Getting emergency help when your Spanish isn't enough

Key rules

• 112: Operators answer in Spanish everywhere, and English is common but not guaranteed, so say your language slowly and ask for an interpreter.
• Regional differences: Each region runs its own 112 centre, so languages and accessible services depend on where you are.
• Accessible 112: Deaf and speech-impaired people usually need to register with their regional 112 service before they can use SMS or relay services.
• AlertCops: Install and register the free app before you need it, and choose your language.

The short answer

Call 112 and keep going, even if you only know a few words. You can reach help through three routes: a 112 operator who speaks your language or uses an interpreter, accessible channels for deaf and speech-impaired people, and the AlertCops app.

What language will 112 answer in?

112 is run by each region's own emergency centre, so language support differs depending on where you are. Operators answer in Spanish everywhere. They also use the local language in Catalonia (Catalan), the Basque Country and Navarre (Basque), Galicia (Galician), and the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community (Catalan/Valencian).

English is available in most centres, often with French and German. It is most likely in tourist regions such as the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Andalusia (Costa del Sol) and Valencia. Coverage depends on the centre and who is on shift, so do not count on it.

Other languages are usually handled through a telephone interpreting service. If the operator cannot speak your language, say your language slowly and clearly, then stay on the line while they connect an interpreter. Give your location as soon as you can.

Find out which regional centre covers your home and which languages it handles. The checklist below helps with this.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired

Accessible 112 services exist, but they are partly regional, and most need registration before an emergency. Typically you register with your regional 112 service, through its website or a form. You will need your ID and a disability certificate or declaration. After that you can contact 112 by SMS or through an app.

Video-relay and text-relay services for the deaf community also need prior registration. Many regions run their own registered SMS or chat systems. The process differs by region, so ask your regional 112 service what it offers and register before you need it.

AlertCops

AlertCops is a free official app of the Ministry of the Interior, linked to the national police and the Guardia Civil. Anyone in Spain with a smartphone can use it, including visitors.

• You register once with your name, phone number and basic data.
• The app sends your location to the police when you raise an alert.
• It supports about a dozen languages, including Spanish, English, French and German. Choose yours in the settings.
• It lets you report incidents in a chat-like way, so you do not have to speak.
• It has a function for people with hearing or speech disabilities, and one for victims of gender violence.

Install it and register now, not during an emergency. It needs a data connection.

Choosing and preparing

The decision block below helps you pick the best route for your situation. If you are calling in Spanish, the script below gives you the words to say. If you have no signal, cannot speak or the call drops, see the "What if" section below.

Choosing between options

How should you reach emergency help if your Spanish isn't enough?

• Call 112 in English: You are in a tourist region or a big centre, where English is generally available, often with French and German.

• Call 112 and ask for an interpreter: You speak another language. Operators usually connect a telephone interpreting service covering dozens of languages.

• Use the AlertCops app: You would rather report by text or cannot speak easily. It supports about a dozen languages and sends your location to the police.

• Use registered accessible 112: You are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired and have registered with your regional 112 service for SMS or text contact.

If you can speak, call 112 and say your language. If you cannot speak or hear, use the channel you registered for or AlertCops.

Languages differ by regional centre, so check what your region's 112 offers.

Checklist

• Find out which regional 112 centre covers where you live and which languages it handles.

• Install the free AlertCops app and register with your name, phone number and basic data.

• Choose English, French, German or another supported language in AlertCops.

• Gather your ID and a disability certificate or declaration for the registration.

What if you have no signal, can't speak or the call drops?

If your own network fails, 112 can still work. If a call drops, keep your phone free. If you can't speak, stay on the line or use a text route set up in advance.

No signal from your operator

Your phone can call 112 through any other mobile network in range, even if your own operator has no coverage. A phone without a SIM card can also call 112. If no network at all reaches you, no call is possible. Move to higher or more open ground and try again.

The call drops

The 112 centre sees your number and an approximate location. Operators normally ring back, so keep your phone free and answer unknown numbers. If nobody picks up, they may send police or an ambulance to the location the network gave them. Practice differs a little between regions, because each region runs its own 112 centre. Don't rely on a callback: if you can, call again.

You can't speak, or the line is silent

Stay on the line. The operator will ask you to speak, cough or press a key, and will listen for background sounds. They also check your number and the automatic location your phone sends. If there is no answer or there are signs of danger, they call back and may send police, an ambulance or the fire service to that location. Exact procedures vary by region.

Texting instead of calling

112 does not normally accept ordinary SMS, so don't count on sending a text in an emergency. Two text routes exist, and both need setup before you need them:

• 112 text service: People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability can register for SMS or app contact with 112. Registration is required, and availability and sign-up rules differ by region. Ask your regional 112 service how to register.
• ALERTCOPS app: Run by the Policía and Guardia Civil, it lets registered users report an incident with their location, without speaking. Download it and register now.

What to say when you call 112 in Spanish

Read the lines in order. Say the emergency first, then where you are, then your name and number. Fill the blanks in plain words. If you do not speak Spanish, start with the first line and the operator can switch to English or bring in an interpreter.

1. Say you need help and that you do not speak Spanish

• «Necesito ayuda. No hablo español.» (I need help. I do not speak Spanish.)
• «¿Habla inglés?» (Do you speak English?)

2. Say what the emergency is

Pick the line that fits.

• «Hay un accidente.» (There is an accident.)
• «Hay un incendio.» (There is a fire.)
• «Necesito una ambulancia.» (I need an ambulance.)
• «Una persona está inconsciente.» (A person is unconscious.)
• «No respira.» (The person is not breathing.)
• «Me han robado.» (I have been robbed.)

3. Say where you are

• «Estoy en la calle ___, número ___, en ___.» (I am on ___ street, number ___, in ___ [town].)
• «Estoy en ___.» (I am at ___.) Use this for a beach, a trail or an urbanización.

If there is no street address, give the best reference you can:

• On a beach: the beach name and town, plus the lifeguard post, beach bar or numbered access nearby.
• On a trail: the trail or route name, the last place you passed, the nearest town or refuge, and any landmark you can see.
• In an urbanización: its name, the street or road, the plot or house number, and the nearest junction or landmark.

If your phone has GPS, read out the coordinates from your maps app or send a map pin if asked. The call can also locate your phone automatically, but do not rely on that alone.

4. Say how many people need help and how they are

Give a number and a simple condition, for example «Hay dos personas heridas» (There are two injured people).

5. Give your name and phone number

• «Me llamo ___.» (My name is ___.)
• «Mi teléfono es ___.» (My phone number is ___.)

6. Stay on the line

Answer the operator's questions and follow their instructions. Do not hang up until they tell you to. If it is safe, stay where you are.

Frequently asked questions

Does AlertCops work in English?

Yes, AlertCops works in English, and it also supports Spanish, French, German and several other languages, about a dozen in all. It is free and works across Spain, so visitors can use it too. You register with your name, phone number and basic data, and the app sends your location to the police.

Do I have to register before a deaf person can use accessible 112?

Yes, the 112 SMS service and the video-relay and text-relay services need registration before you use them. You usually register with your regional 112 service, through its website or a form with your ID and a disability certificate or declaration. Do it before an emergency, because the process differs by region.

Will a 112 operator speak English in every region?

No, English is available in most centres but not in every one, and staffing decides it.