls the police:
- a theft or a lost or stolen wallet, phone or passport
- an assault or someone threatening you
- a road accident with injuries or a dispute over who is at fault
- a suspicious situation you feel is dangerous
For a theft where nobody is in danger, you will normally go to a police station to file a report, which you will need for an insurance claim. There is a police station on the Old Town's main square at Rynek Główny 29, according to Visit Krakow, and it is sensible to check its opening hours before you walk over. Our guide to how safe Kraków is for city-break visitors covers the everyday risks, such as pickpockets in crowded places, and how to avoid them.
Ambulance number in Poland
The ambulance numbers are 999 and 112. The U.S. Department of State's security report on Poland gives the same two lines for medical emergencies and says ambulance services are widely available.
Call for an ambulance when someone has:
- chest pain, difficulty breathing or signs of a stroke
- heavy bleeding or a serious injury after a fall or collision
- lost consciousness or is not responding
- a severe allergic reaction
For these situations, do not travel to hospital by taxi or on foot and do not wait to see if it passes. Call, then follow the operator's instructions. If you are not sure whether it is an emergency, the operator will help you decide. For minor problems such as a mild stomach upset or a sprain, ask your accommodation to point you towards a pharmacy or a doctor, or contact your travel insurer's assistance line.
Is an ambulance free in Poland?
As a rule, yes. The Polish National Health Fund says that in an accident or sudden illness you should call 999 or 112, and that emergency medical help at the scene and transport to hospital are free of charge. The European Commission's page on using the health card in Poland says the help provided by emergency medical teams is free when life or health is under sudden threat.
Follow-up treatment is a different matter. Poland's tourism board notes that EU nationals can receive emergency treatment with a European Health Insurance Card. Your Europe also recommends taking the card with you, as it simplifies the paperwork and helps with refunds of public healthcare costs. UK visitors should check the current rules for the UK's GHIC on the official NHS site, and visitors from outside Europe should arrange travel insurance with medical cover before departure.
Fire brigade number in Poland
The fire brigade is 998, or 112. Poland has been moving fire calls into its central 112 system. The Ministry of the Interior and Administration explains that since 2021 calling 998 connects you to an emergency centre operator who passes the call to the State Fire Service, and the aim is for 999 to be handled the same way. In practice you are talking to the same system whichever number you dial, so there is no wrong choice.
If you smell gas, see smoke or hear an alarm in your building:
- Leave the building by the nearest safe route and take your phone and keys if it is safe to do so.
- Do not use a lift.
- Call 112 or 998 from outside and give the street address.
- Stay clear until the fire service tells you it is safe.
In historic Old Town buildings the staircases can be narrow, so it is worth looking at the evacuation plan displayed in your accommodation when you arrive.
What happens when you call 112
Your call is answered at an Emergency Notification Centre. The Ministry of the Interior and Administration says that Poland has 17 such centres, one in each voivodeship capital and one in Radom, and that if one centre is overloaded, another one in the country answers automatically. So the operator who picks up might not be in Kraków, which is why a clear location matters.
The operator takes your report and forwards it to the police, the ambulance service or the fire brigade as needed. The Polish Police advise you to stay on the line, because hanging up can prolong the whole procedure.
What to say, in this order
The ministry's guidance on what and how to report lists the information operators need. Put it in a sequence that works under stress:
- Where you are. Street name and number, a hotel name, or the nearest landmark. In Kraków, "Old Town, near the Main Market Square" is a start, but add the street.
- What happened. One short sentence: "My friend has collapsed and is not responding."
- How many people are hurt and what condition they are in.
- Your name and phone number, in case the call drops.
- Do not hang up until the operator says they have registered your report.
Open with: "English, please." Then say the words above. Operators are trained for this. According to Polish government figures from 2024, 1,039 operators speak English, and every operator must be proficient in at least one foreign language. The U.S. Department of State also notes that you do not need Polish to deal with emergency services, as 112 operators are typically proficient in several languages, English included.
If you want a few Polish words ready as a backup, our page on Polish travel phrases with pronunciation and 112 has the ones that matter most: "Pomocy!" (help), "Potrzebuję karetki" (I need an ambulance) and the like.
Calling from a foreign phone, and without a SIM
The Polish ministry states that 112 can be dialled without a SIM card and free from landlines and mobiles. That means a locked or empty phone can still connect, subject to a network being available.
A few practical points for visitors:
- Roaming is not a barrier. Emergency calls do not depend on a Polish data plan or on having credit.
- Dialling 112 is enough. If you want to dial a full international format from a phone registered abroad, Visit Krakow gives the Kraków route as 0048-12-112, but the plain three digits work from any mobile on the spot.
- Dialling Polish numbers from abroad. Poland's country code is +48. Drop any leading zero and then dial the number. For example, the Citizen's Helpline for the 112 system is +48 222 500 112, open on working days from 8:00 to 16:00. That line is for questions about the system, not for emergencies.
- A local SIM. If you want local data for maps and translation apps, see our guide to buying and topping up a SIM card in Kraków.
- Battery. Keep a charger in your day bag. Poland uses European two-pin sockets, and our guide to Polish plugs, voltage and adapters tells you what to pack.
If you cannot speak: the Alarm112 app
The Ministry of the Interior and Administration launched a mobile app called Alarm112 for people who cannot make a voice call, in particular people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The user selects pictograms for the type of event, the location and the service needed, and sends the report. If anyone in your group has a hearing or speech impairment, install it before you travel and look at how it works at home, not in the middle of an incident.
When not to call 112
The ministry reminds the public that every unnecessary call can delay a response in situations where every second counts, and it lists non-emergency situations in which 112 is not the right number. Use it for threats to life, health or property, and for crimes in progress.
For a lost phone, a minor theft discovered later, a noisy neighbour or a general question, use these routes instead:
- Accommodation staff. They can point you to the right office or help you phone.
- A police station for reports you need for insurance.
- Your insurer's emergency assistance line, which is printed on your policy.
- Your embassy or consulate for a lost or stolen passport.
Perspective
Guests often ask us three things on arrival: where is the pharmacy, how do we get to the airport, and what do we do if something goes wrong. The last question is the one we like best, because a calm answer takes only a minute.
Our advice is simple. Put 112 into your phone as a favourite contact before you leave home. Learn your address: in an Old Town of narrow streets and similar-looking courtyards, "Bracka 6, 100 metres from the Main Square" is far more useful to an operator than "near the church". If someone in your party needs help, one person calls while another waits at the street door to guide the crew in.
We run boutique apartments in a 15th-century townhouse, and we know that a good city break is one where you feel looked after. Knowing the numbers is part of that. Ask our team for the nearest pharmacy or the way to a doctor, and we will happily point you in the right direction.
Antek
Staying in Kraków: what to know locally
Kraków's Old Town is compact and mostly pedestrianised, which has a direct effect on how help reaches you. An ambulance may need to stop at the edge of a pedestrian zone, so a person at the door to meet the crew saves minutes. Give the operator the street name, the building number and the entrance, and say if there is a gate code or an inner courtyard.
A few habits make a city break smoother:
- Photograph your documents and store copies in your cloud storage, separate from the originals.
- Write down your accommodation's address and phone number. If your phone is lost, you can still tell a taxi driver or a police officer where you are staying.
- Know your insurance number and the 24-hour assistance line.
- Use official taxis or ride apps and keep to well-lit streets late at night, as in any busy European city.
- Watch for transport fines. Not an emergency, but a stressful surprise. See our guide to Kraków public transport tickets.
- Keep some cash and a card in different places. Our notes on currency in Kraków: złoty, cards and ATMs explain the options.
If you plan a day in the mountains, remember the separate Mountain Rescue number, 985, listed in the EUAA booklet. Mobile signal can be patchy on trails, so tell someone your route before you set out.
If you arrive late or leave early, the same thinking applies to getting around: plan how you will reach your accommodation before you land. Our three-day walking itinerary shows how close most sights are to one another in the centre, and public holidays can change opening hours of pharmacies and shops, so check the Polish public holidays calendar before you travel.
Stay close to the Main Square
Staying in the centre means you are within a short walk of the main sights, restaurants and the Old Town's services. At Bracka 6 we offer boutique apartments in a 15th-century townhouse, 100 m from Kraków's Main Square. Our Studio Superior, Studio Deluxe, Studio Executive and Apartament options each come with air conditioning, a kitchen area, private bathroom and free Wi-Fi, and we serve breakfast at the Sempre Bracka restaurant, with packed lunches for early starts. We also arrange transfers from Kraków-Balice airport and Kraków Główny station. See the apartments on our website and the booking terms.
If you arrive before check-in or leave after check-out, our guide to luggage storage in Kraków shows where to leave your bags.
A short pre-trip checklist
- Save 112 as a contact and test that your phone's emergency screen works.
- Pack your EHIC or GHIC if you are eligible, and have travel insurance documents on your phone.
- Note any medication names in generic terms and any allergies, in English and, if you can, in Polish.
- Know your address in Kraków and the nearest main landmark.
- Install Alarm112 if anyone in your group cannot make a voice call.
- Take a picture of your passport page and keep it separate from the original.
FAQ
What is Poland's version of 911?
It is 112, the European emergency number, which reaches police, ambulance and fire. Poland also keeps 997, 998 and 999 for the individual services. Since 112 works across all EU countries, it is the number to remember.
Can I speak English when I call?
Yes. The Polish Police say 112 is operated in Polish and English. Start with "English, please", give your location, then describe what happened in short sentences. Stay on the line until the operator confirms the report.
Are calls to Poland's emergency numbers free?
Yes. The Ministry of the Interior and Administration states that 112 is free from landlines and mobile phones and can be dialled without a SIM card. Call it from whatever phone you have to hand.
Is an ambulance free in Poland?
As a rule, emergency medical care at the scene and transport to hospital after an accident or sudden illness are free of charge. Carry your health card if you are eligible and have travel insurance for any follow-up care.
Which number do I call for the police in Kraków?
Call 112 or 997. Both reach the police, and 112 gives you an English-speaking operator. Municipal Guard number 986 is for local order matters, not for threats to life or crimes in progress.
When you are ready to plan your stay, book direct with Bracka 6 and we will look after you in the heart of Kraków's Old Town.
Sources
- Emergency number 112, Ministry of the Interior and Administration
- Personal Safety, Polish Police
- Single emergency number, Your Europe
- Information on temporary protection in Poland, EUAA
- Poland Country Security Report, OSAC
- What and how to report, Ministry of the Interior and Administration
- Bezpieczne wakacje, pamiętaj o numerze 112
- Numer alarmowy 112, Gov.pl
- System powiadamiania ratunkowego, gov.pl (2024 data)
- European Health Insurance Card, National Health Fund
- Poland, European Health Insurance Card, European Commission
- Health, Poland Travel
- How To Deal With An Emergency In Kraków, Visit Krakow