Spanish Emergency Phrases: 112, 911 and Finding a Pharmacy

In an emergency, short and clear phrases are best. Learn these before you travel and show them on your phone if you cannot say them. The key phrases are “¡Ayuda!” (Help), “Llame a la policía” (Call the police) and “Llame a una ambulancia” (Call an ambulance).

• Help!

  ¡Ayuda!

  ah-YOO-dah
• Call the police

  Llame a la policía

  YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah
• Call an ambulance

  Llame a una ambulancia

  YAH-meh ah OO-nah am-boo-LAHN-see-ah
• I need a doctor

  Necesito un médico

  neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh
• I am lost

  Me he perdido

  meh eh pehr-DEE-doh

Emergency basics

• Emergency numbers. The EU number 112 works in Spain. Mexico uses 911, and other countries have their own numbers, so check before you go.
• Pharmacies. Spanish pharmacies show a green cross, and one in each area stays open at night (farmacia de guardia).
• Reporting a theft. You can make a report (denuncia) at a police station. You will need it for insurance.
• Embassy help. For a lost passport, contact your embassy or consulate as well as the police.

Calling for help

• Help!

  ¡Ayuda!

  ah-YOO-dah
• Call the police

  Llame a la policía

  YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah
• Call an ambulance

  Llame a una ambulancia

  YAH-meh ah OO-nah am-boo-LAHN-see-ah
• I need a doctor

  Necesito un médico

  neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh
• Fire!

  ¡Fuego!

  FWEH-goh
• What's the emergency number here?

  ¿Cuál es el número de emergencia aquí?

  KWAHL EHS ehl NOO-meh-roh theh eh-mehr-KHEHNTH-yah ah-KEE

Theft and the police

• Where is the nearest police station?

  ¿Dónde está la estación de policía más cercana?

  DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah ehs-tahth-YOHN deh poh-lee-THEE-ah MAHS thehr-KAH-nah
• I want to file a police report

  Quiero presentar una denuncia policial.

  KYEH-roh preh-sehn-TAHR OO-nah theh-NOONTH-yah poh-leeth-YAHL
• My wallet was stolen

  Me robaron mi cartera

  meh roh-BAH-rohn mee kahr-TEH-rah
• My phone was stolen

  Me robaron el teléfono.

  meh roh-BAH-rohn ehl teh-LEH-foh-noh
• My bag was stolen

  Mi bolso fue robado

  mee BOHL-soh FWEH roh-BAH-thoh
• My belongings were stolen

  Me robaron mis pertenencias.

  meh roh-BAH-rohn mees pehr-teh-NEHNTH-yahs

Lost something?

• I am lost

  Me he perdido

  meh eh pehr-DEE-doh
• My passport is lost/stolen

  He perdido mi pasaporte o me lo han robado.

  eh pehr-DEE-doh mee pah-sah-POHR-teh oh meh loh ahn roh-BAH-doh
• I lost my travel documents

  Perdí mis documentos de viaje.

  pehr-THEE mees thoh-koo-MEHN-tohs theh BYAH-kheh
• Where is lost and found for the airport?

  ¿Dónde se encuentra la oficina de objetos perdidos del aeropuerto?

  DOHN-deh seh ehnk-WEHNT-rah lah oh-fee-THEE-nah theh ohb-KHEH-tohs pehr-THEE-thohs thehl ah-eh-rohp-WEHR-toh

Medical help

• Is there a hospital nearby?

  ¿Hay un hospital cerca?

  eye oon os-pee-TAHL SEHR-kah
• Is there an English-speaking doctor?

  ¿Hay algún médico que hable inglés?

  EYE ahl-GHOON MEH-thee-koh keh AHB-leh eengg-LEHS

Danger and evacuation

• There's an earthquake

  Hay un terremoto

  EYE OON teh-reh-MOH-toh
• Where is the emergency exit?

  ¿Dónde está la salida de emergencia?

  DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah sah-LEE-thah theh eh-mehr-KHEHNTH-yah
• Where is the nearest safe zone?

  ¿Dónde se encuentra la zona segura más cercana?

  DOHN-deh seh ehnk-WEHNT-rah lah THOH-nah seh-GHOO-rah MAHS thehr-KAH-nah
• Is it safe to go outside?

  ¿Es seguro salir a la calle?

  EHS seh-GHOO-roh sah-LEER ah lah KAH-lyeh

Phrases for a theft or an accident

• I need to report a theft

  Quiero denunciar un robo

  KYEH-roh deh-noon-SYAHR oon ROH-boh

  A denuncia is the official report.
• Someone took my bag

  Me han robado el bolso

  meh ahn roh-BAH-doh ehl BOHL-soh
• I need a copy of the report

  Necesito una copia de la denuncia

  neh-seh-SEE-toh OO-nah KOH-pyah deh lah deh-NOON-syah

  Your insurer will ask for it.
• I have lost my passport

  He perdido mi pasaporte

  eh pehr-DEE-doh mee pah-sah-POHR-teh
• I need a pharmacy

  Necesito una farmacia

  neh-seh-SEE-toh OO-nah fahr-MAH-syah

  Look for the green cross.

A short scene: reporting a theft

1. YouQuiero denunciar un robo. Me han robado la cartera.KYEH-roh deh-noon-SYAHR oon ROH-boh meh ahn roh-BAH-doh lah kahr-TEH-rahI want to report a theft. My wallet was stolen.
2. Police officer¿Cuándo y dónde fue?KWAHN-doh ee DOHN-deh fwehWhen and where was it?
3. YouHace una hora, en el metro.AH-seh OO-nah OH-rah ehn ehl MEH-trohAn hour ago, on the metro.
4. Police officerNecesito su pasaporte, por favor.neh-seh-SEE-toh soo pah-sah-POHR-teh pohr fah-BORI need your passport, please.
5. YouAquí lo tiene.ah-KEE loh TYEH-nehHere you are.

Common mistakes

1. Waiting too long to call for help. Call early, and give your location first.
2. Not keeping a copy of your passport. It speeds up replacement.
3. Not getting a police report after a theft. Insurance usually needs it.

For more, see our Spanish phrases for travel and Spanish hotel phrases. All phrases here have audio; ask a native speaker if you need a particular nuance.