Emergencies in Bucharest

Good to Know

• Save 112 in your phone before you need it, but remember it's a genuine emergency-only line — Romania's 112 system asks callers not to use it for non-urgent issues.
• If you plan to rely on the Apel 112 app for automatic location sharing, register your phone number in the app in advance — it won't help during an actual emergency if you set it up on the spot.
• Operators can generally assist in English and other major international languages, but speaking slowly and clearly helps, especially outside of the city center.
• 112 works even with a locked screen and, in many cases, even without a SIM card or mobile credit.
• For any serious or life-threatening emergency, call 112 first (Romania's single EU-style emergency number covering ambulance, police, and fire) rather than trying to go directly to a hospital.
• Floreasca and SUUB are the two main public hospitals in central Bucharest equipped for major trauma and polytrauma; both run 24/7 emergency units, but expect triage-based waiting, meaning less severe cases can wait a long time even if you arrived early.
• If the emergency involves a child, Grigore Alexandrescu Pediatric Emergency Hospital is the dedicated specialist option rather than the adult trauma centers.
• These are large public hospitals, not private clinics — English-speaking staff availability can be inconsistent, so having a translation app or a Romanian-speaking contact on call is genuinely useful in a crisis.