Telling responders where you are outside a street address

Key rules

• Say it aloud: Even though 112 may receive your location automatically, always state where you are.
• Roads: Give the road code, kilometre marker and direction of travel.
• No address: Use the nearest fixed landmark, such as a lifeguard post, refuge, junction or urbanización name.
• Stay on the line: Keep the call open and send a map pin if asked.

Call 112 from your mobile, then say where you are

Your phone can help responders find you, but do not rely on it alone. When you dial 112 from a mobile in Spain, the call centre receives your location automatically. Most modern smartphones (Android and iPhone) also send a more precise position, based on GPS and Wi-Fi, by SMS or data as soon as you dial.

That position can be accurate to tens of metres. Indoors, in a valley or with weak signal it may arrive late, be off, or not arrive at all. Network-only location can be wrong by hundreds of metres or even kilometres. So always say your location out loud, and stay on the line.

On a road or motorway

Give three things: the road code, the kilometre marker and your direction.

• Road code: for example A-7, AP-7, N-340 or M-30.
• Kilometre marker: the punto kilométrico (often written PK or "km"). Small posts at the road edge show it, with one roughly every 100 metres.
• Direction: name the next big town you are heading towards. If you know it, you can also say sentido creciente or sentido decreciente (numbers rising or falling).

Add anything nearby that helps: a junction (salida) number, a service station, a bridge, a tunnel or an emergency phone. Say if you are stopped on the hard shoulder.

On a beach

Name the beach and the town. Then add the closest fixed point: a lifeguard post, a chiringuito (beach bar) or a numbered access. Some beaches have numbered towers or posts, so read the number out.

On a trail

Give the name of the route, your last waypoint and the nearest town or refuge. Describe what you can see around you, such as a peak, a stream, a hut or a pylon.

In an urbanización

Many urbanizaciones have confusing internal roads. Give the name of the urbanización, the street or road, the plot or house number and the nearest junction or landmark. If you live in one, learn these details now and keep them by the phone, so anyone in the house can say them quickly.

Use your phone's GPS

Open your maps app and read out your coordinates if you can. If 112 asks, send a map pin. Do this while you talk, not instead of talking.

You can also install an emergency app. AlertCops, run by the Ministry of the Interior, sends your GPS location to the Policía Nacional and the Guardia Civil. Several regions have their own 112 apps that also send your location. Which ones exist changes, so check your region's 112 service.

The checklist below is a quick version to save on your phone, and the questions below it cover common doubts.

Checklist

• Call 112 from your mobile so your phone can send its location automatically.

• Say your location out loud, even if you think 112 can already see it.

• On a road, give the road code, the kilometre marker (punto kilométrico) and your direction of travel, usually the next big town ahead.

• On a beach, name the beach and town, plus the nearest lifeguard post, chiringuito or numbered access.

• Stay on the line and send a map pin if the operator asks for one.

• Install AlertCops, or your region's 112 app, before you need it so it can send your GPS location.

Frequently asked questions

Can 112 see where I am when I call from a mobile?

Yes, 112 centres usually receive your location automatically, but it may be only roughly right. Smartphones send a GPS or Wi-Fi location when you dial 112, which can be accurate to tens of metres. Indoors or with weak signal it can be missing, slow, or off by hundreds of metres to kilometres, so always say where you are.

Which apps can send my GPS location to emergency services?

AlertCops, run by the Ministry of the Interior, sends your GPS location to the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil. Several regions also have their own 112 apps that send location, such as Andalucía, Madrid, Galicia and Asturias. You do not need an app for the automatic location from 112 calls.

How do I give my position on a motorway or main road?

Give the road code, the kilometre marker and your direction of travel. For example, say A-7, km number, heading towards the next big town. Kilometre posts stand every 100 m along the road edge.

What should I say on a beach, trail or urbanización with no street address?

Give the best landmark you can see. On a beach, give the beach name, the town and the nearest lifeguard post or chiringuito (beach bar). On a trail, give the route name, your last waypoint and the nearest town or refuge. In an urbanización, give its name, the street, the plot number and the nearest junction. Stay on the line and send a map pin if asked.