Emergencies in Zadar

Good to Know

• 112 is the single number to remember in Zadar and everywhere else in Croatia — it works free from any phone (even with no SIM or credit) and connects you to police, fire, or ambulance as needed, so you don't need to know the separate dedicated numbers.
• The dedicated numbers (192 police, 193 fire, 194 ambulance, 195 maritime rescue, 1987 road assistance) still work and can be faster if you already know exactly which service you need.
• Downloading the official HR112 Upozorenje app before you travel is worthwhile in summer especially, since Croatia's Adriatic coast (including the Zadar area) sees periodic wildfire risk and the app pushes real-time crisis alerts for your location.
• 112 operators can handle calls in English and German in addition to Croatian, which covers the vast majority of tourist and nomad situations in a coastal city like Zadar.
• For any life-threatening emergency in Zadar, call 194 (ambulance) or 112 (general emergency line, coordinates police/fire/ambulance) rather than going directly to the hospital — dispatch will route you fastest.
• Opća bolnica Zadar's OHBP (unified emergency department) is the single place to go for adult trauma, cardiac, and general medical emergencies; it is centrally located near the Kolovare area of Zadar, an easy taxi ride from the old town.
• Croatia's hospital system does not use the US Level I–IV trauma-center rating, so don't expect to see that designation on any signage or paperwork — it's simply not how the Croatian system classifies hospitals.
• Bring ID and, if you have Croatian/EU health insurance documentation (EHIC/GHIC for EU visitors), have it ready — non-EU nomads without Croatian coverage should expect to pay out of pocket and claim later via travel insurance.