Frequently asked questions and answers

Ambulance and rescue services do not have their own access codes. However, in an emergency, they will gain entry to the relevant address. For instance, they often get help from neighbors in the same building.

112 is the EU's common emergency number. When you call 112 from an EU country, you will be assisted by that country's emergency call center. You will not reach 112 in Sweden if you are in another country.

Some countries outside the EU have their own emergency numbers. Always find out which emergency number applies in the country you are in.

Yes, you can text 112 via SMS112. The service is only available for those who are speech or hearing impaired – and you need to register in advance.

Read more and register for SMS112 here

Yes, SOS Alarm can in most cases automatically determine your location when calling from a mobile phone in Sweden. However, the operator must ask questions to ensure the correct location of the incident. It is a good idea to use SOS Alarm’s app which, through another channel, continuously transmits your location also when you are on the move.

No, you should never dial an area code before dialling 112.

You may receive a call from the number 112. This is usually because we are contacting neighbors of a person who needs help but cannot open the door for emergency personnel on their own.

If you receive a call from 112, please answer. If you have a missed call from 112, you do not need to call back.

The SOS operator asks you questions to ensure that you receive the right help at the right place as quickly as possible. During the call, necessary assistance is organized at the same time. Our questions do not delay the help.

Yes. If you accidentally call 112, you should hang up. If you stay on the line, it can delay help for others. If an SOS operator has answered, briefly explain that you called 112 by mistake.

In an SOS centre, 112 operators, nurses, ambulance dispatchers and emergency services operators work together to deal with the aspects of a case that fall within their area of responsibility.

While an SOS operator is interviewing the person seeking help, other SOS operators or emergency services may be listening in on the conversation and alerting the necessary help. This means that even if the 112 operator continues to ask questions, in urgent cases the help is often already alerted even if it is not clear to the person calling.

The police and some regions have their own command centres to which the 112 operator connects calls.

Yes, you should be able to reach 112 even if you do not have coverage from your mobile operator.

Normally, your call will take place via emergency roaming, which means that the phone calls through another operator. If emergency roaming does not work, try removing the SIM card and calling 112 again.

However, if no mobile operator has coverage, you cannot call 112.

You should call 112 in emergency situations where there is a danger to life, property, or the environment. If it is not an emergency, you can instead call:

• 114 14 - the national police number for non-emergency incidents.
• 1177 – for medical advice.
• 113 13 – for information during accidents and crises.

By calling 112, you can reach the following emergency services:

• Ambulance Rescue service.
• Police Mountain rescue.
• Air rescue.
• Poison information center.
• On-call priest.
• Marine environmental rescue service.
• Sea rescue.
• Social emergency service.
• Customs – tips on smuggling.

If you have a disability that prevents you from speaking, you can contact 112 through SMS112 or the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority's (PTS) relay services texttelefoni.se, bildtelefoni.net, and teletal.se. You need to register in advance.

Read more about 112 for speech or hearing impaired here.

When you call 112, your call is answered by an SOS operator who asks questions to provide you with the necessary assistance. The operator speaks Swedish or English and has the option to use an interpreter. We have interpreters for 200 languages.

Examples of questions the SOS operator asks:

• What has happened?
• Where has it happened?
• What phone number are you calling from?

SOS Alarm has access to interpreters in approximately 200 languages. The number of interpreters available for each language varies depending on the time of day you call.

On weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00, SOS Alarm has access to interpreters in the following languages:

• Arabic (08:00–22:00).
• Somali.
• Russian.
• Bosnian.
• Croatian.
• Serbian.

At other times and on weekends, it may take longer to get hold of an interpreter.

If you accidentally call 112, you should hang up. If you stay on the line, it burdens the emergency number and delays life-saving help for others.

Yes, you can call 112 without a SIM-card. 

If you find yourself, for example, in the mountains, in the middle of the forest, or out at sea, you may need a satellite phone to contact SOS Alarm in an emergency.

The emergency number via satellite phone is: +46 63 107 112.

Retrieve your coordinates

Sometimes it can be difficult for the SOS operator to get an exact position of the person calling 112. This can be due to the person in distress being in an area without coverage or the location not being marked on the map. You can find your coordinates in various ways, including at the top of the screen when you open the 112 app.

You can also retrieve your coordinates on, for example, www.hitta.se. Here's how:

• Go to the map and enter the name of the place you want the coordinates for.
• On the map, zoom in to ensure the correct place is marked.
• Then click on the menu symbol at the bottom right corner of the map and select "Coordinates".
• A window called "Coordinate Display" will open.
• Choose to display RT90, WGS84, Sweref99TM, or decimals and write down the coordinates shown in the box.

When you call 112, it is often a crisis situation, and you may be stressed, in shock, or have medical conditions that make communication difficult. The SOS operator may therefore need to ask the same question several times to ensure that they have understood the situation correctly. This can be frustrating for you, but it is important to obtain the necessary information.

No. Due to privacy reasons, we do not disclose information to individuals regarding who called 112.

No, due to privacy reasons, you generally do not have the opportunity to listen to your 112 call. In some cases, exceptions can be made, and a special assessment is then carried out.

We ask for phone numbers to be able to call back if the call is disrupted.

Some phone numbers are routed through company switchboards which means only a switchboard number is displayed.

If you are seeking help and are located at your registered address, we can use your personal identity number to ensure that the address is correct if we have difficulties positioning your call. 

Asking for the personal identity number is also a good way to check the consciousness of the person seeking help. 

An ambulance is dispatched once the operator has determined the type of assistance the situation requires.

While the SOS operator asks questions to the caller, other colleagues can listen in on the call (so-called monitoring) and dispatch the necessary help. This means that even if the SOS operator continues to ask questions, help is often already on its way in urgent cases.

The SOS operator asks you questions to ensure that you receive the right assistance at the right place as quickly as possible. During the call, necessary emergency measures are organized in parallel. Therefore, our questions do not delay the help.

Lost property in ambulances is handled by the region. If you have lost something while travelling in an ambulance, contact them directly.

113 13 is Sweden's national information number for serious accidents and crises.

You call this number to get information when a major event has occurred, and you can also call in tips.

There are certain numbers that are reserved for vital societal functions. The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority has allocated 113 13 to SOS Alarm as Sweden’s national information number.

Then you will be directed to call 113 13 instead, i.e. you will have to call again.

If you have an issue that should really end up with the emergency number 112, you will be connected to 112.

You will reach Sweden's national information number for serious accidents and crises. Here, you can get information from experienced operators, but also provide tips.

Yes. The number is open 24/7, all year round.

Yes, from abroad you call +46 77 33 113 13. The number also applies if you are calling from a foreign mobile phone in Sweden.

The information provided comes from municipalities, county administrative boards, central authorities, or other responsible actors. All information on 113 13 is verified information, meaning it has been checked with, for example, the municipality where the event occurred.

Calls to 113 13 do not cost anything extra beyond the usual charge that your telecom operator bills.

  No, it is sufficient to dial 113 13.  

113 13 is state-funded, and SOS Alarm manages 113 13 on behalf of the state.

113 13 can only be reached by phone. You can also often find information on a municipality’s website.

No. But it is possible to use relay services to contact 113 13. (The information is in Swedish). 

Approximately 50 per cent of the Swedish population live within audible distance of a transmitter so that they can hear the signal if they are outdoors.

If you usually hear the signal but did not hear it during the test that takes place every four months, you should contact your municipal rescue services. They are responsible for operating, maintaining and testing the system. Note that this is an outdoor warning system. You may not hear the signal if you are indoors.

Yes. The message in the text message is the same as the one read out on the radio and shown on TV. You do not need to register anywhere to receive these text messages. 

Various conditions may cause the SMS not to reach you. For example, it could be that your mobile operator does not have coverage in the area or that you are connected to a mobile mast outside the area.