What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Zurich?
Emergency number
112
Police: 117. Ambulance: 144.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: expatarrivals.com, internationalinsurance.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- 112 is the easiest single number to remember and works even on a foreign SIM or a phone with no credit — dial this first if unsure which service you need.
- Zurich falls under the Zurich cantonal/municipal police, but you don't need to know this in an emergency — 117 or 112 route you automatically based on your phone's location.
- Switzerland has no free state-provided emergency healthcare — an ambulance callout and ER treatment will be billed afterward, so make sure you have travel/health insurance before you need to call 144.
- Save 112, 117, 118, 144 and 145 in your phone contacts before you need them — during a real emergency, calm, clear location details matter more than remembering numbers.
- For any life-threatening emergency in Switzerland, call 144 (the national ambulance/emergency number) rather than going straight to a hospital.
- The University Hospital Zurich (USZ) is the main public referral point for serious trauma and polytrauma cases in the city — it is one of Switzerland's nationally designated trauma centers.
- Private hospitals like Klinik Hirslanden and Klinik Im Park run their own 24/7 emergency units and will treat you regardless of insurance type, though Swiss practice generally expects you to try your GP first for non-life-threatening issues before heading to an ER.
Other Useful Numbers
1414
- Description
- Rega (Swiss Air-Rescue) — helicopter rescue, most relevant for Alpine/mountain emergencies rather than city use, but a nationwide service.
143
- Description
- Die Dargebotene Hand — emergency mental-health / crisis counselling helpline.
111
- Description
- Line to help locate an emergency doctor, dentist, or pharmacy for less urgent but pressing medical needs.
140
- Description
- TCS/ACS roadside assistance for vehicle breakdowns.
Recommended Safety Apps
Alertswiss
- Publisher
- Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), Switzerland
- Availability
- Free, available in German, French, Italian and English; also covers Liechtenstein.
- Why Recommended
- Notifications come from official, authorised sources, such as cantonal police services, and the app lets you build a personal emergency plan, view an incident map, and receive critical push alerts (including ones that override silent mode on iOS).
- Description
- The official national app for public safety alerts.
Echo112
- Publisher
- Third-party (widely recommended alongside official numbers)
- Availability
- Free, works across Switzerland and many other European countries.
- Why Recommended
- Useful for nomads moving between European countries since it auto-adjusts to whichever country you're in, and pinpoints your location for responders.
- Description
- A free app that detects your country via GPS and displays the correct local emergency numbers, letting you place the call through the app while sharing your exact location with the operator.
Hospitals
Public University Hospital
- Phone
- +41 44 255 11 11 (emergency triage line: 0800 33 66 55)
- Name
- University Hospital Zurich (Universitätsspital Zürich, USZ) – Emergency Department
- Hours
- Open 24 hours a day, every day
- Address
- Schmelzbergstrasse 8, 8091 Zurich
- Trauma Designation
- Nationally certified trauma center; the USZ Department of Traumatology states it is one of 12 hospitals nationwide selected under Switzerland's severe-trauma care allocation for polytrauma/severely injured patients.
- Notes
- Largest and leading medical center in Switzerland; comprehensive specialty backup on-site.
Klinik Hirslanden Zurich – 24h Accident & Emergency Unit
- Phone
- 044 387 35 35
- Type
- Private hospital
- Hours
- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Address
- Witellikerstrasse 40, 8032 Zürich
- Trauma Designation
- General emergency/accident unit at a private hospital; not identified as one of the nationally designated trauma centers.
- Notes
- Publicly recognised emergency unit; treats patients regardless of insurance status, though your GP is meant to be the first point of contact where possible.
Hirslanden Klinik Im Park – Accident and Emergency Department
- Phone
- 044 209 28 50
- Type
- Private hospital
- Hours
- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Address
- Seestrasse 220, 8027 Zurich
- Trauma Designation
- Has a dedicated, fully equipped trauma room plus on-site CT and two MRI machines for emergency diagnostics, but is not one of the nationally designated Swiss trauma centers.
- Notes
- Separate entrance for emergency services; handles internal medicine and surgical/traumatology emergencies with on-site advanced imaging.
Fire
- Number
- 118
- Description
- Fire brigade emergency line for fires and related rescue situations.
Police
- Number
- 117
- Description
- Direct national police emergency line. Switzerland has no single national police force — each of the 26 cantons runs its own police service, but dialling 117 (or 112) automatically routes you to the relevant cantonal/Zurich dispatch based on your location.
Ambulance
- Number
- 144
- Description
- Ambulance/emergency medical dispatch line.
Languages
Emergency numbers including 112 can be handled in Switzerland's national languages (German, French, Italian) and generally in English as well, since Zurich's dispatch centres are used to multilingual callers.
Poison Control
- Number
- 145
- Description
- National poison control (Tox Info Suisse) for suspected poisoning emergencies.
Universal Number
- Number
- 112
- Description
- The pan-European emergency number, valid throughout Switzerland (and the EU). Connects you to the police emergency control centre, which redirects to the appropriate service. Works even with a foreign SIM card or a prepaid phone with no credit, and is free from any phone.
Healthcare
- System Overview
- Switzerland's healthcare system is renowned worldwide for its quality, but it isn't state sponsored, so you must take out a mandatory health insurance policy yourself.
- Facility Quality
- Public hospitals are clean, modern, and efficient, with waiting times among the shortest globally. Healthcare in Zurich offers both public and private medical facilities, but the differences between the two are small, and you can be assured of a high standard of care at both.
- Access For Nomads
- Expats and digital nomads are allowed to use the public healthcare system in Switzerland, although many opt for private health insurance. Most medical staff speak excellent English, making it easy for international patients to communicate their needs.
- Coverage Specifics
- All insurers must offer the same standardized benefits package, covering a wide range of essential medical services, including outpatient care, hospitalization (in the general ward of a public hospital in your canton), prescription drugs, and maternity care. Except for emergency treatment, dental care is not covered, and many choose to pay for extra dental coverage in their health insurance policies.
- Insurance Requirement
- All residents of Switzerland need to sign up for basic health insurance coverage. You have 90 days after your arrival to join an insurance plan.
Insurance Setup
- Process
- The first step is to register with your local cantonal authorities upon arrival in Switzerland. After that, when you select your preferred provider, you will need to provide additional documents. The insurance company will likely require identification, such as your passport or a Swiss residence permit, as well as proof of address, such as a utility bill.
- Monthly Premium Baseline
- CHF 393
- Baseline Premium Note
- For 2026, the average monthly premium for adults is projected to be CHF 393.30 (approximately USD 430).
Pharmacies
- Hours
- They're usually open 9 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays, with a duty rota covering nights and Sundays. A few run 24/7, like Bellevue Apotheke in Zürich.
- Availability
- There are around 1,800 pharmacies nationwide: look for Apotheke, pharmacie, or farmacia. Pharmacies in Switzerland, known as apotheke or pharmacie depending on the area, are easily found in most towns and city centres.
- Language Support
- Pharmacists in major cities speak English, and antibiotics need a prescription.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this emergencies research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Zurich
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.