Malta emergency number: 112

Dial 112. It reaches the police, an ambulance and the fire service across Malta, Gozo and Comino. The Malta Police Force says calls to 112 are free and can be made from any phone, even without a SIM card. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, the police textphone service is 7977 0112.

The Malta Police Force says it provides information in Maltese and English. English is one of Malta's two official languages, alongside Maltese, and the Malta Tourism Authority says English is understood wherever you go. Give your location first (town, street, a landmark or the name of the beach), then say what has happened.

Call 112 for an ambulance, or go straight to Accident & Emergency. On the main island this is Mater Dei Hospital in Msida (A&E +356 2545 4030, switchboard +356 2545 0000). On Gozo it is Gozo General Hospital in Victoria (+356 2344 6000), which says it is linked to Mater Dei by 24/7 air and land ambulance services for emergency and specialised care. Mater Dei also lists a Medicines and Poisons Info Office on +356 2545 6508.

Dial 112. The Armed Forces of Malta say their Operations Centre is the national Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, and that a call to 112 is routed straight to it when AFM help is needed. Mater Dei Hospital lists a Hyperbaric Unit (+356 2545 5269) for diving injuries, but in an emergency call 112 first. The UK Foreign Office notes that people drown in Malta every year: swim where lifeguards and flags are, and treat a red flag as a warning to stay out.

If anyone is in danger or the crime is happening now, dial 112. For an incident that is already over, report it at a police station or use the Malta Police remote report service: you book a callback online, an officer takes the report by phone or video call, and you receive a police report number for your insurer. Police General Headquarters in Floriana is on +356 2122 4001. The UK Foreign Office warns of pickpocketing on crowded buses between Valletta and St Julian's and of drink spiking in some Paceville bars.

Report the loss to the police, then contact your own country's mission. The British High Commission is at Whitehall Mansions, Ta' Xbiex Seafront; GOV.UK lists its general consular number as +356 2323 0000. Its online contact page also provides a route to call 24/7 in an emergency. Family in the UK can call the Foreign Office in London on +44 20 7008 5000 (24 hours). The US Embassy is at Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, on +356 2561 4000, the number it gives for US citizens with emergencies, including outside office hours.

Yes, for medically necessary state healthcare. The European Commission says treatment in public hospitals and health centres is free with a valid EHIC, and that medicines prescribed as an in-patient and for three days after discharge are free, while later prescriptions are paid in full. The UK Foreign Office says UK visitors need a GHIC or EHIC for state care, and the NHS says a GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance: it does not cover private clinics or repatriation. Visitors insured only in the USA should arrange travel insurance; EHIC eligibility depends on public health insurance coverage, not nationality.

Pharmacies in Malta and Gozo open on Sundays, public holidays and Saturdays on a roster published by the Malta Medicines Authority on its Pharmacy Roster page. The UK Foreign Office says UK prescriptions are not recognised in Malta and that you can ask to see a private GP at most pharmacies.