Emergency Services in Spain
You may go through your life with absolutely no emergencies what so ever, if you do you are lucky. However you should always be prepared in case of medical or other emergencies.
112 - This is one number here in Spain you should memorise. This is the Spanish Emergency Services telephone number. Whether you are on Holiday in Spain or have moved to Spain, you must remember to dial 112 to summons the Fire Brigade, Ambulance or Police - Only in an Emergency. If you do need to speak to Police regarding other non urgent matters, you must call your local stations direct.
To report a crime (denuncia) eg robbery, assault – 902 102 112
Guardia Civil – 062
Local Police - 091
National Police - 092
Police in Spain
The police force is divided into 3 separate organisations.
Guardia Civil
The Guardia Civil wear green uniforms and are responsible for national security, customs and crowd control at large events. Their 'trafico' department patrol the main highways. During the summer months there are frequent traffic controls and drivers are advised to always carry some form of identification, driving license and valid car insurance.
National Police
The National Police usually wear a black uniform and white shirts, although in some areas you may see a blue military style uniform. Their duties include guarding public buildings, the Royal Family and Government figures. They deal with most criminal investigations, important to know if you are unfortunate enough to be the victim of a crime. If this is the case, the procedure is to make a 'denuncia' (statement) at a police station. They will issue a copy for insurance company purposes or for banks if credit cards are involved.
Municipal Police
The Municipal or local police wear black and white uniforms. They are responsible to the mayor and Town Hall in each municipality and their main duties include local traffic control and parking violations.
All three branches of the police force are armed.
If you’ve been the victim of a crime, accident, or assault, you “must report the incident to the Police. This is called making a denuncia, and is required by law for all cases, ranging from bag snatching to more serious crimes and accidents.
If you are arrested you will be entitled to make one phone call. You may be allotted the free services of a duty solicitor (abogado de oficio), who may speak only Spanish. If your case is taken to court, the authorities will provide a translator.
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