911 Emergency System in Costa Rica

911 is Costa Rica's single, toll-free emergency number, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from any landline, cell phone (prepaid or postpaid), or VoIP line, without needing credit or an active plan. It can be called from anywhere in the country.

What is the 9-1-1 Emergency System: it was created by Ley No. 7566 of 1995 as a body with its own legal personality, administratively attached to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). Its function is to receive, process, and transfer calls for assistance to the corresponding institution or emergency response agency, unifying into a single number what used to be separate lines for police, fire, and emergency medical services.

Agencies and services coordinated through 911:

Fuerza Publica (police), to handle ongoing security emergencies.
Cruz Roja Costarricense (Costa Rican Red Cross), for pre-hospital care and ambulances.
Bomberos de Costa Rica (Fire Department), for fires and other emergencies requiring their response.
Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ), when the emergency involves a crime requiring judicial investigation.
Other relief institutions depending on the nature of the case (for example, Comision Nacional de Emergencias in larger-scale disasters).

Alternative direct lines (for those who prefer to dial the specific agency directly instead of going through 911): Cruz Roja 128, Bomberos 1118, and the OIJ confidential tip line 800-8000-645 (800-8000-OIJ) to provide information or report crimes that have already occurred. In general, for an ONGOING emergency, calling 911 is still recommended, as it is the number designed to immediately dispatch the appropriate agency for the situation.

For tourists: when calling 911, you can explicitly ask for "tourist assistance" ("atención al turista") so that the Policia Turistica handles the case (see separate sheet on tourist safety), and there are 911 operators trained to take calls in English as well as Spanish.

Other 911 channels: there is an official mobile app called "Emergencias 9-1-1 CR" (available for Android and iPhone), which allows you to report an emergency via chat, share your location in real time, and trigger a panic button—useful when speaking on the phone is not possible or safe. Official website: www.911.go.cr.

Note: 911 is for ongoing emergencies requiring an immediate response. To file a formal criminal complaint for an incident that has already occurred (with no immediate danger), the appropriate channel is the OIJ or the Ministerio Publico—see separate sheet "How to file a criminal complaint (OIJ / Ministerio Publico)".