Emergency Contacts in Nepal — Save This List
In a real emergency in Nepal, knowing the right number matters. Nepal's emergency system works differently than most Western countries — response times vary by location, and in Thamel our clinic is often the fastest medical option. Save this page offline before you need it.
Medical Emergency
- Thamel Clinic — +977-9747726036 (24/7 for registered patients) or WhatsApp — our fastest response for most tourist medical needs
- Ambulance — 102 (Nepal Red Cross; response time varies by traffic)
- CIVIC Hospital ER — +977-1-5970690 (~10 min from Thamel)
- Grande International ER — +977-1-5159266 (~15 min)
- House call — +977-9747726036 — we come to your hotel/hostel in Thamel
Police & Security
- Tourist Police (English) — 1144 or +977-1-5350759 — specifically for foreign tourists; report theft, assault, harassment
- Police Emergency — 100 — general police response
- Traffic Police — 103 — road accidents
- Fire — 101 — fire department
Mountain & Trekking Emergencies
- Helicopter rescue coordination — your insurance company's 24/7 assistance number FIRST; they dispatch rescue
- Nepal Tourism Board crisis — +977-1-4256909 (business hours)
- Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) — +977-1-4440292 — altitude illness advice; clinics at Pheriche and Manang
- Our clinic — WhatsApp — we coordinate evacuations and post-rescue care
Embassies & Consulates
- US Embassy Kathmandu — +977-1-4234000
- UK Embassy Kathmandu — +977-1-4237100
- Australian Embassy — +977-1-4371678
- Other nationalities — see our embassy guide for the full list
Insurance Emergency Lines
Your insurer's 24/7 number is the first call for serious injury or evacuation. World Nomads, SafetyWing, Allianz, IMG, GeoBlue, True Traveller — save your policy number and emergency line in your phone BEFORE you travel. They coordinate helicopter rescue, hospital admission, and GOP (Guarantee of Payment).
The Numbers That Matter
In Kathmandu, the local emergency numbers exist but response is variable — the police will come, but the ambulance may take an hour. Your travel insurance emergency line is often faster: they have contracts with helicopter companies, hospitals, and logistics networks that activate faster than public services. The embassy handles the passport loss, the legal trouble, and the crisis your family cannot manage from afar.
Program these before you need them
- Your embassy — Kathmandu, for passports/legal/crisis
- Travel insurance emergency line — for medical evacuation coordination
- Thamel Clinic — +977-9747726036 (WhatsApp/phone) for medical issues
- Your trekking agency/guide — if using one
- Family check-in schedule — the silence protocol that prevents panic
The Communication Plan
The emergency contact list is only useful if the people on it know they are on it — and know your itinerary. Tell your family your route, expected check-in days, and the point at which no contact means "worry." If you go silent on day 5 of a 12-day trek, they should know whether to panic or wait. The plan prevents both false alarms and delayed response.
The Numbers That Matter
Nepal emergency numbers: Police 100, Ambulance 102, Fire 101, Tourist Police 1144 (Kathmandu — the English-speaking police unit for tourist issues). For the medical emergency, our clinic phone (+977-9747726036) and the ambulance are the first calls; for the evacuation-level emergency, the helicopter rescue coordination happens through the trekking agencies or the embassy involvement.
The Communication Plan
Before travel: know your embassy contact, save the insurance emergency number, share your itinerary with someone at home, and have the communication method (local SIM, satellite device for remote areas) that works in your destination. The emergency that happens without the communication plan is worse than the one with it.
The Kathmandu Emergency Numbers
Police 100, Ambulance 102, Fire 101, Tourist Police 1144 (the English-speaking tourist police unit). For the medical emergency, the ambulance or the direct transport to the hospital is the response. The embassy contact for the consular emergencies (the lost passport, the arrest, the evacuation coordination).
The Communication Backup
Before the trek — the satellite communicator for the remote areas, the emergency contacts saved (the embassy, the insurer's 24-hour line, the local contacts), and the check-in protocol with the home contact. The communication that fails is the emergency that cannot be called for; the redundancy that is planned is the emergency access that works.
The Communication Backup
For the remote trek: the satellite communicator (the inReach, the Zoleo) as the backup when the cell signal fails; the local SIM that may or may not have the coverage in the remote areas; and the knowledge of the nearest clinic/health post location for the route.
The Information Readiness
In an emergency, have ready: the passport number, the insurance details (the policy number, the emergency assistance phone), the medical history (the medications, the allergies, the conditions), and the location (the specific trail section, the nearest landmark). The prepared information speeds the response.
The Key Numbers
Critical numbers: the police (100), the ambulance (102), the fire (101), the tourist police (the Thamel-based 01-4429750), the nearest hospital ER, and our clinic line. For the emergency, the numbers that are saved in the phone.
The Embassy List
The embassy emergency contacts: the US Embassy (+977-1-4234000), the UK Embassy, the other missions. For the passport loss or the serious emergency, the embassy that is contacted.
The Backup
Emergency contact redundancy — the contact that is listed (the primary plus the backup), the contact who knows the itinerary, and the check-in schedule that alerts if the contact is not made.
The Information
For the emergency contact — the medical information that is shared (the conditions, the medications, the allergies, the insurance), and the decision-maker who is designated.
The Backup
Emergency contact backup — the primary plus the secondary contact that is listed. For the emergency, the backup that is essential.
The Information
Emergency contact information — the medical history that is shared (the conditions, the medications, the allergies, the insurance), and the decision-maker who is designated.
The Backup
Emergency contact backup — the multiple (the primary + the secondary that is designated). For the unreachable, the backup that is contacted.
The Information
Emergency contact information — the accessible (the phone, the email that is current), the medical info (the allergy, the condition that is known), and the insurance that is recorded.
The Card Value
Emergency contact card — the free (the printable that is provided). For the safety, the carried card that is prepared.
The Ambulance Cost
Ambulance cost — the ~$20-80 (the Kathmandu that varies). For the emergency, the 102 that is called.
The Card Cost
Emergency-contact card — the free (the printable that is carried). For the crisis, the reached that is the tool.
The Ambulance
Ambulance 102 — the ~$20-80 (the Kathmandu that is priced). For the emergency, the called that is the transport.
What emergency numbers work in Nepal?
Police: 100, Ambulance: 102, Tourist Police: 1144 (Kathmandu), Fire: 101. Response times vary wildly — Kathmandu is faster than rural areas where "emergency services" may be hours away. Your embassy contact and travel insurance emergency line are often more useful than local services.
Who do I call for medical evacuation?
Your travel insurance provider first — they coordinate helicopter rescue and have local contracts. Keep their emergency line in your phone and on a card in your wallet. The insurance company is the dispatch center for mountain evacuation; local numbers alone will not get a helicopter to a remote trail.
What embassy contacts do I need?
Your embassy in Kathmandu — program it before you need it. They assist with lost passports, serious medical emergencies, legal issues, and crisis situations. US Embassy: +977-1-423-4000; UK Embassy: +977-1-441-4583. Others are listed in our emergency contacts table.
How do I contact home in an emergency?
WhatsApp/phone from Kathmandu works normally. From trek: teahouse phones/WiFi (expensive, intermittent), satellite communicator if you carry one, or your guide's contacts. Let family know your itinerary and check-in schedule — the silence from remote areas is normal, but the established check-in plan prevents panic.
What is the clinic's emergency role?
We are the Kathmandu-side coordination point — if you are injured or ill and reach us, we stabilize, coordinate with your insurance, and arrange evacuation or hospital transfer if needed. Call/WhatsApp us (+977-9747726036) if you are in trouble in Kathmandu or returning from a trek needing care.
