Vietnam's national emergency numbers are 113 (Police), 114 (Fire), and 115 (Ambulance/Medical Emergency), all free to call from any phone including without a SIM inserted in most cases. Public ambulance response and English-language phone support can be inconsistent outside major cities, so many expats and private hospitals recommend calling the specific private hospital's own emergency line directly (e.g., Vinmec, FV Hospital) for faster, English-supported dispatch and guaranteed admission at that facility.
Calling 115 in a genuine emergency outside Hanoi/HCMC may connect you to an operator without English, and public ambulances default to the nearest public hospital rather than your preferred private one — many expats keep their nearest private hospital's direct emergency line saved and call that number first for serious but stable situations.
Key Facts
113 — Police (Công an).
114 — Fire and Rescue (Cứu hỏa).
115 — Ambulance / Medical Emergency (Cấp cứu).
These three numbers are free and generally reachable nationwide, though English-language support is far more reliable in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City than in rural areas.
Major private hospitals (Vinmec, FV Hospital, Family Medical Practice, Raffles Medical) maintain their own 24/7 emergency hotlines, generally recommended by expat communities for guaranteed English support and direct admission to that hospital.
For genuinely life-threatening emergencies with no time to identify a preferred hospital, calling 115 (or having someone nearby who speaks Vietnamese call) remains the fastest way to dispatch the nearest available public ambulance.
Steps
Save both national and private hospital numbers — Store 113/114/115 in your phone, and also save the direct emergency line of your preferred private hospital (Vinmec, FV, Family Medical Practice, etc.) before you need it.
For serious but stable situations, call your private hospital first — If the situation allows a few extra minutes, calling your chosen private hospital's emergency line directly usually gets you English-language support and guarantees admission to that facility rather than the nearest public one.
For immediately life-threatening situations, call 115 or ask a Vietnamese speaker to — In a true crisis, the fastest response is the national 115 ambulance line — have a Vietnamese-speaking colleague, neighbor, or hotel staff assist with the call if you're not confident in Vietnamese.
Know your address in Vietnamese — Keep your home/office address written in Vietnamese (not just the English transliteration) accessible for quickly relaying to an ambulance dispatcher or driver.
Common Mistakes
Assuming 115 will connect you to English-speaking support outside major cities — it frequently will not.
Not having your address readily available in Vietnamese, which slows down ambulance dispatch.
Waiting to research which private hospital to use until an emergency is already underway, instead of deciding and saving the number in advance.