Helplines in Bulgaria

If anyone is in immediate danger, call 112 for an ambulance, the police or the fire service. For emotional support, Kabinet.bg offers free emergency psychological help by phone on 0800-20-202, Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00. Outside those hours, if you are worried about someone's safety, 112 is the number to use.

The services listed here work in Bulgarian, and none of them states that it offers English. That shouldn't stop you calling 112: emergency operators deal with visitors and foreign residents, and they will usually find a way to help, even with a few words. If you can, ask a Bulgarian-speaking friend or colleague to sit with you while you call.

If you are experiencing violence at home, or sexual violence, the National Hotline for Survivors of Violence run by Animus Association is free and open 24 hours a day on 0800 1 8676. It supports women, men and children, including people affected by trafficking, and can refer you to crisis services. Shelter addresses are kept confidential for safety, so the hotline is the way in and can help arrange a place. Children can call the National Helpline for Children on 116 111, free and at any hour.

Dial these numbers as they appear here, from a landline or mobile. 112 works on any phone in the EU, including one with a foreign SIM. Each number was checked on the service's own website or an official page, and the date of that check is shown next to it.