Emergency numbers in the Netherlands

There are key contacts in the Netherlands for all manner of issues – from reporting a crime to finding an item of lost property. If you are in a life-threatening crisis, you can call the main emergency phone number 112. If your situation is a little less serious, there are a wide range of other Dutch numbers and useful helplines that offer support.

Here’s who to call in the Netherlands:

ANWB

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Emergency services in the Netherlands

You should dial 112 to access the emergency services in the Netherlands. The three main emergency services are the fire service, police, and ambulance service.

The average time to answer a call is three seconds, and the operators usually speak English, German, and French. It’s possible to call 112 from a mobile phone even if you don’t have any credit or a valid SIM card.

When you call, you’ll be asked for the address and city you’re calling from, as well as the nature of the emergency.

The operator will either transfer your call to the appropriate emergency service to deal with directly or will handle your request while staying on the line to you.

Dialing 112 is the best option in the case of a fire, explosion, smoke, a serious accident, theft, if people near you are injured, trapped, unconscious or suffocating, or if you witness an attempted suicide. However, it is not suitable for minor incidents, or to contact doctors, dentists, or pharmacies.

Hoax 112 calls are a criminal offense in most European countries, so make sure you only call the emergency number in the Netherlands during a genuine emergency.

Fire services in the Netherlands

The fire service in the Netherlands is called the Brandweer. It helps with fire emergencies, altitude rescue, water accidents, and incidence response to hazardous substances, while also working on increasing fire safety awareness in the public.

The main emergency number for the fire department in the Netherlands is 112.

If you need help from the fire department in a non-emergency situation, call 0900 0904.

Police in the Netherlands

The national police service in the Netherlands is called Politie.

If you are calling with an emergency, dial the main emergency number in the Netherlands: 112.

If the situation is not an emergency, call 0900 884; when you call, you’ll be connected to your local police station. You can also visit politie.nl for more information.

Are you trying to provide an anonymous tip about a crime without contacting the police? Meld Misdad Anoniem, also known as M., allows you to leave an anonymous tip about a crime without needing to contact the police. You can call 0800 7000 or you can also check their website for more information.

If you lose your passport, ID card, or driving license, or have them stolen, contact your embassy before contacting the police. You’ll then receive instructions on what to do next. You may also need to give a statement to the police as part of the procedure.

Healthcare and accidents in the Netherlands

Accidents and emergencies in the Netherlands are dealt with by hospital emergency departments, called SEH (Spoedeisende Hulp). To call for an ambulance, dial the main emergency number in the Netherlands: 112.

You can also visit a hospital’s emergency department yourself, but if it turns out that a non-emergency doctor could have treated you, you might be charged for the treatment you receive or refused treatment without a referral.

For a list of Dutch hospitals, consult the list at ziekenhuis.nl (in Dutch).

If the health issue is urgent but not life-threatening, you should either contact your doctor (GP) or find your closest out-of-hours medical clinic (huisartsenpost).

If the doctor decides you need to go to emergency, they will then call the hospital to let them know you’re coming and what treatment you may need.

For information on all medical services, there’s a national line available at 0900 1515. This operates 24/7.

It’s also possible to contact local emergency doctor’s services:

• Amsterdam region (Stichting Huisartsen Dienstenposten Amsterdam, SHDA): 088 003 0600
• The Hague (Huisartsendienst SMASH): 070 346 9669
• Rotterdam (Huisartsenposten Rijnmond): 010 290 9888 (south), 010 466 9573 (north-center), 010 279 9262 (east)
• Utrecht (Primair Huisartsenposten): 0900 450 1450
• Eindhoven, Geldrop and Helmond (CHP Zuidoost-Brabant Huisartsenposten): 0900 8861
• Yellow pages: you can search for other medical services through Gouden Gids.

Emergency pharmacies in the Netherlands

If you need medication outside of opening hours, most areas have an emergency pharmacy (dienstapotheek). These will either be open 24-hours or close much later than other pharmacies.

Enter your town or postcode into the Apotheek website (in Dutch) to see the nearest out-of-hours pharmacy near you. Alternatively, many hospitals have a pharmacy in the building, which also tend to have longer opening hours.

There is no national number for dental emergencies, but you can find a dentist online at tandarts.nl, or see our guide to emergency dental care in the Netherlands for a list of the country’s emergency dental clinics.

Expatica’s guide to

Check out our guide to the healthcare system in the Netherlands

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Mental health services in the Netherlands

If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance, the first port of call should either be your GP, or company doctor if your workplace offers one. They will assess your condition and then decide whether you need specialist assistance.

The Dutch Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care is the national organization dealing with mental health issues and addiction care. You can contact them by phone at 033 460 89 00.

There are a number of sites offering counseling and psychological support that’s specifically for expats:

• PsyQ: offers treatment for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and substance abuse in The Hague.
• ExpatPsy: support for expat workers, families, and students in the Rotterdam area. You can contact them online.
• Expatriate Counselor: counselling services in Haarlem and Amsterdam for expats and their families dealing with issues around isolation, work, social relationships, and other stresses of moving to a foreign country.

There are also dedicated support services available for those in severe mental distress:

• Suicide prevention Netherlands: 0900 0113
• De Luisterlijn: telephone, e-mail, and online chat support service, contact 0900 0767 or online (website in Dutch).
• Samaritans: 0602 222 88

For even more contacts, see our directory of mental health services in the Netherlands.

Drug and alcohol services in the Netherlands

There are a number of support services to support those with drug and alcohol abuse problems in the Netherlands.

Alcoholics Anonymous is the largest organization to help with alcohol abuse. Their site provides information on local meetings throughout the Netherlands. You can also contact them via their 24-hour phone line: 020 625 6057.

Al-Anon also provides English-speaking support to family and friends; call them at 06 48 644 690 to find out even more.

For those with drug abuse issues, Narcotics Anonymous runs group therapy sessions throughout the Netherlands as well as online and telephone support. You can call the organization in your local area:

• 062 234 1050 (Amsterdam) 
• 062 234 9638 (Rotterdam)
• 061 344 6623 (The Hague)
• 061 217 9265 (Utrecht)
• 062 2511456 (Breda)

Children, family, and youth services in the Netherlands

Domestic violence or abuse

• Veiligthuis national domestic violence, child abuse, and elderly abuse hotline: 0800 2000 (available 24/7) or Veiligthuis website (in Dutch)
• Victim Support Netherlands: 0900 0101 or the Slachtoffer Hulp Nederland website
• Blijf Groep domestic violence shelter group: 020 611 6022 or Blijf Groep website (in Dutch)
• Primary aid line: in the event of sexual violence, call 020 613 0245 for help.

Child abuse

• Kindertelefoon: 0800 0432 (open 14:00–20:00) or the Kindertelefoon website (in Dutch)

Missing children

If a child goes missing, Missing Children Europe is a helpline that provides information as well as support to parents. It operates in 10 European countries, and the helpline is open 24/7 at 116 000.

Other family-related services

• Koninklijke Nederlandse Organisatie van Verloskundigen: the national organization for midwives in the Netherlands
• Helpline for children and teenagers: 0800 0432
• Doulas: doula.nl (hired help for new mothers)

Crime-related services in the Netherlands

In cases where a crime has taken place and it’s an emergency, call the main emergency number in the Netherlands: 112.

Sexual violence

• Arosa: offers help to those who are victims of domestic or sexual violence. Call 010 820 08 40 or visit arosa-zhz.nl.
• MIND Korrelatie: offers anonymous, professional assistance. Call 0900 1450 or e-mail [email protected].

Fraud

• Fraudehelpdesk: the Dutch national anti-fraud hotline. Call them at 088 786 73 72.

Find out even more in our guide to crime in the Netherlands.

Utility and telecommunications services in the Netherlands

If you suspect a gas leak (gaslucht) or have a power problem (stroomstoring), you can call the national hotline at 0800 9009.

For serious emergencies posing a public threat, call the national emergency number in the Netherlands: 112. Visit Gas- en stroomstoringen for details.

Contact your local gemeente for serious sewage issues. If the problem is in the length of pipe between the street and your house, however, this is the local water board’s responsibility; find yours at Vewin by typing your postcode in the box under Uw drinkwaterbedrijf.

Other useful utilities contacts

• Association of Water Boards (Unie van Waterschappen): Waterschappen
• Essent: energy provider, 0900 1550 or Essent website (in Dutch)
• Energie Vergelijken: energy provider comparison website (in Dutch)
• Gas or electricity emergencies and outages: 0800 9009 or the Gas- en stroomstoringen website

Road and traffic emergencies in the Netherlands

• Roadside breakdown service: ANWB or 088 269 2222
• National public transportation information: 0900 9292 (€0.90p/m) or on the 9292 website
• Bike share rental (OV-fietspass): OV-fiets
• Regional assisted transport: call 0900 9630 (local rates) or visit the Valys website

LGBTQ+ services in the Netherlands

• Gay and Lesbian Switchboard: 020 623 6565 (national) or visit the switchboard’s website
• ASV Gay: a student association for LGBTQ+ students in Amsterdam.
• COC Netherlands: advocate of gay rights. Call 020 626 3087.

You can find out even more in our guide to human rights in the Netherlands.

Homelessness services in the Netherlands

• Opvangatlas: find out where to get help in your local area
• Salvation Army (Leger des Heils): visit the website
• Youth Information Point (Jongeren Informatie Punt): JIP is an information and advice portal about several issues including homelessness to those aged 25 or under.
• The Rainbow Foundation (De Regenboog Groep): De Regenboog Groep is a charity that assists the homeless.

Animal services in the Netherlands

• Federatie Dierenambulances Nederland (FDN): animal ambulances for wild or domestic animals; call 034 352 1751 or FDN website (in Dutch).
• Animal ambulance (Dierenambulance): 0900 0245 or their website. They also provide shelter for animals seeking new homes.
• Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association (Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij voor Diergeneeskunde): 03 0634 8900 or KNMvD website (in Dutch).
• Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming): call the national hotline at 144 to report animal suffering or visit the Dierenbescherming website (in Dutch)

Embassies and services for foreign nationals in the Netherlands

As a small but diverse country, the Netherlands is home to well over 200 foreign representations in major cities. EmbassyPages has a complete directory of embassies and consulates in the Netherlands.

Here is a selection of some of the most relevant embassies for visitors and residents alike:

• Belgium: The Embassy of Belgium in The Hague is located at Johan van Oldenbarneveltlaan 11. Their phone number is +31 7 0312 3456. Belgium also maintains Consulates in Arnhem, Groningen, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, and Vlissingen.
• Morocco: The Embassy of Morocco in The Hague is located at Oranjestraat 9. Their phone number is +31 7 360 2203. Morocco also keeps Consulates in Amsterdam, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Rotterdam, and Utrecht.
• Suriname: The Embassy of Suriname in The Hague is located at Alexander Gogelweg 2. Their phone number is +31 7 0365 0844. Suriname also has Consulates in Amsterdam and Breda.
• Türkiye: The Embassy of Türkiye in The Hague is located at Jan Evertstraat 15. Their phone number is +31 7 0302 3101. Türkiye also maintains Consulates in Amsterdam, Deventer, Leiden, and Rotterdam.
• United Kingdom: The British Embassy in The Hague is located at Lange Voorhout 10. Their phone number is +31 7 0427 0427. The UK also keeps a Consulate in Amsterdam.

Lost or stolen property in the Netherlands

• Lost and found at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol: +31 20 333 0333 or visit Schiphol’s lost and found section.
• If you lost items on a train: call NS at 0900 321 2100 (€0.80/min) or you can also use the verloren voorwerp form to provide your details and description of the lost property.
• Verloren of gevonden is the national lost and found website of the Netherlands.

European-wide emergency numbers

The pan-European emergency number is 112 or 114 (for hearing assistance) and they also work in the Netherlands.

These general numbers can be called free of charge during any emergency from your mobile phone. As it is a Europe-wide number, you can also ask to be connected to an English-speaking operator. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing could also send text messages to 114.

What to do in an emergency in the Netherlands

When calling an emergency number in the Netherlands, it’s important to follow these tips:

• State your name, telephone number, the location where help is necessary, the situation, and if it’s still happening, how many people require help, and whether there are weapons or dangerous substances involved.
• Don’t forget the code to your parking lot or apartment building.
• Never hang up until the operator says you can.
• If you have medical problems or regularly take prescription drugs, make sure you know how to say their names in Dutch to the operator.
• If you have children, cite their ages and how much they weigh if you need to call an anti-poison center or to administer medication.
• In case you’re dealing with intoxications, make sure to inform them of what was taken and if possible, give them the rest of what was consumed.

Other useful phone numbers in the Netherlands

• Anti-discrimination service: 0900 2 354 354 or visit the Discriminatie website (in Dutch)
• Online discrimination: 088 554 32 22 or meld.onlinediscriminatie website (in Dutch)
• Coast guard (Kustwacht): 0900 0111 or visit the Kustwacht

Air raid siren (Luchtalarm)

There’s a siren on the first Monday of every month at noon nationwide. If you hear a siren any other time, however, it could be the Dutch signal for a disaster, from fires to hazardous gasses. You should head indoors, close windows and doors, as well as put on the TV or radio.

In addition to the emergency sirens, the Netherlands also has a system of alerts that go straight to your mobile phone. The system is known as NL-Alert. Did you just get a Dutch mobile phone number? Make sure you confirm that your phone receives the alerts by following the instructions on the NL-Alert website. Once you sign up for NL-Alert, you’ll also receive a test message at the same time the Luchtalarm is tested.

Emergency terms and phrases in the Netherlands

Useful resources

• Politie (in Dutch)
• Brandweer (in Dutch)