In case of emergency

Wich number should you call in case of emergency?

The Europian emergency number is alike for every country, but beside this number the emergency numbers differ from country to country.

Medical Service / Service médical d’urgence / Medische spoeddienst	100
Police / police Fédérale / Federale politie	101
Fire Service (Pompiers / Medische spoeddienst)	100

How to recognize the emergency services in Belgium?

Police / police Fédérale / Federale politie
Medical Service / Service médical d’urgence / Medische spoeddienst
Fire Service / Pompiers / Brandweer

When can I call an emergency number? What’s an emergency? (website angloinfo.com) 

When you are urgent need for emergency service, you are allowed to call. When it is not urgent you should call the local emergency services such as the local fire brigade or police.

You can call in circumstances such as: 

• When a building, a forest or a car is on fire or when smoke is coming out of a building.
• People who are stuck or trapped and need to be evacuated from a building or a car.
• In case of a serious accident with injured parties.
• When someone tries to steal or damage something.
• When you are a victim of or witness to an aggression or fight.
• When you see someone breaking into a house or notice that someone is trying to break into your house.
• If you or someone around you is unconscious, does not stop bleeding or is suffocating.

You can not call in circumstances such as: 

• To see if 112 or 101 really works.
• To make a joke when there is nothing wrong.
• If you need general information, such as someone’s phone number or address.
• Because you have excluded yourself and can no longer enter your home.
• To order a pizza or taxi.

If you call the emergency services without a valid reason, the operators in the emergency centres cannot accept calls from people who are really in distress. All emergency numbers are regularly targeted by ‘jokers’, partly because they are free of charge. These persons face prosecution, which can lead to a criminal conviction.

In general, the emergency services are here to help us. Please treat these emergency services with respect!

Other help lines (https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/belgium/healthcare/emergencies) 

Calling codes in Belgium

Emergency calls to numbers such as 100, 101, 103, 107, 110 and 112 are free. Numbers beginning with 0800 are also free.

Police: 101 | www.police.be

Fire brigade: 100 | www.frcspb.be

Red Cross ambulance: 105 | www.croix-rouge.be (French) | www.rodekruis.be (Dutch) | Help and intervention in case of diaster.

Anti-poison centre: 070 245 245 | www.poisoncentre.be | 24/7 urgent medical aid and advice on drugs, medication, poisons and etc.

Bank card lost or stolen: Cardstop 070 344 344 and Mijn kaart | Belgium’s national service can cancel bank and credit cards 24/7.

Lost and stolen Belgian IDs, passports and residence permits: Block your documents by calling the government service DocStop | Call 00800 2123 2123 | 24/7

Gas and electricity emergencies: Call you area provider for emergency information or 0800 87 870 for gas smells | Brussels (Sibelga): No electricity, call 02 274 4066 or see power cuts in Brussels. | If you smell gas, call 0800 1940.

Government information: Rijksoverheid 1400 | From abroad +31 77 4656 767 | online | Twitter @Rijksoverheid

Information directories: French 1307 | Dutch 1207 | Golden Pages Belgium | White Pages Belgium

Hospitals: Visit www.iris-hopitaux.be for a full listing of hospitals in Belgium.

Burn centres (centres de brûlés): Brussels 02 264 4848 (emergency dispatch) or 02 268 6200 | Antwerp 03 217 7595 | Charleroi 071 10 6000 | Ghent 09 332 3490 | Liege 04 366 7294 | Louvain 016 348 750

Pharmacists on duty

• 0903 99 000 (EUR 1.50/min) | French pharmacie.be – enter your postcode to find the nearest one
• Brussels union of pharmacies (French/Dutch)

Emergency doctors: on duty, on call, out-of-hours

• Brussels: GBBW 02 201 2222 (French/Dutch/English) | Médi-Garde 02 479 1818 (French) SOS Médecins 02 513 0202 (French) | BHAK (Brusselse Huisartsen Kring) 02 242 43 44 (Dutch)
• Rest of Belgium: 100
• Information directory: French 1307 | Dutch 1207 | An on-call doctor is assigned per region.

Emergency dentists: on call, on duty and out-of-hours

• Brussels: 02 426 1026
• Rest of Belgium 100

Emergency vets on duty

• Emergency vet Brussels: 02 479 99 90
• SOS Vétérinaires Brussels: 0497 400 400 | Home emergency services

Information about drugs

• Infor-drogues(French): 02 227 5252
• De Druglijn (Dutch): 078 15 10 20

CHS Helpline: English-speaking Community Help Service in Brussels

Community Help Service (CHS) is a volunteer counselling service set up for internationals (adults and children) to discuss emotional problems or offer advice:

• CHS Help Line: 02 648 4014 | For anonymous crisis support
• Mental Health Centre: 02 647 6780 | Talk with English-speaking mental health professionals

Crisis helplines and support in Belgium

• Tele-Onthaal 106 for support and advice in Flemish/Dutch
• Télé-Accueil 107 in French
• Telefonhilife 108 for German
• Cancer Foundation: 0800 15 801 (French/Dutch)

Helplines for violence, abuse and mistreatment

• SOS rape helpline: (French) 02 534 3636
• Senior citizen mistreatment hotline: (Dutch) 1712 – Ouderenmishandeling
• Family violence prevention centre: (French) 02 539 2744 – Centre de prévention des violences conjugales et familiales.

Suicide prevention hotlines

Get advice and support for you or a friend:

• For French, call 0800 32 123 | preventionsuicide.be
• For Dutch, call the Zelfmoordlijn at 1813 | zelfmoord1813.be or www.preventiezelfdoding.be

Support for children and youngsters

• Ecoute Efants: 103 (French)
• AWEL Kinder-en jongerentelefoon (Dutch): 102
• SOS Jeunes (French): 02 512 90 20
• Teleblok: Online support for students during exams

Alcoholics Anonymous

• Dutch: Anonieme Alcoholisten Vlaanderen 03 239 1415
• French: Alcooliques Anonymes078  15 25 56

HIV/AIDs support and information

• Aide Info Sida: (French) 0800 20 120
• Sensoa: (Dutch) 03 238 6868

Emergency Terms and Phrases