Emergencies in Baku

Good to Know

• Fire, police and ambulance have their own separate short codes (101/102/103) in Azerbaijan — 112 is a supplementary Ministry of Emergency Situations hotline mainly used for fires, disasters, and as a backup if the direct lines don't connect.
• English-speaking operators are more likely on Baku emergency lines than in rural areas, but don't assume fluent English — having your location in Azerbaijani or Russian, or showing it on a map, helps.
• Always carry a passport or passport copy — police in Baku conduct routine ID checks in public and tourist areas.
• Save your embassy's emergency contact number separately, since consular staff (not 102/103) are who you'd call for lost passports or serious legal trouble.
• Dial 103 for a national ambulance dispatch anywhere in Baku; some private hospitals also run their own dedicated ambulance/emergency phone lines (e.g. Liv Bona Dea's is 900) that can be faster to reach for residents already registered with them.
• Azerbaijan does not use the U.S.-style Level I-IV trauma center classification, so no local hospital carries an official 'trauma level' rating — capability has to be judged by accreditation (e.g. JCI), bed/ICU capacity, and equipment instead.
• For serious trauma or major surgery, private JCI-accredited hospitals like Liv Bona Dea generally offer more reliable English-language service and equipment than public hospitals, but comprehensive travel/medical insurance is strongly recommended since private care is paid upfront.
• English-speaking staff can be limited outside private/international-oriented clinics, so keeping the address and a phone translation app ready is a practical precaution.