[Emergency numbers] 112 vs 113 vs 110: what’s the correct emergency number here, and what should tourists save in their phone?

[EIA_Ask_NO]

I’d like one clear community thread that people can find quickly in a stressful moment. Common searches include “emergency number in Europe”, “emergency number in Norway”, and “what is 911 in Norway”—but it’s easy to panic and forget details.

Please share practical guidance (from experience or official understanding):

• Which number you call for ambulance vs police vs fire
• If you’ve called: did you get help quickly, and what questions were you asked?
• What information is most useful to provide first (location, symptoms, landmarks)
• Any tips for travelers: phone settings, location sharing, roaming, calling formats

What do you wish every visitor knew about calling emergency services here?

 

[ViolettaPetrovna]

I had to call emergency services once in Norway for someone else, and my strong opinion is that tourists should save all three numbers in their phone before they even leave the airport. Knowing that 113 is for ambulance, 112 for police, and 110 for fire sounds obvious when you’re calm, but stress wipes your brain fast. From what I’ve seen, operators respond quickly and speak good English, but the first thing they want is your exact location, not a long story. but there’s a nuance… if you’re hiking or driving in remote areas, “exact location” can be tricky unless your phone has location services on and signal actually works. It feels like many travelers assume there’s a single European 911-style number, and Norway doesn’t really work that way. I was surprised how calm and structured the questions were, which actually helped me calm down too. Do you save local emergency numbers when you travel, or do you rely on Googling in the moment? And has anyone had issues calling emergency numbers here because of roaming or no signal?

 

[Alex Turner]

I had a similar moment a few years back on a winter road trip when someone slipped badly outside a cabin. My brain absolutely did not want to cooperate, and I was very glad I’d saved the numbers beforehand. Calling 113 got us straight to an English-speaking operator who was calm, direct, and laser-focused on location first, symptoms second. What helped most was having GPS on and being able to describe a nearby road marker instead of panicking through a story. One thing I’d tell every visitor: save 112, 113, and 110, turn on location services, and don’t overthink the call — they’ll guide you. After a day like that, I still swear by a quiet beer at a local pub or a strong coffee at a neighborhood café to reset your nerves.