Emergency Numbers in Malta: 112 and Other Essential Contacts

Call 112 when someone is in immediate danger or urgent police, ambulance or fire assistance is needed in Malta or Gozo. The number is free, operates 24 hours a day and can be called from any phone, even without a SIM card.

Do not delay a real emergency while searching for a more specialised number. The 112 operator assesses the situation and sends the appropriate emergency service.

Essential numbers at a glance

Number	Use it for	Do not use it for
112	Immediate danger; ambulance, police or fire emergency	Routine advice, lost property or a noise complaint
79770112	Police emergency textphone for a person with a hearing or speech impairment	General texting or non-emergency enquiries
21224001	A police matter that needs attention but is not an emergency	A crime in progress or immediate danger
1400	Health triage for an eligible patient aged 16–75 considering Mater Dei's Emergency Department	Life-threatening symptoms, prescriptions or routine appointments
21231231	Primary Healthcare guidance, including patients outside the 1400 age range	A life-threatening emergency
1579	Free, 24-hour mental-health support and practical guidance	Immediate physical danger that requires 112
179	Free, 24-hour social-welfare support, including domestic violence and child-abuse concerns	Immediate danger requiring police, ambulance or fire response

Save 112 first. The other numbers help keep the emergency line available while directing a non-life-threatening situation to a more suitable service.

When should you call 112?

Call 112 when waiting could put a person or property at serious risk. Examples include:

• someone who is unconscious or cannot be woken;
• severe difficulty breathing;
• chest pain that may indicate a heart attack;
• signs of a stroke;
• major trauma, heavy bleeding or a serious road collision with injuries;
• a fire, explosion, bomb threat or another immediate danger to property or life;
• an assault, mugging, break-in or other violent incident in progress;
• a person who may harm themselves or somebody else immediately;
• someone trapped, in the water or otherwise needing urgent rescue; or
• any situation that is becoming violent or dangerous and needs an immediate response.

You do not need to decide whether the police, ambulance or fire service should take the lead. Tell the operator what has happened and answer the questions clearly.

If the situation is serious but you are uncertain whether it qualifies, call 112 and describe it. Do not use a hospital switchboard, a police station number or an online form instead of 112 during an immediate threat.

What to say when calling 112

Begin with the information responders need to find the incident and understand its urgency:

1. State the location. Give the island, locality, street, building or venue name, entrance and nearest clear landmark. If there is no normal address, give a map pin or coordinates if available.
2. Explain what happened. Use a short description such as “one person unconscious”, “road collision with two injured people” or “fire in a third-floor apartment”.
3. Give the number and condition of the people involved. Say whether anyone is unconscious, struggling to breathe, bleeding, trapped or still in danger.
4. Describe hazards. Mention traffic, fire, smoke, fuel, electricity, weapons, a dangerous animal, rough sea or anything that could endanger responders.
5. Give a callback number. Tell the operator if the phone battery is low or reception is poor.
6. Answer the operator's questions and follow the instructions. Do not end the call merely because help has been requested.

If possible, send another person to a visible entrance or roadside point to guide responders. Keep access gates, lifts and stairways clear. Do not put yourself in danger to reach the injured person.

At a beach, rural location or on the coast, a vague place name may cover a large area. Give the precise bay, access road, landmark or map position and explain whether the casualty is on land, on rocks, in the water or aboard a vessel.

Hearing or speech impairment

The Malta Police Force publishes 79770112 as its emergency textphone service for people with a hearing or speech impairment.

In the message, include the emergency, exact location and the help required. This is an emergency accessibility channel, not a replacement for the police non-emergency number.

Police help when it is not an emergency

Call 21224001 when a matter requires police attention but nobody is in immediate danger. The Malta Police Force gives minor vehicle bumps without injuries, lost property and noise complaints as examples of situations that normally do not require 112.

Use 112 instead if a collision has caused injuries, a person is at risk, a crime is in progress or the situation may become violent.

For a stolen passport or other non-urgent theft, contact the police through the non-emergency route and then follow the replacement process required by the issuing country's embassy or consulate. Do not call 112 simply because the document is needed for travel.

Urgent health advice: 1400

The Ministry for Health's 1400 helpline is a 24-hour nurse-led triage service for people considering care at the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital. It is intended for patients aged 16–75 who are entitled to free healthcare.

It is not an alternative to 112 for chest pain suggesting a heart attack, stroke symptoms, severe breathing difficulty, unconsciousness, major trauma or heavy bleeding. Call 112 immediately for those symptoms.

The patient experiencing the symptoms should speak directly to the 1400 nurse. If a GP has just examined the patient, the GP can call on their behalf. Have these details ready:

• an ID number;
• the symptoms and when they began;
• known medical conditions;
• current or recent pregnancy;
• current or recent medication; and
• recent injuries, procedures or travel.

The nurse may direct the patient to a health centre, participating private hospital, Mater Dei's Emergency Department or another helpline. The service cannot prescribe medication, issue a medical certificate or arrange a routine specialist appointment.

The Ministry for Health advises patients outside the 16–75 age range to consider the Primary Healthcare helpline on 21231231. A visitor who does not meet the 1400 entitlement conditions should contact an appropriate clinic, private provider or travel insurer for non-emergency care. Immediate danger always goes to 112, regardless of age, nationality or healthcare entitlement.

Our doctors and pharmacies guide explains where to seek routine and out-of-hours care. For entitlement and the wider system, see healthcare in Malta.

Mental-health crisis and emotional support: 1579

Call the national mental-health helpline on 1579 for free, immediate emotional support, advice and practical guidance. It operates 24 hours a day.

It can help when you feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious, angry or in crisis; when you need to understand available services; or when you are concerned about a family member or friend.

If someone is about to harm themselves or another person, has already made an attempt, cannot remain safe or is in immediate physical danger, call 112. Use 1579 for support and guidance when an emergency response is not immediately required.

Our mental-health services guide covers longer-term and non-emergency routes.

Domestic violence, child-abuse concerns and social crises: 179

Supportline 179 is a free, 24-hour national social-welfare helpline. The Foundation for Social Welfare Services says it handles concerns including:

• domestic violence;
• child abuse or neglect;
• drug, alcohol or gambling problems;
• homelessness; and
• other social crises requiring information, support or referral.

If violence is happening now, someone is being threatened or a child or adult is in immediate danger, move to a safer place if possible and call 112. Use 179 for support, guidance and referral when an emergency response is not the immediate need.

The same Supportline team also handles calls to the EU Child Helpline 116111 and Emotional Support Helpline 116123. Calling 179 directly is the simplest general route to Malta's social-welfare support service.

Prepare before an emergency happens

Residents, accommodation hosts and families can make an emergency call much easier by preparing a few details:

• save 112 and the relevant support numbers in the phone;
• write the complete home or accommodation address somewhere visible;
• note the building name, flat number, floor, entrance and access code;
• save a map pin for a property that is difficult to find;
• tell children and visitors that 112 is for immediate danger;
• keep a current medication and allergy list for each person who may need it;
• store travel-insurance and emergency-contact details separately from the passport; and
• make sure somebody else knows how to unlock gates or direct responders.

Do not depend entirely on internet access during an emergency. A saved address and a short list of numbers remain useful when mobile data, battery life or concentration is limited.

The simple rule

Use 112 for immediate danger or urgent police, ambulance or fire response. Use 21224001 for non-emergency police attention, 1400 for eligible health triage, 1579 for mental-health support and 179 for social-welfare support.

Telephone services and eligibility arrangements can change. Recheck the linked official service when preparing a household or workplace emergency list, but never delay calling 112 during a real emergency.

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