Emergencies in Vienna

Good to Know

• 112 is the easiest number to remember as a visitor since it connects to all emergency services and is commonly answered in English in Vienna, but locals often use the direct lines (133 for police, 144 for ambulance) out of habit.
• Save 112, 133, 122, and 144 in your phone before you need them — response is generally very fast and professional in Vienna.
• If you're deaf or hard of hearing, download the DEC112 app in advance since it enables text-based emergency contact and a silent call option.
• The KATWARN and Stadt Wien apps are worth installing for real-time alerts on weather, civil emergencies, or major incidents in the city.
• In a genuine emergency, call 144 (ambulance/Rettung) or the EU-wide 112 rather than trying to choose a hospital yourself — Vienna's ambulance service decides which hospital (including which trauma center) you're taken to based on your condition.
• Austria does not use the US Level I–IV trauma center classification; instead Vienna has two dedicated AUVA accident/trauma hospitals (Unfallkrankenhaus Lorenz Böhler and Trauma Zentrum Meidling) plus general hospitals with trauma-surgery departments and 24h emergency rooms.
• AKH Wien, in the 9th district, is the most centrally located major hospital with a 24/7 emergency department and full trauma surgery unit.
• If you have private travel insurance, you can be treated at any public or private hospital in Vienna; public hospitals are generally the best equipped for genuine emergencies.
• English is widely spoken among medical staff, especially at AKH, but bring ID and any existing medical records if possible.