Emergency Numbers — What to Know
Italy uses 112 as its single emergency number (NUE — Numero Unico di Emergenza), routing calls to the appropriate service. You can also reach services directly: 118 for medical emergencies (ambulanza), 115 for fire (Vigili del Fuoco), and 113 for the Polizia di Stato. 112 is preferred — the NUE centre has multilingual operators, including English. Direct lines (113, 115, 118) are staffed primarily in Italian. In Rome, ambulance response times vary by district — central areas average 8–15 minutes; outer suburbs can be longer. The Carabinieri (112) are a military police force with nationwide jurisdiction and often respond faster than the Polizia di Stato in tourist areas.
Non-Emergency Resources
Rome's Guardia Medica (06 58 201) provides after-hours medical care — doctors make house calls or see patients at designated clinics evenings and weekends. Pharmacies (farmacie) display a green cross and operate on a rotation for 24-hour coverage. Farmacia della Stazione (Piazza dei Cinquecento 49) near Termini station is reliably open late. For poison emergencies, call the Centro Antiveleni (06 305 43 43). Your embassy can issue emergency travel documents — most are in the Parioli or Prati neighbourhoods.
Emergency Phrases
| English | Local |
|---|---|
| Help! | Aiuto!ah-YOO-toh |
| Call an ambulance | Chiamate un'ambulanzakyah-MAH-teh oon ahm-boo-LAHN-tsah |
| I need a doctor | Ho bisogno di un medicooh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oon MEH-dee-koh |
| Where is the hospital? | Dov'è l'ospedale?doh-VEH lohs-peh-DAH-leh |
| Fire! | Al fuoco!ahl FWOH-koh |
| Police! | Polizia!poh-lee-TSEE-ah |
Practical Tips for Tourists
Rome's major emergency hospitals include Policlinico Umberto I (the largest), Ospedale San Camillo, and Ospedale Santo Spirito (closest to the Vatican). The private Rome American Hospital in EUR has English-speaking staff and is popular with tourists — it accepts most international insurance directly. Public hospital Pronto Soccorso (emergency rooms) use a colour-coded triage system: red (immediate), yellow (urgent), green (minor), white (non-urgent). White codes may wait 6+ hours and incur a co-pay.
Italian SIMs from TIM, Vodafone, or Wind Tre are available at airport shops and tobacconists (tabacchi). EU roaming applies for EU SIMs. Emergency calls (112) work without a SIM or credit. Free Wi-Fi is available at Roma WiFi hotspots in piazzas and museums, though coverage is inconsistent.
Pickpocketing is the primary tourist crime in Rome, concentrated around Termini station, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and on bus routes 40 and 64. The Carabinieri maintain a tourist police presence at major monuments. File theft reports at any Carabinieri station or Polizia di Stato commissariato; the central office at Via San Vitale 15 is accustomed to tourist cases.
🇮🇹 See all Italy emergency numbers
