What to do and Who to call during an emergency in Hungary

Emergency in Hungary right now? Call 112. It is free, nationwide and available at any hour for urgent ambulance, police and fire or disaster-management assistance. Hungary also publishes 104 for ambulance, 105 for firefighters and 107 for police. Tell the operator your city or village, exact address and what happened. If someone is unconscious, badly injured, trapped, threatened or in a spreading fire, call before reading further.

This emergency guide covers Hungary, including Budapest, Debrecen, Szeged, Pécs, Miskolc, the Danube and Tisza rivers, Lake Balaton and rural settlements. It begins with immediate telephone numbers and a numbered action plan, then explains what to do during medical emergencies, fires, crime, road crashes, flooding, heat, storms and chemical incidents. Special attention is given to the 112 SMS service for situations where speaking is impossible. Official Hungarian police, disaster-management and public-health guidance checked 6 November 2026.

Quick answer: who to call during an emergency in Hungary

112 — nationwide European emergency number: emergency medical services, police, firefighters and disaster management. Free from landlines and mobile phones, 24/7.
104 — ambulance (mentők): traditional dedicated emergency medical number; 112 can also request an ambulance.
105 — firefighters / disaster management (tűzoltóság): a serious fire, smoke or relevant urgent rescue need; 112 is also appropriate.
107 — police (rendőrség): a serious crime in progress or a violent threat; 112 provides coordinated assistance.
SMS to 112 — when speech is impossible: the Disaster Management Directorate states that emergency text messages can be sent to 112 when a voice call is not possible. Unlike free voice calls, the SMS is charged at the normal rate. Describe the incident, exact address and whether life is at risk.
112 SOS Hallássérülteknek: an official emergency SMS application intended particularly for hearing-impaired people; it can send GPS location and incident details. Prepare it before you need it.
06 80 201 199 — ETTSZ poisoning advice: Hungary’s free, 24-hour toxicological emergency information line, available from within Hungary.
116 123 — emotional crisis support: 24-hour listening and psychological support, not a substitute for urgent police or ambulance dispatch.
+36 80 21 20 21 — child-protection reporting: free, 24-hour child-protection hotline; call 112 if someone is being attacked or in immediate danger.

Hungary’s National Police 112 explanation confirms the national emergency system, while the General Directorate for Disaster Management 112 guide confirms English and German access, emergency SMS and the accessible application. The national communications authority lists the four primary emergency numbers.

The first 60 seconds: seven useful actions

Get away from immediate danger if you can. Avoid smoke, active traffic, live electrical equipment, violent threats, fast water or unstable structures. Do not become a second casualty.
Call 112. Explain if you need medical, police or fire assistance, or that the incident involves several agencies. Use the direct 104/105/107 number if you know it and it is working.
Give a precise location. Say the town or village (település), district or kerület in Budapest, street (utca or út), building number, floor and apartment; include a landmark for rural areas.
Describe the event in one sentence. ‘One person collapsed’, ‘smoke is filling the third-floor staircase’ or ‘a vehicle has crashed with two people injured’.
State who needs help. Report unconsciousness, severe bleeding, breathing problems, injured or trapped people, and other immediate threats.
Answer the operator and remain available. Give your name and callback number, follow medical or safety instructions and clarify details you do not know rather than inventing information.
Guide crews to the correct access. When safe, ask another person to meet emergency services at the entrance, nearby junction, gate, road marker or trailhead.

A useful call might be: ‘Ambulance, please. A man has collapsed at [house number and street], Budapest District [number], third floor, apartment [number]. He is not responding. My number is [number].’ In Hungarian, ‘Mentőt kérek. Egy ember eszméletlen. A cím…’ means ‘I need an ambulance. A person is unconscious. The address is…’. Short, clear information is better than searching for perfect grammar.

What happens when you dial 112?

Hungary’s 112 calls are received at call-handling centres in Szombathely and Miskolc. Trained operators obtain the basic incident information and relay urgent cases to the responsible emergency services. The official disaster-management guidance states that 112 can be handled in Hungarian, English and German. This makes 112 an important number for travellers and international students.

The call-handler asks who is calling, the telephone number, incident location, what happened, whether life is in danger, the number of people hurt, and whether the event is continuing. If an emergency involves a truck with chemicals, a building fire or trapped people, there may be additional questions about the size of the fire, hazardous labels and weather conditions. Those questions help responders send the appropriate resources.

Hungary’s Advanced Mobile Location technology can send a supported smartphone’s location during a 112 emergency call, but the operator still needs the actual building, entrance, apartment and incident description. A phone cannot generate mobile coverage where no network is available. If your own provider has no signal, another compatible network may permit an emergency call; do not assume that 112 gives a satellite connection.

Medical emergencies: when to call an ambulance

A person is not breathing normally, collapses or has severe symptoms

Call 112 or 104 for a person who is unconscious, has serious breathing difficulty, severe chest pain, stroke symptoms, uncontrolled bleeding, major trauma or another immediately dangerous condition. Describe signs you can observe rather than trying to diagnose a specific illness. Explain the person’s approximate age and whether they are responsive or breathing normally, if known.

If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, the emergency dispatcher may provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructions and guide use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Follow any instructions and your appropriate first-aid training. If another person is present, ask them to bring an AED or safely guide the ambulance. Do not give food or water to a person who is unconscious or unable to swallow.

A fall from a height, road accident or other major injury may involve head, neck or spinal injury. Avoid unnecessary movement unless the immediate location threatens life through fire, traffic or another hazard. Do not delay the ambulance call while gathering insurance details or searching online for hospitals.

A health concern that is not immediately life-threatening

For routine illness, medication questions or stable symptoms without immediate danger, seek appropriate primary care, local out-of-hours medical services or a healthcare professional. Hungary’s emergency ambulance number is not intended as a substitute for an ordinary doctor’s appointment. If symptoms rapidly become severe, consciousness is lost or breathing is compromised, call 112 promptly.

The important choice is not whether a problem feels worrying; it is whether the person faces an immediate risk needing emergency responders. If uncertain about a potentially serious sudden event, tell the 112 operator exactly what is happening and follow the professional assessment.

Poisoning: Hungary’s free 06 80 201 199 advice line

The Health Toxicological Information Service (ETTSZ) is available 24 hours a day, free from within Hungary, on 06 80 201 199. It gives advice on toxic substances, mixtures and suspected poison exposures, including symptoms and appropriate actions. The National Public Health and Pharmacy Center says the service assists the public as well as clinicians and authorities.

When calling, give the person’s age, gender if known, location, substance name, approximate quantity and the time and route of exposure. Keep the label or container if it is safe to do so, but do not enter a contaminated area to retrieve it. Do not induce vomiting or improvise a treatment without expert guidance. If the exposed person is unconscious, is having seizures or cannot breathe normally, call 112 immediately.

Official toxicology sources: ETTSZ emergency information and ETTSZ 24-hour poisoning hotline, +36 80 201 199.

Fires, smoke and hazardous gas: 105 or 112

If a home, hotel, factory, shop or apartment building is burning, warn people, move to safety and call 112 or 105. Close doors behind you when safe to slow smoke spread. Avoid ordinary lifts during a fire unless firefighters direct otherwise. Never return to collect documents, valuables or luggage. A fire can spread through stairwells much faster than a household expects.

If the escape route is blocked by smoke, do not force your way through an unsafe corridor. Move to a safer location if possible and tell the operator your room, floor, staircase and where a window or balcony faces. Follow the fire service’s directions because the safest action depends on the specific building and fire location.

If you suspect a gas leak, avoid flames, electrical switches and actions that may cause sparks near the leak. Move to a safe location and call the relevant emergency or gas service from there. For a dangerous chemical vapour release, authorities may advise sheltering indoors rather than evacuating; the correct action depends on the actual hazard, not a universal rule.

Police protection: 107 or 112

For a robbery in progress, assault, serious threat, weapon-related danger or another urgent crime, call 112 or 107. Move to safety where possible and explain the exact location and what is happening. Mention injuries and observed weapons only if actually known. Do not follow a suspect to obtain photographs or vehicle details.

A theft discovered after the offender has left and no danger remains generally belongs with the appropriate police station or non-emergency reporting service. The emergency line is for immediate intervention. The Hungarian police explain the types of emergencies that warrant calling at when to call 112.

Emergency SMS to 112: an important Hungarian exception

Hungary’s disaster-management authority explicitly allows an SMS to 112 when someone cannot use a voice-based emergency call, for example due to a disability or another circumstance making speech impossible. Text messages reach emergency call centres, which send confirmation and may request more information. The authority says SMS messages are charged at normal rates, unlike the free 112 voice call.

A useful first text would be: ‘POLICE EMERGENCY. [Full address, town, floor]. Someone threatening me. Two people inside. Cannot speak. Call/text this number.’ For a medical incident: ‘AMBULANCE. [Address]. One person unconscious, breathing not normal. Cannot speak.’ Give what happened, where and whether a life is threatened.

The official 112 SOS Hallássérülteknek mobile application can assist people with hearing impairment by preparing an SMS with GPS coordinates and relevant incident details. It should be set up and understood before a crisis. The direct official source is Hungarian disaster-management 112 SMS and app guidance. Do not delay an available safe voice call to download an app.

Road crashes: urban streets and major motorways

If a collision leaves people injured, trapped or in an immediate road danger, call 112. Describe the road or motorway number (for example M1, M3, M5 or M7), the direction, nearest exit, junction or kilometre marker, and the number of vehicles and injured people. If smoke, leaking fuel or a vehicle fire is present, say so; responders may need firefighters as well as an ambulance.

The national disaster-management authority says useful crash information includes whether people are trapped, whether fuel is leaking and any hazardous materials sign on a truck. Do not walk into live motorway lanes to read a placard or take photographs. Give only details visible from a safe position. If a truck carries an orange hazardous goods sign, report the visible numbers only if you can identify them without approaching danger.

Flooding along the Danube, Tisza and other rivers

Flooding may affect riverside towns, rural roads, embankments and low-lying buildings. Do not drive through floodwater or walk across fast-moving currents. Water may conceal road damage, open drains, debris and electrical hazards. Follow local disaster-management and municipal evacuation instructions before road access is cut off. A current local flood warning matters more than an old screenshot or assumptions about last year’s river level.

If you are in a property where floodwater is rising, move to a safer location and take essential medication, documents and communication equipment when there is time. Do not enter a flooded basement to retrieve a car or touch electrical switches while standing in water. If people are trapped or injured, call 112 with the exact address, number of people and safest access route.

Hungary’s National Directorate General for Disaster Management provides national risk information and public safety instructions: BM OKF official website. Follow current municipal and county-level directions when they differ from general preparedness advice.

Thunderstorms, lightning, heat and dangerous lake weather

HungaroMet issues official warning forecasts for heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, strong wind and other hazardous weather. A warning indicates conditions favourable to a dangerous event; it does not guarantee that the event will occur at every point, nor that a neighbourhood without an alert is safe from every local storm. Read the area and period and keep checking updates as weather develops.

At Lake Balaton, Lake Velence and Lake Tisza, storm-warning systems are particularly important for swimmers and boaters. Do not remain on exposed water during dangerous lightning or strong wind; follow lifeguards and local lake regulations. Avoid isolated trees, exposed beaches, mountain ridges and open water during thunderstorms.

The official warning service is HungaroMet dangerous weather warnings, with English information at HungaroMet English warning page. Do not cite an old forecast as proof of current conditions.

Heat illness and vulnerable neighbours

Hot summer weather can affect people working outdoors, older adults, infants and people with certain chronic medical conditions. Seek shade or cooling, rest and provide fluids if the person is fully awake and able to swallow. Severe confusion, collapse, seizure or a dangerous breathing problem may indicate heatstroke or another medical emergency and requires 112 or 104.

Move the affected person to a cooler safe place and follow medical dispatch instructions for cooling. Do not force water or drinks into an unconscious person’s mouth. During heat alerts, arrange periodic checks on people who may not have reliable cooling or who have difficulty reaching healthcare.

Severe winter weather, snow, ice and power outages

Snow, freezing rain and strong winds can block roads, damage power lines and interrupt heating and communications. Avoid damaged electrical cables, fallen trees and unsafe roof structures. A routine electricity outage belongs with the relevant utility operator; an electrocution, fire or immediate medical danger warrants 112. Do not attempt to reconnect damaged equipment yourself.

Keep safe warm clothing, medication, a flashlight, a charged phone and an appropriate backup plan for electrically powered medical equipment. A fuel-burning generator or charcoal grill should never be used indoors or in an attached garage because of carbon monoxide poisoning risk. If someone shows severe symptoms or has collapsed, seek emergency medical response.

What an emergency warning does and does not mean

The Hungarian emergency authority and meteorological service issue situation-specific information during storms, floods and industrial incidents. A warning about toxic smoke may direct staying indoors and closing ventilation; a flood evacuation order may require leaving. Sheltering and evacuation are opposite actions. Read the real warning and follow the responsible local authority rather than a universal rule shared on social media.

If a siren, mobile alert, local announcement or media bulletin reaches you, identify the affected municipality, the actual hazard, the action requested and any all-clear instructions. If you need urgent rescue during the event, call 112. If you are safe and merely seeking additional information, use official public channels instead of overloading the emergency number.

Child protection and emotional crisis support

Hungary’s child protection authority publishes +36 80 21 20 21, a free, around-the-clock Gyermekvédő Hívószám to report suspected abuse, neglect or other safeguarding concerns. It allows an anonymous report and directs matters to the competent services. When a child or adult is currently being attacked or injured, police or ambulance emergency services through 112 take priority.

For emotional crisis and psychological support, Hungary’s health portal lists 116 123 as a free, 24-hour listening service. It cannot replace an ambulance for unconsciousness or another physical emergency. Official contacts: national child protection hotline and health portal crisis support.

Useful Hungarian emergency phrases

‘Segítség!’ — Help!
‘Mentőt kérek.’ — I need an ambulance.
‘Tűz van.’ — There is a fire.
‘Hívja a rendőrséget.’ — Call the police.
‘Egy ember eszméletlen.’ — A person is unconscious.
‘Nem lélegzik rendesen.’ — The person is not breathing normally.
‘A cím…’ — The address is…
‘Beszél angolul?’ — Do you speak English?
‘Nem tudok beszélni.’ — I cannot speak.

Hungary’s 112 authority says operators can respond in Hungarian, English and German. If you are a visitor, say ‘English, please’ and provide your written local address. A hotel employee or safe bystander can help pronounce a street or town name, but no person facing immediate danger should postpone the first call waiting for translation.

How to describe a location in Hungary

City, town or village: give Budapest district (kerület) if relevant, or the actual settlement name.
Street and building: utca, út, tér or körút, house number, block and nearest identifiable junction.
Flat: floor (emelet), apartment (lakás), staircase and correct entrance.
Motorway: M-road number, direction, junction or kilometre marker.
Lake or river: shoreline, harbour, beach, boat, bridge or marked location.
Outdoor trail: forest road, path sign, shelter and verified map coordinates.
Callback: phone number, language and whether road access or coverage is difficult.

Emergency preparedness for a Hungarian household or visitor

Save 112 prominently; label direct 104 ambulance, 105 fire and 107 police as appropriate.
Save the poison advice number 06 80 201 199, and note that it is a specialist information line.
Write your full address in Hungarian, including district, street, house, floor and entrance.
Identify the safest fire exit, outside meeting point and nearest accessible AED.
Prepare a power bank, torch, medication, safe drinking water, suitable food and essential documents for a prolonged outage.
Know the correct storm and flood warnings for your town or lake holiday location.
Set up a suitable 112 text or accessibility option before a crisis if voice communication may be impossible.
Plan how children, older adults and people with mobility, hearing or medical equipment needs can obtain help.

Common mistakes

Searching old local telephone lists when the free 112 service can reach relevant emergency agencies.
Believing a 112 SMS is free, when the Hungarian Disaster Management Directorate states normal SMS charges apply.
Using a poisoning information line instead of ambulance dispatch when someone is unconscious or having seizures.
Giving only ‘Budapest’ or ‘Balaton’ without the precise address, district, harbour or access point.
Driving across rising river water or touching a flooded electrical panel.
Rushing into an industrial chemical plume to identify a substance.
Assuming that a phone’s emergency location always supplies the apartment number, gate and floor.
Using emotional-support or child-protection reporting lines in place of urgent police response during a current attack.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hungary’s main emergency number?

112 is the free, nationwide European emergency number, reaching ambulance, firefighters and police. The dedicated direct numbers are 104, 105 and 107.

Can I speak English when calling 112 in Hungary?

Yes. The National Directorate General for Disaster Management says the 112 call centres can handle calls in Hungarian, English and German around the clock.

Can I send an SMS to 112?

Hungarian government emergency guidance allows SMS to 112 when speaking is not possible, and the operator sends confirmation. The SMS is charged at the standard rate, unlike a free voice emergency call.

What is Hungary’s emergency poison information number?

06 80 201 199 reaches ETTSZ, a free 24-hour toxicological emergency information service from within Hungary.

Does 112 work when I have no mobile coverage at all?

A phone may use another compatible network when its home provider has no service. But no ordinary cellular emergency call can work where no usable mobile-network signal exists. Dialling 112 does not create satellite coverage.

What if I need help during a serious flood?

Move away from dangerous water, follow local evacuation instructions and call 112 for immediate danger, trapped people or rescue needs. Avoid submerged electrical equipment.

Official Hungarian sources and related emergency guides

Emergency safety note: This guide provides public information, not live emergency dispatch or personal medical advice. Hungarian emergency, weather and local response arrangements can change. Government sources checked 6 November 2026. In immediate danger, call 112 now.