UK helplines from abroad, and what to do in an emergency
UK short numbers such as 999 and 116 123 only work on phones in the UK. If you need help abroad, these are the numbers that do.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: help for British nationals abroad
- Open
- Every day, 24 hours Choose “Consular services for British nationals”. You can also call the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate.
Number from the official contact page. DanaTel isn't connected with this organisation.
In an emergency, call the local emergency number where you are: 112 across the EU and in many other countries, 911 in the US and Canada. 999 only reaches UK emergency services from phones in the UK, and DanaTel can't make emergency calls.
Help from the Foreign Office
If you're British and something serious happens abroad, such as an accident, an arrest or being the victim of a crime, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can help. Its consular team answers the number above 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's an ordinary UK number, so you can call it from any phone, or from your browser with DanaTel.
UK numbers that only work in the UK
- 999 for the police, ambulance, fire and coastguard. Use the local emergency number instead.
- NHS 111 for urgent medical advice. See getting NHS help from abroad.
- Samaritans, 116 123. It's free on phones in the UK and Ireland, and its email and letter services have closed. If you're abroad and need someone to talk to, look for an emotional support line in the country you're in, or ask local emergency services for help.
Many other UK helplines use 0800 or 0808 freephone numbers, which don't always connect from abroad. If a helpline lists a number for callers outside the UK on its website, use that.
Calling a UK number from abroad
Ordinary UK numbers, like the FCDO's, work from anywhere: put +44 in front and drop the first 0. With DanaTel, calls to the UK cost £0.05/min + £0.10 per connected call from the browser on your phone or computer. See which UK numbers work from abroad.
Checked on GOV.UK and samaritans.org on 27 October 2026. DanaTel isn't connected with the FCDO or any helpline.
