Safety and emergency numbers
The numbers to save in every phone in the household, before you need them.
How it works
- 112 works from any phone, with a foreign SIM or a prepaid card with no credit, and connects you to the police control centre.
- A rising and falling siren is the general alarm: open Alertswiss or the radio and follow the instructions. Sirens are tested once a year, on the first Wednesday in February.
- Fire: alert 118, get people and animals out, and fight the fire only if it is safe.
- In a traffic accident, stop. Secure the scene, help the injured, alert the emergency services. ch.ch sets out what happens if you drive off.
- Product recalls: RecallSwiss, the federal recall service, publishes official warnings about recalled products. Sign up once and it warns you.
The numbers
| Europe-wide emergencyAny phone, any SIM, no credit needed. | 112 |
|---|---|
| Police | 117 |
| Fire service | 118 |
| Ambulance | 144 |
| Rega: air rescueMountain and helicopter rescue. From rega.ch, not ch.ch. | 1414 |
| Poison control | 145 |
| Helping Hand: counselling helplineA small charge per call; the official page states it. | 143 |
| Pro Juventute: children and young people | 147 |
| SBB Transport Police | 0800 117 117 |
Read from ch.ch: emergency numbers in Switzerland on 27 September 2026. If a number here and the official page ever differ, the official page is right.
Save these numbers to your contactsA contacts file (.vcf) with the 7 numbers verified against BAKOM’s official list. Open it on your phone to add them.
- What this is
- The national emergency numbers, what the sirens mean, and where official alerts come from. No form, no permit: a ten-minute job that only matters once.
- Why it matters
- In an emergency you will not want to search, and you may not have the German for it. Saving the numbers now means the first thing you do is dial, not look.
- Who needs it
- Everyone in the household, including children old enough to hold a phone.
- When to do it
- The week you arrive. Add the numbers to every phone, then put the free Alertswiss app on the same phones.
- Where it sits in the order
- After: Somewhere to stay for your first weeks. Before: Choosing a GP or paediatrician.
- What you’ll need
- Every phone in the household
- Your address written the Swiss way (street, number, postcode, town), so you can say it under stress
- The name of your commune, which the control centre will ask for
Official source
On your plan
Find a GP, and a paediatrician if you have children
Find one before you need one.
settlein is a guidance tool, not a lawyer, tax adviser, insurer or public office. Where we have not verified a figure against an official source, we leave it blank.