EMERGENCY SERVICES
Emergencies can be scary no matter where you are! Knowing who to call to in a crisis is crucial. Hopefully you never need this page, but it would be prudent to keep some of these numbers handy.
Emergency Services
112
Memorise that number. It is emergency services. 24 hrs. Free of charge.
Depending on the nature of your call, the operator will put you through to medical, fire or police. Immediately saying the following should get you through to the relevant department at least:
Assistência médica (medical)
Polícia (police)
Fogo (fire)
Many operators speak limited-to-no English, it’s important to remain calm and speak as clearly as possible. It may be necessary to hand the phone to the nearest portuguese speaker if possible.
Lately there have been some concerning stories circulating of first dispatchers hanging up when they hear a language they don’t speak, and not getting answered at all with a non-portuguese number. For this reason, where possible, the closest person available with a portuguese phone number should ring. And preferably someone who speaks the language.
Never use this number unless extreme emergency, the services seem to be strained enough as it is. For non-urgent help use these contacts below where appropriate.
Police Services
There are three main police services:
The PSP - Public Security Police / Policia de Segurança Publica
These are the guys you normally think of when you think “police”. Blue uniforms, walking the beat or in the marked police cars, generally chasing “bad guys”.
The GNR - Republican National Guard / Guarda Nacional Republicana
The GNR is Portugal’s paramilitary security organization; they are generally responsible for policing all areas of the country except for major cities although you will still see them from time to time (green uniforms).
The PJ - The Judicial Police / Policia Judiciária
The PJ deals with complex and high-level criminal investigations on a national scale, such as terrorism, cybercrime, and money laundering.
Fire Services
Healthcare and Medical Emergency
As stated, for a medical emergency in Portugal, call the emergency number: 112.
For non-emergency situations, visit your doctor, who can prescribe you medicine or refer you to a specialist if necessary. You can also see a specialist without a referral if you go to a private hospital and ask or use their app.
For general medical advice, you can also call Health Line 24 (Saúde 24) at 0808 24 24 24.
The Portuguese Public Healthcare portal is here - SNS
For a list of pharmacies, please go here - Pharmacies
I will be providing more info about healthcare needs and medical specialists soon. [link]
Traffic & Road Emergencies
Call 112 immediately for a serious emergency.
In a minor accident with no injuries, both parties should exchange details and fill out an accident report, which you then submit to the insurance companies. If there is a disagreement over what happened, do not sign any documentation at the scene.
Traffic Police (Guarda Nacional Republicana): 219 223 000
National Road Saftey Authority (Autoridade Nacional de Segurança Rodoviária): 707 200 011
Lost or Stolen Property
If you lose an item on public transport in Portugal, you should contact the relevant transport company (e.g., CP for items lost on a train). You can also contact the Public Security Police (PSP) to report a loss or theft at 218 444 530. Though of course, there’s no guarantee of return.
If you lose a bank card, report it to the local police station. The police then provide a certificate (Auto de Denúncia de Furto) for you to take to your bank.
Call 112 immediately when you encounter a fire.
Call 117 for forrest fires.
The national fire department only has around 2000 firefighters but double that at around 4000 volunteer fighters. Wildfires are a common, serious problem in rural Portugal and the bombeiros work tirelessly in other situations like storm damage. The bombeiros have the respect and gratitude of us all.
Other Useful Numbers
Cancer helpline: 213 619 542
Alcoholics Anonymous: 217 162 969
Drug abuse helpline: 1414
Narcotics Anonymous (Narcoticos Anonomios): 800 202 013
Child abuse hotline (SOS Criança): 800 202 651
Spousal abuse helpline (SOS Mulher): 0800 202 148