[Emergency numbers] Emergency numbers in Norway and what service to call in common situations (info only)

Info only (not medical advice). If someone is in immediate danger, call emergency services.

Key emergency numbers in Norway:
• 110 — Fire
• 112 — Police (emergency)
• 113 — Medical emergency / ambulance

If it’s urgent but not life-threatening (medical):
• 116 117 — Local out-of-hours medical service (legevakt)

Non-emergency police:
• 02800 — Police (non-urgent inquiries / reporting)

What to say when you call:
• Your exact location (address, landmark, city)
• What happened and how many people are involved
• Any immediate danger (fire, violence, unconsciousness, breathing issues)

Official sources (add links):
• [Norwegian Police (politiet.no) – Emergency 112 and non-emergency contact info]
• [Helsenorge – Call 113 for emergencies; 116 117 for out-of-hours medical service]
• [DSB / official emergency number references]

I learned Norway’s emergency numbers the hard way after a minor hiking mishap, and my strong opinion is that memorizing them is just as important as packing a charger. From what I’ve seen, communication in Norway during emergencies is calm and efficient, but only if you call the right number and explain yourself clearly. Knowing the difference between 113 for medical emergencies and 116 117 for urgent-but-not-critical issues saved me a lot of stress. but there’s a nuance… when you’re panicking, even simple numbers blur together, so having them saved in your phone actually matters. It feels like travelers underestimate how precise you need to be with location details, especially outside cities where “near the lake” means nothing. I also appreciated that operators spoke solid English, which made communication way easier than expected. Has anyone here ever hesitated about which number to call and regretted it? And do you keep local emergency numbers saved when you travel, or rely on memory and luck?

Yeah, I’m with you on this — knowing the numbers ahead of time makes a huge difference. I had a small car issue once that wasn’t a full emergency, and being able to call 116 117 instead of panicking and dialing 113 felt like a win. The operators were calm, spoke good English, and immediately zeroed in on location first, which is clutch when your brain is fried. Saving all the numbers in your phone is honestly the move, because under stress your memory is useless. Also worth saying: outside cities, landmarks and GPS really matter, so keep location services on and maybe download offline maps. Did you consider an alternative route like carrying a small card with the numbers or using an emergency app as backup when hiking?