Emergency Numbers in Vietnam

Vietnam keeps emergency dialling simple. Three short numbers cover almost everything. Save them now — you do not want to be Googling them at 2am with a flat tyre on a dark road.

The four numbers

Number	Service	When to call
113	Police	Crime in progress, accident, theft, lost passport report
114	Fire brigade	Fire, gas leak, building collapse
115	Ambulance	Medical emergency, anything life-threatening
112	Search and rescue	Maritime, mountain, jungle — disasters and missing persons

All four work from any phone — locked, no credit, foreign SIM. They are free.

Operators in major cities (Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang) increasingly handle basic English. Outside cities, expect Vietnamese only — have your hotel or a passing local translate.

What to actually say

Operators want, in order:

1. Location. Address, nearest landmark, GPS coordinates (the Google Maps blue dot). Drop a pin and screenshot it.
2. Number of people involved.
3. Nature of the emergency.
4. Your name and callback number.

For Vietnamese phrases:

• "Cấp cứu" (kup koo) — emergency / first aid
• "Bị thương" (bee tuh-uhng) — injured
• "Cháy" (chai) — fire
• "Tai nạn xe" (tai naan say) — vehicle accident
• "Giúp tôi" (zoop toy in the north, yoop toy in the south) — help me

See essential phrases for more.

Ambulance reality check

115 is the public ambulance service. Response in central Hanoi or HCMC is usually 15–25 minutes. In smaller cities and rural areas it can be far longer, and the vehicle may be limited.

For non-critical situations in cities, a Grab to a private hospital is often faster and gets you to better care than waiting for 115. The big private hospitals — Vinmec, FV Hospital, Hanoi French Hospital, Family Medical Practice, Raffles Medical — have their own ambulance services you can call directly:

• FV Hospital (HCMC) — 028 5411 3500
• Vinmec (HCMC) — 028 3622 1166
• Vinmec (Hanoi) — 024 3974 3556
• Hanoi French Hospital — 024 3577 1100
• Family Medical Practice (HCMC) — 028 3822 7848
• Family Medical Practice (Hanoi) — 024 3843 0748
• Family Medical Practice (Da Nang) — 0236 358 2700

These are direct lines and usually English-speaking. See hospitals by city for more.

Tourist police

Tourist police are a specialised wing of the regular police aimed at visitors. They speak some English, focus on tourist-area incidents (theft, scams, lost documents) and tend to be more responsive than dialling 113 for the same thing.

• Hanoi tourist police hotline — 0903 415 122
• HCMC tourist information & security hotline — 1087 (24/7, Vietnamese + English)
• HCMC Tourist Police (District 1) — 028 3838 7200
• Da Nang tourism support — 0236 355 0111
• Hoi An tourist police — 0235 386 1577
• Nha Trang tourist police — 0258 351 1900
• Phu Quoc tourism hotline — 0297 384 6066

For lost or stolen passports: file a report at the local police station (or the tourist police office), then contact your embassy. See embassies and consulates.

Roadside and motorbike

There is no AAA-style nationwide roadside service in Vietnam. If your scooter breaks down:

• Push it to the nearest sửa xe sign — a roadside motorbike mechanic. They are everywhere. Repairs cost 50,000–200,000đ for most issues.
• If you are out of phone range, flag any passing motorbike — they will help.
• Your rental shop may have a hotline; check before you ride.
• For serious crashes — call 113 (police, for the report) and 115 (ambulance, if needed). The report matters for travel insurance.

At sea

The Vietnam Coast Guard and search-and-rescue centres handle maritime emergencies via 112. If you are on an organised tour, the boat captain is your first point of contact and has dedicated marine VHF radios. Solo sea kayakers and divers — file a float plan with someone on land.

Earthquakes, floods, typhoons

• Floods (Hoi An, central coast Sept–Nov) — listen to your hotel; they have moved possessions to higher floors many times before. Do not drive through flooded streets — a hidden open drain can swallow a motorbike whole.
• Typhoons — local government issues warnings 48 hours out. Flights cancel; trains keep running; stay inside.
• Earthquakes — rare. Vietnam is geologically quiet outside the north-west.

Mental health crisis

• Heart 2 Heart helpline — 1900 599 920 (English-speaking, run by expat volunteers in HCMC and Hanoi)
• Embassies will not provide mental health support but can refer you to English-speaking psychiatrists at private hospitals.

Save these now

A 60-second exercise that will save your day:

1. Save 113, 114, 115, 112 in your phone with clear labels.
2. Save your embassy's after-hours number — see embassies and consulates.
3. Save your insurer's WhatsApp.
4. Screenshot a Google Maps pin of your accommodation.
5. Photograph your passport's photo page and your visa.

Do all of this before you leave the airport.