Safety and emergency numbers in Italy

Italy is a country most Americans move to with little worry about safety, and for daily life that is broadly fair. Still, the moment something goes wrong is not the moment to search for phone numbers. This guide collects the numbers to call in Italy, how the US embassy and consulates handle emergencies for American citizens, how to register with the State Department, and what the current travel advisory level means for someone living there rather than visiting for a week.

Vaughn, who runs this site, lived and worked in Italy. What follows is reference material drawn from Italian government and US government pages, checked on the date shown on this page.

The short version

• Dial 112 for any emergency: police, fire, or an ambulance. The US embassy in Italy says to dial 112 from any telephone for immediate medical attention or an ambulance.
• US embassy and consulates after hours: Rome and Florence districts 06-46741, Milan district 02-290351, Naples district 081-583-8111 (from inside Italy).
• State Department 24/7 line: +1-202-501-4444 from abroad, +1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada.
• Enroll in STEP so the embassy can send you alerts and find you in a crisis.
• Advisory level: the embassy site currently shows Italy at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.

112: the single emergency number

The European emergency number 112 works in every EU country, Italy included. The Prefecture of Asti, part of Italy's Ministry of the Interior, describes it as the number to call to request urgent help from the police, the fire service, or emergency medical care.

Italy has been rolling out a model in which a single answering center, the Centrale Unica di Risposta (CUR), receives calls to 112 and also the older numbers 113 (State Police), 115 (fire service) and 118 (ambulance). Trained operators take the first part of the call, then pass it to the right service: the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri, the Vigili del Fuoco, or emergency medical care. Where a CUR does not yet operate, the Ministry of the Interior says 112 is still answered, by the operations centers of the Carabinieri.

In practice this means you only need to remember one number. If you are used to 911, program 112 into your phone under a name you will find quickly, and teach it to anyone in your household, including children.

The ministry page also mentions the Where ARE U smartphone app, which in regions with a CUR places an emergency call and sends your GPS location to the operator automatically. That is useful if you live outside a city or hike, since describing your location in Italian under stress is hard.

### What to say when you call

Operators can usually route the call even if your Italian is limited, but have a few things ready:

1. Your location: the town, street and house number, or a landmark.
2. What happened, in a few words: fire, accident, someone not breathing, a break-in.
3. How many people need help.
4. A phone number where you can be called back.

Stay on the line until the operator ends the call.

Medical emergencies

The US Embassy and Consulates in Italy say that in an emergency, for immediate medical attention or to call an ambulance, you dial 112 from any telephone in Italy, with no country code needed when calling from within Europe.

The same page explains what consular staff can and cannot do when a US citizen is seriously ill or injured. A consular officer from the embassy in Rome or the consulates general in Milan, Florence and Naples can help locate medical services, inform family or friends, help with the return to the United States after recovery, and if needed help transfer funds from the United States. The embassy is explicit that hospital and other expenses are the patient's responsibility. It also notes that medical evacuation by air ambulance is something the patient arranges and pays for, and that the Rome Citizen Services Navigator lists air ambulance providers.

Residents should sort out health coverage well before they need it. See our post on health care in Italy for the practical side.

Reaching the US embassy and consulates in an emergency

The US Mission in Italy has an embassy in Rome and consulates general in Milan, Florence and Naples, plus consular agencies in Genoa, Palermo and Venice. For emergencies involving a US citizen, such as an injury, illness, death or arrest, or to request emergency assistance, the embassy's contact page tells you to reach the duty officer through the switchboard of the office covering the area:

• Rome and Florence: 06-46741 from within Italy, or 011-39-06-46741 from the US.
• Milan: 02-290351 from within Italy, or 011-39-02-290351 from the US.
• Naples: 081-583-8111 from within Italy, or 011-39-081-583-8111 from the US.

The embassy also lists the State Department's round-the-clock numbers: +1-202-501-4444 from abroad and +1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada.

The physical address of the embassy is via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187 Roma.

### Lost or stolen passport

This is the emergency Americans in Italy run into most often, and the embassy is precise about it. Citizens with lost or stolen passports must go in person to apply for a same-day emergency passport at one of the consular offices in Rome, Milan, Florence or Naples. The consular agencies in Genoa, Palermo and Venice cannot accept emergency passport requests. In Rome, the embassy lists emergency passport services as walk-in from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Non-emergency services, such as routine passport renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and notarial services, are by appointment only.

If you live in Italy, keep a scan of your passport photo page and your Italian residence permit somewhere you can reach from any phone. It speeds up both the police report and the replacement.

Enroll in STEP

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free State Department service. You register your trips or your residence abroad, and the nearest US embassy or consulate can send you security messages and contact you in an emergency, such as a natural disaster, civil unrest or a family emergency at home.

For a resident, STEP is worth doing once and keeping current. Enter your Italian address and phone number, add family members who live with you, and update it when you move between cities, since alerts are sent by consular district. Enrollment is done at step.state.gov.

What the Level 2 advisory means

The State Department rates every country on a four-level scale, from Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) to Level 4 (Do Not Travel). The US Mission in Italy's website currently shows Italy at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Many Western European countries sit at the same level.

For someone living in Italy, Level 2 is not a reason to change plans. It is a prompt to read the current advisory text, which explains the specific reasons behind the rating, and to watch for security alerts from the embassy. The advisory and alerts are linked from the top of the embassy's website. We do not repeat the advisory wording here because it changes, and the live page is the authority.

Everyday safety habits

Daily life in Italian cities is generally calm. The everyday risks most residents deal with are ordinary ones: pickpocketing in crowded places such as train stations, tourist sites and busy public transport, scooter and car traffic on narrow streets, and the occasional strike that disrupts transport. Some simple habits help:

• Carry your wallet and phone in a front pocket or a closed bag on crowded buses and trains.
• Keep your passport at home once you have your Italian ID documents, and carry a copy if you need one.
• Learn the Italian words for the basics: aiuto (help), ambulanza (ambulance), incendio (fire), polizia (police).
• Know the address of your home in a form you can say quickly, including the building and floor.
• Save the switchboard number of your consular district in your phone next to 112.

Reporting a crime

If you are the victim of a crime, you can report it to the Polizia di Stato or the Carabinieri. In an emergency, call 112. For a non-urgent theft, such as a pickpocketed wallet, you go to a police station to file a report (denuncia). A copy of the report is often needed for insurance claims and for replacing documents, including a US passport. The embassy can also help US citizens who are victims of crime understand the local process.

Related reading

For the paperwork side of life in Italy, see our guides on residency and documents in the Italy series. Same-country posts are linked below this article.

Common questions

What is the emergency number in Italy? Dial 112 for police, fire or an ambulance. The US embassy in Italy says to dial 112 from any phone for immediate medical attention, and Italy's Ministry of the Interior says the number is answered nationwide.

How do I reach the US embassy in Italy after hours? Call the switchboard of your consular district: 06-46741 for Rome and Florence, 02-290351 for Milan, 081-583-8111 for Naples, and ask for the duty officer. From abroad you can also call the State Department at +1-202-501-4444.

Can I get an emergency passport at the consular agency in Venice? No. The embassy says emergency passports for lost or stolen passports are issued in person only in Rome, Milan, Florence or Naples. The agencies in Genoa, Palermo and Venice cannot process them.

Should I enroll in STEP if I live in Italy? Yes. STEP is free and lets the embassy send you security alerts and reach you in an emergency. Enter your Italian address and keep it updated when you move.