Healthcare & Family

Emergency care, 1813 and 112, know the difference

Updated July 2026Reviewed July 2026
The one-line versionCall 112 for life-threatening emergencies. For urgent-but-not-life-threatening problems outside GP hours, call 1813 (Capital Region) or your region's medical helpline first - do not just turn up.

The two numbers

NumberWhen
112Life-threatening emergencies - ambulance, fire, police. The ambulance is free.
1813Urgent but not life-threatening, outside GP hours (Capital Region). Elsewhere, your regional medical helpline (vagtlaege).
Call before you go - do not just show upFor non-life-threatening problems out of hours, you must phone the medical helpline first. A doctor or nurse triages you and either advises, books you in, or sends you to an emergency department. Walking into A&E (akutmodtagelse/skadestue) unannounced usually means a long wait or being turned away.

When your GP is closed

1813 (or your region's line) covers evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays - roughly weekdays 16:00-08:00 plus all weekend. In the Capital Region it runs 24/7 with English-speaking operators. Have your CPR/yellow card ready when you call.

Life-threatening: don't hesitate

For anything genuinely life-threatening - chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, signs of stroke, unconsciousness - call 112 immediately. You do not need a CPR number and hospitals treat any emergency regardless of status. When in doubt about severity, 112 operators will direct you.

Save both numbers nowPut 112 and your regional helpline (1813 in the Capital Region) in your phone before you need them. In an emergency you will not want to be searching for the right number.

Common questions

112 or 1813?
112 for life-threatening emergencies (ambulance). 1813 (or your regional line) for urgent but non-life-threatening issues when your GP is closed.
Do I need my CPR for emergency care?
No - emergencies are treated regardless of CPR status. But have your yellow card ready when calling the helpline for out-of-hours care.
Can I just go to A&E?
For non-life-threatening issues, call the medical helpline first - you may be redirected otherwise. For life-threatening emergencies, call 112 or go straight in.

Verified July 2026 against official sources: lifeindenmark.borger.dk, sundhed.dk, the Danish Medicines Agency and municipal childcare/school pages (Copenhagen, Aarhus). Figures are 2026 levels and reset each January - always check your municipality and region. General information, not medical advice.

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