Emergencies in Sofia

Good to Know

• 112 is the number to remember by default in Sofia — it works for police, fire, or medical emergencies and the operator will route your call to the right service.
• If 112 lines are busy, the direct numbers (150 ambulance, 166 police, 160 fire) reach the same dispatch services and can be a useful backup.
• There isn't a dedicated general-purpose tourist safety app for Bulgaria comparable to some other countries' apps — the official '112 Bulgaria' app is built specifically for people with hearing or speech disabilities to text-chat with an operator, not as a general nomad safety tool.
• Save the local direct-dial numbers in your phone in addition to 112, since knowing the specific service number can speed things along if you need to explain the situation to a taxi driver, hotel staff, or a bystander.
• For any life-threatening emergency in Sofia, call 112 (or 150 for ambulance specifically) — emergency care for life-threatening conditions is free of charge regardless of insurance or nationality.
• Pirogov Hospital is the hospital most ambulances will take serious trauma, burn, or poisoning cases to, and it also runs the only 24-hour pediatric emergency unit in the city.
• Bring a Bulgarian-speaking friend or use a translation app if possible — English is not guaranteed among ER staff, especially at the public hospitals (Pirogov, Military Medical Academy).
• Private hospitals like Acibadem/Tokuda are more comfortable and English-friendly for non-critical urgent care, but lack a real trauma unit, so major accidents/trauma still get routed to Pirogov or the Military Medical Academy.
• If taken to the Military Medical Academy for non-critical treatment, be prepared to pay in cash (leva) — cards are often not accepted for outpatient services there.
• EU/UK citizens with an EHIC/GHIC card can get treatment via the national health fund contract, but you may still be asked to pay a small non-refundable local co-payment (typically only a few euros).