Emergency Contacts Every Expat in Latin America Must Have Saved

The worst time to search for an emergency phone number is during an emergency. When you are having a medical crisis, have just been in a car accident, or have come home to find your house broken into, fumbling through Google results for the right number to call wastes precious time and adds to your panic. Every expat living in Costa Rica, Panama, or Colombia should have these numbers saved in their phone, printed on a card in their wallet, and backed up in the cloud. Take fifteen minutes now and do it. Future you will be grateful.

This list is organized by country and covers every critical number you might need: police, ambulance, fire, embassies, hospitals, crisis lines, and specialized services. We update this page regularly to keep it accurate.

Costa Rica Emergency Numbers

General Emergency Services

• National Emergency Line: 911 — This is the primary number for all emergencies. Dispatchers can route your call to police, fire, or ambulance.
• Red Cross (Cruz Roja) / Ambulance: 128 — The Cruz Roja operates the primary ambulance service throughout Costa Rica. In many areas, they arrive faster than a 911-dispatched ambulance.
• Fire Department (Bomberos): 118 — Handles fires, gas leaks, flooding, and some rescue operations.
• Police (Fuerza Publica): 117 — For non-emergency police matters or to reach your local police station directly.
• OIJ (Criminal Investigation): 800-800-0645 — The Organismo de Investigacion Judicial handles serious crimes including robbery, assault, and vehicle theft. File denuncias here.
• Traffic Police (Transito): 2222-9330 — For traffic accidents, towed vehicles, and road-related emergencies.
• Tourist Police: 2586-4458 — English-speaking police officers who assist tourists and foreign residents. Available in major tourist areas.

Hospitals in Costa Rica

• Hospital CIMA (Escazu): (506) 2208-1000 — Major private hospital, English-speaking staff, full emergency room.
• Clinica Biblica (San Jose): (506) 2522-1000 — Private hospital with excellent emergency department and English-speaking staff.
• Hospital Metropolitano (San Jose): (506) 2521-9595 — Private hospital with 24-hour emergency services.
• Hospital Mexico (San Jose, Public): (506) 2242-6700 — Major public hospital with full emergency and trauma services.
• Hospital San Juan de Dios (San Jose, Public): (506) 2547-8000 — One of the oldest and largest public hospitals in the country.

Embassies in Costa Rica

• US Embassy San Jose: (506) 2519-2000 — After hours emergency line for US citizens: (506) 2220-3127
• Canadian Embassy San Jose: (506) 2242-4400 — Emergency line: +1-613-996-8885 (Ottawa, collect calls accepted)
• British Embassy San Jose: (506) 2258-2025 — After hours: +44 20 7008 5000
• Australian Embassy (Mexico City, covers Costa Rica): +52 55 1101-2200 — After hours: +61 2 6261 3305

Other Important Numbers — Costa Rica

• Poison Control (Centro de Intoxicaciones): 2223-1028
• COSEVI (Vehicle Registry / Road Safety): 2227-2188
• INS (National Insurance): 800-467-8000 — For auto and home insurance claims.
• ICE (Electricity/Internet Emergencies): 1119
• AyA (Water Emergencies): 800-272-6534
• Mental Health Crisis Line (IAFA): 800-422-4232

Panama Emergency Numbers

General Emergency Services

• National Emergency Line: 911 — Covers police, fire, and ambulance dispatch.
• Fire Department (Bomberos): 103
• National Police: 104
• DIJ (Criminal Investigation): 512-2222 — The Direccion de Investigacion Judicial handles serious crime reports and investigations.
• ATTT (Transit Authority): 506-4200 — For towed vehicles, traffic incidents, and transit-related issues.
• SENAFRONT (Border Police): 507-6600 — Relevant for expats near border regions.
• Tourist Police (Panama City): 211-3648

Hospitals in Panama

• Hospital Punta Pacifica (Panama City): (507) 204-8000 — Affiliated with Johns Hopkins. English-speaking staff, full emergency room.
• Hospital Nacional (Panama City): (507) 306-3310 — Major private hospital with 24-hour emergency department.
• Clinica Hospital San Fernando (Panama City): (507) 305-6300 — Private hospital with emergency services.
• Hospital Santo Tomas (Panama City, Public): (507) 507-5600 — The largest public hospital in Panama.
• Hospital Chiriqui (David, Chiriqui): (507) 774-0128 — The main private hospital serving the Boquete and David area.

Embassies in Panama

• US Embassy Panama City: (507) 317-5000 — After hours emergency: (507) 317-5000 (follow prompts)
• Canadian Embassy Panama City: (507) 294-2500 — Emergency: +1-613-996-8885 (collect calls accepted)
• British Embassy Panama City: (507) 297-6550 — After hours: +44 20 7008 5000
• Australian Embassy (Mexico City, covers Panama): +52 55 1101-2200

Other Important Numbers — Panama

• Poison Information: 512-9815
• CSS (Social Security / Public Health): 199
• SINAPROC (Civil Protection / Natural Disasters): 335-9234
• Mental Health / Suicide Prevention: 523-6868
• IDAAN (Water Emergencies): 394-7100

Colombia Emergency Numbers

General Emergency Services

• National Emergency Line: 123 — The primary emergency number for police, fire, and ambulance throughout Colombia.
• Red Cross (Cruz Roja): 132 — Ambulance service and emergency medical response.
• Fire Department (Bomberos): 119
• National Police: 112
• Fiscalia (Attorney General / Criminal Investigation): 122 — For reporting crimes and filing denuncias.
• Transit Police (Bogota): 127
• Anti-Narcotics: 167
• Gaula (Anti-Kidnapping and Extortion): 165
• Tourist Police: 337-4413 — Available in major cities; officers often speak English.

Hospitals in Colombia

• Fundacion Santa Fe (Bogota): (571) 603-0303 — One of the best private hospitals in Latin America. English-speaking staff.
• Clinica del Country (Bogota): (571) 530-0470 — Major private hospital with full emergency services.
• Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe (Medellin): (574) 445-9000 — Top-rated private hospital in Medellin.
• Clinica Las Americas (Medellin): (574) 340-6060 — Private hospital with 24-hour emergency room.
• Fundacion Valle del Lili (Cali): (572) 331-9090 — The leading hospital in Cali with full trauma capabilities.
• Centro Medico Imbanaco (Cali): (572) 682-1000 — Private hospital with emergency department.

Embassies in Colombia

• US Embassy Bogota: (571) 275-2000 — After hours emergency for US citizens: (571) 275-2000 (follow prompts)
• Canadian Embassy Bogota: (571) 657-9800 — Emergency: +1-613-996-8885 (collect calls accepted)
• British Embassy Bogota: (571) 326-8300 — After hours: +44 20 7008 5000
• Australian Embassy (Santiago, covers Colombia): +56 2 2550-3500 — After hours: +61 2 6261 3305

Other Important Numbers — Colombia

• Poison Control (CIATOX): (571) 288-6012
• RUNT (National Vehicle Registry): 01-8000-93-00-93
• Civil Defense: 144
• Family Welfare (ICBF): 141 — For child protection emergencies.
• Mental Health Crisis Line: 106
• Domestic Violence Helpline: 155
• Human Rights Ombudsman (Defensoria del Pueblo): 01-8000-914-814

How to Store These Contacts Effectively

Having these numbers on a web page is helpful. Having them saved and accessible when you actually need them is what matters. Here are four methods, and ideally you should use all of them:

1. Save Them in Your Phone with Clear Labels

Create contacts with names that are easy to find under pressure. Do not name the contact "Hospital CIMA." Name it "ER - CIMA Hospital Escazu" so it appears when you search for "ER" or "emergency." Similarly, label your embassy contact "EMBASSY - US Costa Rica" so you can find it by searching either "embassy" or "US." Group emergency contacts in a single phone contact group labeled "EMERGENCY" for quick access.

2. Print a Physical Card for Your Wallet

Your phone might be dead, broken, lost, or stolen during the very emergency when you need these numbers most. Print a small card with the most critical numbers: the national emergency line, your embassy, your nearest hospital, your insurance company's emergency line, and ExpatEmergency. Laminate it and keep it in your wallet next to your ID. When paramedics or bystanders find you, this card tells them who to call.

3. Keep a Digital Copy in the Cloud

Store a document with all these numbers in Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, or whatever cloud service you use. If your phone is stolen and you get a replacement or borrow someone else's phone, you can access your cloud storage and retrieve every number you need. Make sure the document is accessible offline as well, since internet connectivity during emergencies is not guaranteed.

4. Share Them with Someone You Trust

Give a copy of your emergency contacts list to your partner, a trusted friend, your landlord, or a neighbor. If you are incapacitated, someone else needs to be able to reach your emergency contacts, your embassy, and your insurance company on your behalf. This is especially critical for expats living alone.

The ICE Method

ICE stands for "In Case of Emergency." Paramedics and hospital staff worldwide are trained to look for ICE contacts in your phone. Save your primary emergency contact as "ICE - [Name]" and your secondary contact as "ICE 2 - [Name]." On iPhones, you can also set up Medical ID through the Health app, which displays your emergency contacts, blood type, allergies, and medical conditions on the lock screen without needing to unlock the phone. Android phones have a similar feature through the Safety section in Settings.

ExpatEmergency: Your Single Point of Contact

This list has dozens of numbers. In a real emergency, you may not know which one to call, or you may need to call several in sequence. That is exactly the problem ExpatEmergency solves. With a single call to ExpatEmergency, our bilingual team determines which services you need, contacts them on your behalf, provides real-time translation, and coordinates between police, hospitals, insurance companies, embassies, and any other agencies involved in your emergency.

Instead of memorizing thirty numbers or scrolling through a list while in crisis, you memorize one. We handle the rest. That is the value of having a dedicated emergency coordination service built specifically for expats in Latin America.

Save our number now. Put it at the top of your emergency contacts list. Print it on your wallet card. Because when the emergency comes, and eventually it will, you want one number you can call that takes care of everything.