Nepal emergency numbers and how to use them
Police 100, Ambulance 102, Fire 101, Traffic Police 103, Tourist Police 1144. This guide lists the numbers that work in Nepal, explains what each service can realistically do, what to say when you call, and why your hotel manager or guide is often the faster route to help.
Nepal's three-digit emergency numbers work nationwide from any mobile, including with zero balance, and they are the right first call for an immediate life threat. But knowing the numbers is only half of it — knowing what each service can actually do, and what to say, is what makes the call work.
Save them now, and write them on paper. The reason is not paranoia: phones get stolen, dropped, drowned in a monsoon downpour and flattened by cold at altitude, and an emergency number you cannot reach is not an emergency number.
The numbers
These are national. They work from Nepal Telecom, Ncell and Smart Cell SIMs.
- 100 — Nepal Police. Crime, violence, missing persons, anything requiring authority.
- 102 — Ambulance.
- 101 — Fire brigade.
- 103 — Traffic Police. Road accidents and traffic obstruction.
- 1144 — Tourist Police. Staffed for visitors, generally better English, based in tourist districts.
- Also worth saving: your embassy's 24-hour emergency line, your insurer's 24-hour line, your hotel, and your trekking agency.
What each service can realistically do
Setting expectations honestly saves time in a crisis.
Nepal Police (100) will respond to crime and serious incidents, and a police report from them is what insurance and embassies require. Response times vary enormously between the Kathmandu valley and rural districts.
Ambulance (102) will get you transport. Nepali ambulances are frequently transport rather than mobile treatment units, and are not always paramedic-staffed. If someone needs a hospital, an ambulance is often not faster than a taxi in Kathmandu traffic — and in the hills, there may be no ambulance at all.
Tourist Police (1144) is the number foreigners should default to for anything non-life-threatening: theft, harassment, disputes, lost property, and advice. They are set up for exactly this and will bring in regular police where needed.
What to say when you call
Operators may or may not speak English, and in a hill district they very likely will not. Lead with location, not with narrative.
- Say the location first, as specifically as you can: district, town or ward, the nearest landmark, and the name of a nearby hotel, temple, school or bridge. Landmarks work better than addresses in Nepal.
- Then say what has happened, in the shortest possible form: 'accident, two injured', 'fire', 'robbery'.
- Then how many people are involved and whether anyone is unconscious or bleeding.
- Then your phone number, and repeat it.
- If language is a barrier, hand the phone to a Nepali — a hotel staff member, shopkeeper, taxi driver or passer-by. People will help; ask.
The faster route: local people
This is the most useful thing in this guide. In Nepal, the fastest effective response to most emergencies comes through your hotel manager, guide, lodge owner or a local shopkeeper — not through a hotline.
They know which hospital takes emergencies, which neighbour has a jeep, which police officer to call directly, and how to escalate. They also have standing in the community in a way a visitor does not. Call them at the same time as you call 100 or 102.
On a trek, this is formalised: your guide and the lodge owner are your emergency system, and they will trigger the agency and the rescue chain.
Embassies in Kathmandu
Most countries with a significant number of visitors to Nepal maintain an embassy or consulate in Kathmandu, and many run a 24-hour emergency line for citizens.
Find your embassy's number before you travel and save it in two places. Embassies help with lost passports and emergency travel documents, contacting your family, welfare visits if you are arrested, and repatriation after a death.
They do not pay medical bills, legal fees or flights, will not get you out of a Nepali legal process, and cannot override Nepali authorities. Knowing that boundary avoids a wasted day in a crisis.
When the phone is the problem
Emergency numbers assume a working phone with signal, which is not a safe assumption in Nepal's hills.
- Carry the numbers on paper as well as in your phone.
- Nepal Telecom generally reaches further into the hills than the private operators — worth having if you leave the highways.
- On remote treks, a satellite messenger is the tool that actually works. Mobile coverage is line-of-sight patches, not a blanket.
- Agree a check-in schedule with someone at home, so silence means something specific rather than nothing.
- Keep a power bank charged. A dead phone in a valley with no electricity is an entirely foreseeable failure.
Key takeaways
- ✓Police 100, Ambulance 102, Fire 101, Traffic 103, Tourist Police 1144 — nationwide from any Nepali SIM.
- ✓Tourist Police (1144) is the sensible default for foreigners with a non-life-threatening problem.
- ✓Lead a call with your location and a landmark, then what happened, then how many people.
- ✓Your hotel manager, guide or lodge owner is usually the fastest effective responder — call them too.
- ✓Write the numbers on paper. Phones get stolen, broken, drowned and flattened by cold.
Explore the data behind this guide
Nepal Emergency Numbers — FAQ
What number do you call for an ambulance in Nepal?+
102. Be aware that Nepali ambulances are frequently transport rather than mobile treatment units and are not always paramedic-staffed; in Kathmandu traffic a taxi is sometimes faster, and in rural hills there may be no ambulance available at all.
What is the tourist police number in Nepal?+
1144. Tourist Police are based in tourist districts, generally have better English than regular police, and are the right first contact for foreigners dealing with theft, harassment, disputes or lost property.
Do Nepal emergency numbers work without balance?+
Emergency short codes are designed to be reachable from any mobile on the network. You still need signal, which is the more common failure in Nepal's hills — carry the numbers on paper and consider a Nepal Telecom SIM for better rural coverage.
Do Nepali emergency operators speak English?+
In Kathmandu and tourist areas, often yes, and the Tourist Police line is staffed for visitors. In rural districts, frequently not. Lead with the location, keep it very short, and hand the phone to a Nepali speaker nearby if you can — people will help if asked.
What can my embassy do in an emergency in Nepal?+
Issue an emergency travel document, contact your family, visit you if you are arrested, and assist with repatriation. Embassies cannot pay medical or legal bills, secure your release, or intervene in Nepali legal proceedings.
Related guides
Sources & data note
Emergency numbers, department names and official procedures in this guide are cited to Nepali government bodies, embassies and health authorities. The sequencing advice — what to do first, what typically happens at a Nepali police station or hospital counter, how long things take in practice — is our own synthesis of official guidance and consistent traveller and resident reporting, because no single authority publishes an end-to-end procedure. Verify anything visa-, money- or life-critical with the relevant authority or your embassy. Nothing here is medical or legal advice. Guides are written from primary sources — Nepali government departments, operators, park authorities and standards bodies — and each guide lists the sources used for its own facts. Rules, fees and prices in Nepal change; treat figures as current at the review date shown on each guide and verify anything money- or visa-critical with the issuing authority before you rely on it.
- Nepal Police — official site and emergency contactsNepal Police ↗
- Emergency assistance and local information for NepalU.S. Embassy in Nepal ↗
- Nepal Red Cross Society — emergency and ambulance servicesNepal Red Cross Society ↗
- Nepal Tourism Board — official site (destinations and traveller information)Nepal Tourism Board ↗