Egypt emergency numbers: 122, 123, 180

This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by Ondřej Kadlec

122 police, 123 ambulance, 180 fire, and 126 for the tourist police, who are the ones you actually want.

126, the tourist police, is the number to save. They are a dedicated force at the major sites and resorts, they speak English, and they are far more use than the general line.
Police are 122, ambulance 123, fire 180 - and operators on those lines may not speak English, so have your hotel call if you can. 911 and 112 do not work here.
Ambulance response is slow outside the cities and resorts. In many situations a taxi to a private hospital is faster.
Report theft to the tourist police and get the written report. No insurer pays without it, and you will not get one after you fly home.
If you are diving, ask the operator where the nearest recompression chamber is and how they would get you there - there are chambers at Sharm, Dahab and Hurghada, and a good operator answers immediately.

126, the tourist police, is the one to save. They are a dedicated force at the major sites and in the resort towns, they speak English, and they are far more use to a visitor than the general police line.
Operators on 122 and 123 may not speak English. Have someone from your hotel call if you can.
Ambulance response is slow outside the cities and resorts. In many situations a taxi to a private hospital is faster.
911 and 112 do not work here.

Report theft to the tourist police and get the written report. No insurer pays without it and you will not get one after you fly home.
Photograph your passport, visa and insurance policy and keep copies separate from the originals.
If you lose your passport, go to the police, then your embassy in Cairo. Most consulates are in Cairo, with a few in Alexandria and Hurghada, which matters if you are on the Red Sea.
Save your insurer's 24-hour line offline with the international dialling code.
Keep US dollars in cash somewhere separate as a fallback.

Recompression chambers are at Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab and Hurghada.
Check your insurance covers diving to the depth you will actually dive, and covers chamber treatment and evacuation. Standard travel policies frequently do not.
Ask your operator where the nearest chamber is and how they would get you there before you dive with them. A good operator has an immediate answer.
DAN membership is worth it if you are doing a diving trip.

Heatstroke is the commonest serious visitor emergency in summer, especially at Luxor and Aswan. Symptoms are confusion, headache, nausea and stopping sweating. Get into shade and cool the person immediately.
Sandstorms, the khamsin, occur mainly in spring and can close roads and airports for a day.
Flash floods in the Sinai and desert wadis follow rare heavy rain and are dangerous. Do not camp in a wadi if rain is forecast.
If there is unrest, stay away from demonstrations entirely. Foreigners photographing protests have been detained.

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Emergency numbers and help in Egypt