Accidents and emergencies in Belgium

Numbers to remember in Belgium

While in Belgium, there are three significant numbers you should remember. They are:

• 100 or 112: medical emergency line;
• 100 or 112: fire emergency line;
• 101: police line.

112 is a number you can use all across Europe for emergencies. Also, don't worry about speaking Dutch, French, or German while calling the above numbers. Emergency dispatchers are trained to understand and communicate in English.

Read also The health system in Belgium

Medical emergencies in Belgium

If you have a medical emergency, dial 100 or 112 and tell the dispatcher where you are and what you need help with. If they determine that you need immediate medical care, they'll send you an ambulance reimbursed by your private health insurance policy. Otherwise, they'll ask you to get a referral from a doctor before they allocate an ambulance to you.

Like many other Western countries, Belgian hospitals have an accident and emergency (A&E) department. It's called spoedeisende hulp in Dutch and les urgences in French. While you can go to the A&E for minor issues in some countries, this is frowned upon in Belgium. You should only use it for actual urgent care needs.

You should contact a doctor for minor yet urgent medical problems, preferably your chosen GP. Otherwise, you can call 1307 for an emergency doctor. And if you need a pharmacy, dial either 09 001 0500 or 07 066 0160.

Crimes in Belgium

As mentioned earlier, the emergency line for the police is 100 or 112. The dispatchers can take your call immediately and send the police to your location.

If your issue doesn't need to be resolved immediately, you can also report crimes online. While the site is English overall, you can only report crimes in Dutch, French, or German. You can also check out where your local police force is by entering your zip code on the federal police website.

Fire services in Belgium

The fire emergency line is also 100 or 112. You can call this number for fire services (also known as ''pompiers'' in French) if you have a threatening fire, flood, blocked road, or other natural disaster.

However, for non-emergency help during a storm, you should dial 1722 instead. If you have a non-urgent fire situation, you should refer to your local emergency rescue zone, which has 34.

What to do in a road accident in Belgium

If you're driving in Belgium and are involved in an accident, you must pull over to the side, turn on your hazard lights, put on your reflective jacket, and put the warning triangle behind your car (30 meters).

You should then exchange essential details with all other drivers involved, such as:

• Full name;
• Address;
• License and registration;
• Insurance.

Take pictures and videos of the entire scene, including the car and road damage.

Everyone must also fill in an accident report form (europees aanrijdingsformulier in Dutch and constat amiable d'accident in French).

If this is a severe accident, after you've pulled over safely (if possible), you should dial 100 or 112 for medical help.