Emergencies in Valletta

Good to Know

• 112 is the only number you need to remember in Malta — it reaches police, fire, and ambulance services and works even without a local SIM or credit.
• Malta's 112 operators typically answer in under five seconds and can respond in Maltese or English, so language is rarely a barrier for foreign visitors.
• If you can't describe your location, Maltese police can use call tracking to locate you, which is reassuring if you're unfamiliar with street names in Valletta's old town.
• The 112mt app is worth downloading before you need it — it sends your GPS location automatically to responders and includes a panic-button function.
• Non-emergency issues like minor theft or lost items should go through a local police station or the police's general line, not 112, so genuine emergencies aren't delayed.
• For any serious accident, major trauma, or life-threatening emergency in Valletta, dial 112 for a free ambulance — Mater Dei Hospital is Malta's main and only fully-equipped public trauma referral centre and treatment there is free at point of care for EU nationals with an EHIC/GHIC and for Maltese residents.
• Mater Dei is not walkable from Valletta — plan on a taxi, bus, or ambulance to get there quickly in an emergency rather than trying to walk.
• Private hospitals like Saint James (Sliema) offer 24/7 ER access with shorter waits for non-critical urgent care, but expect to pay upfront and be billed directly, and for major trauma you may still be transferred to Mater Dei.
• Non-EU/EEA visitors without travel insurance should expect to pay out of pocket at either the public or private ER — travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.