Emergencies and 112

One number for everything

112 is the single emergency number across Portugal and the entire EU — police, fire and medical. Operators speak Portuguese and English; many also speak French, Spanish and Mandarin. Calls are free from any phone (mobile, landline, payphone, locked phone). Save it as the first contact in your phone the day you arrive.

What to say in the first 15 seconds

Operators triage faster when you front-load the essentials:

• Your location — full street address, town, and a landmark if possible (GPS pin if asked)
• Type of emergency (medical / fire / crime / accident)
• Number of people involved and any obvious injuries
• Whether the person is conscious and breathing
• Your phone number in case the call drops

What dispatch decides

Unlike US 911, Portuguese 112 actively triages medical calls:

• Life-threatening: ambulance with paramedics (INEM VMER) dispatched immediately
• Serious but stable: regular ambulance dispatched
• Non-urgent: routed to SNS24 (808 24 24 24) for nurse triage and possible self-care advice
• Time-critical specialist: helicopter dispatched in remote areas

At the hospital

Public emergency rooms triage by Manchester scale, colour-coded by severity:

• Red (immediate): seen at once
• Orange (very urgent): within 10 min
• Yellow (urgent): within 60 min
• Green (less urgent): within 2–4 hours, often longer
• Blue (non-urgent): often 4–8 hours, sometimes redirected to a centro de saúde

Other useful numbers

Worth saving alongside 112:

• SNS24 (medical advice): 808 24 24 24
• Anti-poison line (CIAV): 800 250 250
• INEM (medical emergency direct): 213 508 100
• Maritime emergency: 214 401 950
• Forest fires: 117

Costs and follow-up

Emergency treatment is provided regardless of insurance or residency. Residents pay a small taxa moderadora (€15–€20 typical, waived for triage red/orange and for low-income holders). Tourists are billed at full rate but EHIC/insurance covers most of it. Always ask for the discharge summary (carta de alta) before leaving — your follow-up doctor will need it.

When NOT to use the ER

These should go to a centro de saúde, SNS24 or a private GP instead:

• Ongoing chronic-disease management
• Prescription refills
• Mild flu symptoms with no warning signs
• Routine pregnancy check-ups
• Minor cuts and bruises