Emergency and important phone numbers in Czechia

The universal number is 112. It works nationwide and connects you to the right service, so in a stressful situation, it's easier to dial this number than to remember the specific one. If you know exactly what you need: 155 — ambulance, 158 — police, 150 — fire department.

Calls are free and do not depend on your account balance. The main thing is that your phone can catch the network of any operator — if the call doesn't go through, try to move to an open area or go higher.

When you get through, state three things in this order: where (address or landmark), what happened, and how many people are injured. Do not hang up first — the dispatcher may ask for clarification or advise you on what to do before help arrives.

General questions about temporary protection — Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic hotline +420 974 801 802. Information for refugees and asylum seekers — UNHCR hotline 800 050 832. Both are listed in the 'Help for Ukrainians' section above.

For Ukrainian documents — passport, certificates, powers of attorney — contact the consular department of the Embassy of Ukraine in Prague: chancellery +420 227 020 200, check the official website for appointment procedures.

Important: the temporary protection registration PDF itself does not replace a travel document or a valid visa sticker. If you plan to travel abroad and return, check your document set in advance — this is often where problems arise at the border.

A gas smell is not something to 'deal with later'. Do not turn lights or electrical appliances on or off (a spark from a switch is enough to ignite), and do not use open flames. Turn off the gas, open windows, leave the premises — and then call the emergency line 1239 or 112 from outside.

With electricity, the logic is different: the emergency line depends not on the supplier you pay, but on the distributor for your address — ČEZ Distribuce, EG.D, or PREdistribuce. These are different companies, and calling 'your supplier' often doesn't help. You can identify the distributor using the official ERÚ search — the link is in the 'Emergency and Rescue Services' section.

Before calling, check the circuit breakers in your panel and ask your neighbors: if the power is out only in your apartment, it is most likely an internal problem, and you need an electrician, not the emergency service.

Harmonized European numbers 116 are active in the Czech Republic: 116 123 — first psychological support for adults, 116 016 — helpline for women experiencing violence (ROSA), 116 006 — help for crime victims (Bílý kruh bezpečí). For children and teenagers — 116 111 (Linka bezpečí), if a child is missing — 116 000.

You can call these lines not only in a critical moment. Anxiety, insomnia, exhaustion after moving, feeling overwhelmed — these are normal reasons to reach out, and you don't need to 'wait until a real crisis'.

However, if there is a direct threat to life or health — you are being threatened, beaten, or prevented from leaving home — this is no longer a consultation, but a police matter: 158 or 112. A crisis line can help with a plan and support, but it cannot stop an assault.

With a card, speed is key. There is no single number for all banks, so the fastest way is to block the card in your bank's app. If the app is unavailable, find your bank in the official ČNB registry and use the contact from its website — do not search for 'bank number' on search engines, as there are many fraudulent sites. Also, report theft or unfamiliar transactions to the police (158).

For Ukrainian documents, contact the consular department of the Embassy of Ukraine in Prague — chancellery +420 227 020 200.

Report the loss of Czech documents (residence permit, driver's license) to the police and the issuing authority. Bring any other identification document with you — this will speed up the process.

Numbers starting with 800 are free within the Czech Republic. Emergency numbers (112, 155, 158, 150) are always free and do not depend on your balance.

From a foreign number, dial the country code +420 and the full number. Short numbers (112, 116 123, 1239, 1210) are usually not dialable from abroad — they work within the national network. When roaming, 800 numbers may be charged or unavailable, so for calls from abroad, look for the service's international number in the +420 format.

Please note a common mistake: the number 116 117 (non-emergency medical consultation) works in Slovakia, but it is not available in the Czech Republic — this is explicitly stated on the state portal. If you need medical help outside of clinic hours, look for your city's on-call service or call 155 if your condition is serious.