The emergency number in Latvia is 112. The operator can answer not only in Latvian, but also in three foreign languages – English, Russian and German.

The emergency call is answered within 4-5 seconds and free of charge. The emergency service phone number 112 is the same as in all EU countries, so visitors don't have to look for and remember a different emergency number.

Tourists have to remember just one number providing not only medical assistance, but also other services, such as police or the fire brigade.

According to Latvian legislation, the emergency response time is 15 minutes in a city and 25 minutes in the countryside. As the call is forwarded to the nearest emergency station to the location of the incident, the response time can be even shorter.

In urgent situations the service is free of charge.

An ambulance can be called out in cases as follows:

• sudden illness, trauma or injury;
• sudden cardiac dysfunction, pain in the heart, cold sweat, faintness;
• sudden breathing difficulties,  breathlessness or choking;
• sudden pain or cold in the arms or legs, paleness;
• sudden pain in the stomach, poisoning, vomiting, heavy diarrhoea;
• sudden loss of consciousness, spasms, fainting, headache or back pain, disorder of the senses or movement;
• sudden mental disorder with an aggressive or suicidal character;
• sudden pain in abdominal regions or urinary disorder;
• dangerous bleeding and allergic reactions;
• to transport a pregnant woman to hospital.

Following a call, an emergency ambulance crew with a doctor, an assistant and a driver with training in first aid set off for to the site of the incident, along with a reanimation team.

If the patient needs to go to hospital, he/she is transported to the nearest hospital or a specialised medical clinic.

If the situation is not dangerous to life or health and there is no need for an ambulance, the patient can consult with a doctor by phone and receive information on locations where the necessary assistance is available – a general practitioner, 24h emergency clinic, or the nearest hospital.