SPAIN | Emergency | Emergency services

Emergency services in general

In Spain, call 112 to get help in case of an emergency and emergencies only - it is not a general information line such as 010 or 012. However, the 112 operator will try to help you even if it is not an emergency, referring your call to another telephone line or service. 112 calls are answered quickly. If there is a delay of some minutes, do not become impatient and keep waiting and, above all, do not hang up and call again. This service is free of charge and accessible from any phone, landline or mobile. The call will work from mobile phones with no need for a PIN or network coverage. If you do not get any communication from your mobile (due to cars, tunnels, etc.), change your location or call from a landline. From public phones you do not have to insert coins to call this service.

Others important telephone numbers are:

• Fire brigade: 080
• National police: 091
• Local police: 092
• Civil guard: 062
• Red cross: 902 222 292
• Traffic: 900 123 505

Local and national newspapers usually offer a list of the most important telephone numbers of a city. They are also listed in telephone directories like the "Yellow pages", "White Pages", etc. 

If you are reporting an emergency, remember to tell the operator the following:

1. Where did the accident occur? E.g. which town, street, square, highway, km number
2. Did it occur on a street or inside a house?
3. Describe what has happenend.
4. Provide key information about what happened, e.g. are people injured, trapped, etc.

In Spain, there are three different security bodies: 

1. Civil Guard, a military security body whose main tasks are to protect the people’s safety in rural areas, policing roads and assisting in the combat of terrorism throughout all of Spain.   
2. National Police, a civilian security body whose main tasks are similar to those of the Civil Guard; however, they operate in urban areas across Spain.
3. Urban Police, Local Police and Neighbourhood Police, who are civilian security bodies linked to city councils; among their duties, they ensure that people observe traffic rules within the urban centres, preserve people’s safety, and establish closer relationships with citizens.

When trying to recover lost property, you should go to the nearest police station where they will inform you about how to follow up on your property. You should not forget that these services vary from town to town.

Insurances

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives students access to medically necessary healthcare during temporary stays in most European countries under the same conditions as local residents. It is free of charge and should be carried alongside your regular health insurance documents when completing an internship abroad.

As of June 1st, 2004, the EHIC has replaced the forms used for temporary stays (mainly E-111 and E-128).