What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Athens?
Emergency number
112
Police: 100. Ambulance: 166.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: thecloudkeys.com, dunant.gr
Good to know
Good to Know
- 112 works free from any phone (even without credit or a SIM) and is the best default number to call in Athens as an English speaker — operators can generally connect you to English-speaking assistance.
- Save 171 (Tourist Police) separately — they are used to dealing with visitors and can help with lost passports, scams, or acting as a bridge with regular police.
- If your phone shows a loud alarm-style text alert, it's likely a genuine 112 cell-broadcast warning (e.g., wildfire or extreme heat) — these are automatic and don't require an app.
- Wildfire risk is a real seasonal concern in and around Athens (roughly June–September) — 112 evacuation alerts are the main official warning channel, so don't ignore unexpected emergency-sounding texts during this period.
- Public hospitals in Greece run a rotating 'on-duty' (εφημερεύον) system — on any given day/night only certain hospitals accept new emergency walk-ins/ambulance cases for each specialty. Check the Ministry of Health's daily on-duty list (via vrisko.gr or xo.gr) or call ahead if it's not a life-threatening emergency.
- For true emergencies, call 166 (EKAB, national ambulance service) or 112 (EU-wide emergency number) rather than trying to self-transport to a specific hospital.
- Public ER care can involve very long waits and crowded conditions; many expats and travelers with insurance opt for a private hospital (e.g. Henry Dunant, Athens Hospital, Hygeia) for faster, more comfortable emergency treatment, but expect to pay upfront and seek reimbursement.
- EU citizens with an EHIC/GHIC card can access public hospital care under reciprocal arrangements; non-EU nomads should carry private travel/health insurance since Greek public care is not free for non-residents without EU coverage.
- Evangelismos, in central Kolonaki, is the hospital most commonly used as the default major trauma/general referral point for central Athens.
Emergency Numbers
Police
- Number
- 100
- Description
- Direct line for police emergencies.
Coast Guard
- Number
- 108
- Description
- For maritime emergencies/incidents; more relevant on the islands and Athens' Piraeus port area than central Athens.
Tourist Police
- Number
- 171
- Description
- Dedicated assistance/information line for tourists, including reporting crimes, scams, or lost documents; multilingual operators.
Fire Department
- Number
- 199
- Description
- Direct line to the fire service.
Ambulance Medical
- Number
- 166
- Description
- Direct line to EKAB (National Center for Emergency Care), Greece's national ambulance service.
Human Trafficking Hotline
- Number
- 1109
- Description
- 24/7 national hotline for reporting or seeking help related to human trafficking.
Universal EU Emergency Number
- Number
- 112
- Description
- Free, toll-free single European emergency number that connects to police, fire, and ambulance dispatch anywhere in Greece (and the rest of the EU); operators can typically handle English.
Official Safety Apps And Alerts
- Status
- No single widely-promoted consumer emergency app confirmed
- Details
- Greece's civil protection authority (Ministry for Climate Crisis & Civil Protection) primarily uses the EU-wide 112 cell-broadcast alert system, which automatically pushes SMS/text warnings (e.g., wildfire evacuation orders) directly to phones in an affected area — no app install is required for this. Real-time official updates are also posted via the '112 Greece' account on X/Twitter.
- Recommendation
- Ensure your phone's emergency/wireless alert broadcasts are enabled (usually on by default on modern smartphones) rather than relying on a dedicated app.
Violence Against Women SOS Helpline
- Number
- 15900
- Description
- National 24/7 SOS helpline for domestic and gender-based violence, available in Greek and English.
Hospitals
Evangelismos General Hospital (Genikó Nosokomeío Athinón 'O Evangelismós')
- Type
- public (National Health System / ESY)
- Hours
- Emergency Department operates 24/7; as a public ESY hospital it also participates in the national rotating on-call ('efimerevon') system for new ambulance admissions
- Address
- Ipsilantou 45-47, Kolonaki, Athens 106 76
- Neighborhood
- Kolonaki (Evangelismos metro station on-site) — central, nomad-relevant area
- Trauma Capability
- Greece does not use a formal U.S.-style Level I-IV trauma designation, but Evangelismos is widely regarded as the country's leading general/trauma referral hospital
- Notes
- Largest general hospital in Greece with roughly 1,100 beds, extensive ICU capacity, and full surgical, cardiology, neurosurgery and trauma services
Hippokrateio General Hospital of Athens (Ippokrateio)
- Type
- public (ESY) teaching hospital
- Hours
- 24-hour Emergency Department; rotates on national on-duty roster like other ESY hospitals
- Address
- Vasilissis Sofias 114, Ampelokipoi, Athens 115 27
- Neighborhood
- Ampelokipoi — roughly 10 minutes from Kolonaki/central Athens
- Trauma Capability
- No formal trauma-level classification; functions as a major general/teaching hospital
- Notes
- A prominent public hospital in Athens, widely recognized for its excellence in cardiology and nephrology, and one of the city's major teaching hospitals.
Laiko General Hospital of Athens
- Type
- public (ESY) teaching hospital
- Hours
- 24-hour Emergency Department, rotating on-duty basis
- Address
- Agiou Thoma 17, Goudi, Athens 115 27
- Neighborhood
- Goudi, near Ampelokipoi/Ilisia
- Trauma Capability
- No formal trauma-level system; general medicine and surgery emergency care
- Notes
- A prominent public healthcare facility in Athens specializing in internal medicine and surgery.
Henry Dunant Hospital Center
- Type
- private
- Hours
- Emergency Department operates 24/7, 365 days a year
- Address
- Leoforos Mesogeion 107, Athens 115 26
- Neighborhood
- Ambelokipoi/Ilisia area
- Trauma Capability
- No official trauma-level classification, but self-described as one of the largest EDs in Greece
- Notes
- The ED treats traumatic or other acute, life-threatening conditions and is staffed with all medical specialties on call, with 8 examination beds and a dedicated minor-surgery room.
Athens Hospital (Athens Hospital I.P.D.)
- Type
- private general clinic
- Hours
- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Address
- Drosopoulou 24, Kypseli, Athens 112 57
- Neighborhood
- Kypseli — close to central Athens, near the National Garden/Pedion tou Areos area
- Trauma Capability
- General clinic-level ED with ICU/HDU backup; not a designated trauma center
- Notes
- A general clinic with 69 beds, an emergency department, ICU and high-dependency unit.
Healthcare
- System Overview
- Greece has a mixed healthcare system composed of both public and private services. The public system, known as the National Health System (ESY), was established in 1983 and is primarily funded through taxation and social insurance contributions.
- English Language
- Finding a doctor in Greece is easy, especially in big cities. You can find English-speaking doctors in private clinics or hospitals.
- Emergency Services
- Emergency healthcare is available to everyone, regardless of insurance status. The national emergency number is 112, and the ambulance service (EKAV) is free of charge.
Private Healthcare
- Availability
- Private healthcare in Greece is well-developed, particularly in Athens, Thessaloniki, and larger islands. Expats often prefer it because of: Faster access: Shorter waiting times compared to the public system. English-speaking staff: Many private doctors and specialists have studied or trained abroad.
Costs
- Consultation
- €60
- Note
- Private consultations cost between €40–€80, while specialist visits can be higher.
Public Healthcare Access
- Non Citizens
- Non-citizens can obtain care either by contributing to EFKA (if employed or self-employed) or by purchasing private international insurance, which ensures faster access and broader coverage.
- Registration
- Register for an AMKA: Essential for accessing public healthcare. Employers usually handle this for workers.
- Description
- To enter the healthcare system in Greece, you must be eligible for national or social insurance. Some EU citizens can receive care through the Greek health system for a limited time. Some UK citizens living in Greece and drawing a UK state pension can access limited public healthcare through an S1 form.
Pharmacies
- Overview
- Pharmacies (Φαρμακεία) in Greece are easy to find and sell both prescription and over-the-counter medicines. They are usually open during normal business hours, but some offer emergency services.
- After Hours
- Pharmacies operate on a rotating schedule, with after-hours duty pharmacies (efimeria) always available in larger towns.
- Prescriptions
- Pharmacies are the only place you can get medicine of any kind, even aspirin. You may be agreeably surprised at what you can get without a prescription at a Greek pharmacy.
- Staff Language
- In larger cities, pharmacies are all over. Since many pharmacists in Greece know English, communicating with them as expats will be simple.
- Location And Hours
- Pharmacies are normally marked by a green cross against a white background, and generally open from 8am to 1pm and 5pm to 8:30pm.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this emergencies research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Athens
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.