Dutch for Emergencies and the Police (Noodgevallen en Politie) - Calling 112, Reporting and What Happens Next

In the Netherlands one number covers almost every emergency. Call 112 and you reach a single control room that sends the ambulance, the fire service or the police, and the call is free from any phone.

This guide gives you the words for that call, for the scene afterwards, for a police report and for the insurance claim that follows.

The Numbers That Matter

Dutch term	English meaning
het alarmnummer	the emergency number
de politie	the police
de brandweer	the fire service
de ambulance	the ambulance
de meldkamer	the control centre
de noodmelding	the emergency report
het bureau	the police station
de hulplijn	the helpline

The number 112 works throughout Europe and is free from every telephone, including a locked one. The police also take non-urgent reports on 0900-8844, and the number 116117 covers a medical problem that is urgent but not life-threatening.

Calling for Help

Dutch term	English meaning
de melding	the report
de locatie	the location
de situatie	the situation
de gewonden	the injured
het gevaar	the danger
de wachttijd	the waiting time
het terugbellen	the call back
de bevestiging	the confirmation

A call to 112 answers five questions: where you are, what has happened, how many people are hurt, what their injuries are, and who is calling. Give the answers in that order and stay on the line until the operator ends the call.

At the Scene

Dutch term	English meaning
het slachtoffer	the victim
de hulpverlening	the assistance
de afzetting	the cordon
de getuige	the witness
de verklaring	the statement
de EHBO	the first aid
de plaats van het ongeval	the scene of the accident
de berging	the recovery

Dutch law expects you to help at an accident when you reasonably can, and leaving the scene is an offence. Make the place safe first, do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger, and wait for the ambulance.

Reporting a Crime

Dutch term	English meaning
de aangifte	the report to the police
het delict	the offence
de diefstal	the theft
de inbraak	the burglary
de verdenking	the suspicion
de agent	the officer
het zaaknummer	the case number
het bewijs	the evidence

An aangifte can be made at any police station and, for many offences, online. Ask for the case number and a copy of the report, because the insurer asks for both before it processes the claim.

Lost Property, Documents and Insurance

Dutch term	English meaning
de vermissing	the loss
de gevonden voorwerpen	the lost property
de aangifte van vermissing	the report of loss
de vervanging	the replacement
de verzekering	the insurance
de schade	the damage
de termijn	the deadline
de kopie	the copy

Losing a passport or identity card must be reported to the police, and their confirmation is required before a new document can be issued. Ordinary lost property is held by the municipality, and it is worth checking there before buying a replacement.

Dealing with the Police

Dutch term	English meaning
de controle	the check
het identiteitsbewijs	the identity document
de personalia	the personal details
het recht	the right
de advocaat	the lawyer
de tolk	the interpreter
de doorzoeking	the search
het proces-verbaal	the official record

The police may ask for your identity document and your personal details, and you are required to give them. You do not have to answer questions about the incident itself, and you may ask for an interpreter before you say anything further.

Accidents, Insurance and Reports

Dutch term	English meaning
het ongeval	the accident
de ongevallenmelding	the accident report
het UWV	the benefits agency
de getuigenverklaring	the witness statement
de foto	the photograph
de notitie	the note
de behandeling	the treatment
de aanvraag	the application

For an accident at work, tell the employer the same day and have it recorded, because the employer's insurance covers the treatment and any loss of income. Keep your own photographs and notes as well.

Phrases for an Emergency

Dutch phrase	What it means
Help, ik heb een ambulance nodig.	Help, I need an ambulance.
Er is een ongeluk gebeurd.	There has been an accident.
Het adres is Hoofdstraat tien.	The address is Hoofdstraat ten.
Eén persoon is gewond.	One person is injured.
Er is brand in de keuken.	There is a fire in the kitchen.
Ik spreek weinig Nederlands.	I speak little Dutch.
Kunt u een tolk sturen?	Can you send an interpreter?
Blijf alstublieft aan de lijn.	Please stay on the line.

Three sentences learned in advance remove the greatest danger in any emergency, which is the seconds lost in finding the words.

Before You Ever Need It

Preparation decides the outcome of an emergency, and the most valuable thing you can learn is to say your own address in Dutch and spell the street name clearly.

Save 112 in your phone, add an emergency contact under ICE, and carry a card with your medication, your allergies and your blood type.

In the Netherlands the control room can trace a mobile call, but a caller who names the place and the entrance still saves several minutes.

A first-aid course is short and inexpensive, and the certificate is useful for work with children, sports clubs and care.

Keep your insurance policy number and your employer's number where someone else can find them, and tell the people you live with where your papers are kept.

Learn the fire exits of your building and never leave a bicycle or a box in the stairwell, because the escape route is a shared responsibility.

If 112 is answered with a question you cannot follow, say Ik spreek weinig Nederlands and ask for an interpreter; the call will continue in English if necessary. To be understood in an emergency and at the police station, learn Dutch with a course built on real daily and urgent situations.

The bars show the order of the stages; each value is a sequence number rather than a duration.

When Minutes Matter

The Dutch emergency service is quick and well organised, and the call is what sets it in motion. Naming the place and the situation clearly is the most useful thing a caller can do.

Learn the number and the five questions by heart, so that they are ready when you are frightened. If you want to learn Dutch for daily life, the words of an emergency are the ones to learn first.

One number, five questions and a handful of words cover every Dutch emergency. Learn Dutch with the language of emergencies, reporting and the police.

Put your Dutch to work. The LanguageSkills Dutch course is self-paced and built around real situations like these — you speak, and your AI tutor corrects you on the spot, from A1 to B2.

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