Does 911 Work in Mexico?

Technically, yes. 911 is the number to call in case of an emergency in Mexico. The reality, however, is that 911 in Mexico doesn’t work exactly as it does in the US. When it comes to receiving medical care quickly, 911 may not always be the most efficient way to get connected to what you need.

Learning how 911 works in Mexico, and why it might not always work for you, can help you decide whether in your region of Mexico you should call 911 or call a local number for medical help. Keep reading to learn more about what phone number to add to your personalized emergency medical plan for Mexico.

911 In Mexico

Mexico began implementing the use of 911 as a single nationwide emergency phone number in 2016. Until then, emergency phone numbers varied by region and there were often different numbers to call for police, fire and medical help. When setting up a nationwide system, choosing 911 as the number was a logical choice, as this is the emergency number used in Canada and the US. North America is thus unified with a single emergency number.

The system is imperfect in all three countries. In Mexico, nearly 10 years into the 911 experiment, relying on the 911 service alone in a medical emergency is not always recommended. If you’re from the US, you might be wondering why. Keep reading to learn more, and for help drafting an alternate plan.

Why 911 Might Not Work

1. Call centers are overwhelmed

In Mexico, call centers are overwhelmed, primarily with prank calls. As of September 2025, over 73% of incoming calls were classified as obscene calls, joke calls or insults. This number has been declining yearly since 2017, when over 90% of calls were classified as improcedente, meaning inappropriate or inadmissible.

Anecdotal reports say this puts pressure on call center employees to ask for detailed (and often seemingly unnecessary) information in order to weed out fake calls. Sometimes, patrol cars are sent to a scene first to assess the validity of the call before an ambulance is dispatched. As one can imagine, this slows the pace of response considerably.

2. Operators may not speak English

As we are in Mexico, there is no requirement for call center employees to speak English. Some regions may offer a ‘press X for English’ option, but not all do. Plus, each time your call is transferred, your wait time increases. Wait times for English-speaking operators may be too long for emergency circumstances.

If you’re not comfortable speaking Spanish, it can be difficult to convey your location and the nature of your emergency, especially when you’re under stress. Whatever emergency number you plan on calling (911 or a local, direct number), it can be a good idea to post a ‘cheat sheet’ somewhere visible in your home (if that’s where you’re likely to need help) with your home address and a few key phrases in Spanish.

Tengo una emergencia. Necesito una ambulancia. Mi ubicación es…

3. There’s an ambulance shortage in Mexico

When you call 911 for a medical emergency in Mexico, you’re most likely hoping for an ambulance to be quickly dispatched to your location. In Mexico, 911 largely dispatches public ambulances, which take you to the nearest public hospital. Operators can connect you to a Red Cross ambulance, but the Red Cross gets to decide which cases they take. Many ambulances in Mexico are privately owned, and not part of the 911 network.

Unfortunately, the number of (functioning) publicly owned ambulances in Mexico is limited. Assuming one is sent your way, it’s common to wait an hour or more for it to arrive, even in the biggest cities. In smaller cities and rural areas, you may not have ambulance access at all.

In my rural Mexican town, the nearest publicly owned ambulance is parked two hours away from where I live. Our remote pueblito was once gifted an ambulance, but without infrastructure to support its ongoing maintenance, it is often out of service. When in service, it’s frequently parked on empty, because there’s no money for gas. In an emergency, you’ll have to find someone to gas it up before you head to the hospital. I’ve heard this same story in other similarly-sized towns.

4. Ambulances in Mexico are for transportation

There are four types of ambulances in Mexico, each classified by the education and training of the personnel on board and the pre-hospital care they can provide. The majority of ambulances in Mexico are classified as ambulancias de traslados, meaning they’ll give you a ride but that’s it. This is different than one may expect in the US. In the US, ambulances are staffed with medically trained personnel who will begin treating you as soon as they encounter you. You can expect to be stabilized, if not treated, on the way to the hospital. That is not always the case in Mexico.

Unless you are assigned an ambulancia de urgencias basicas, de urgencias avanzadas, or de cuidados intensivos, your ambulance will not be stocked with medical equipment and supplies, nor will it be staffed by trained emergency medical personnel.

5. You may have a preferred hospital

Depending on the nature of your emergency, you may not want to be transported to the closest public hospital. Your preferred hospital may be private, and in most cases, the public ambulance that was sent when you called 911 will not take you there. (Alternatively, there are stories of ambulances taking people to private hospitals and charging them accordingly, when they expressly asked to go to a public institution in an effort to avoid costly emergency fees.)

If hospital choice matters to you, or if your closest or preferred hospital is a private one, it’s best to skip 911 and instead, keep that hospital’s private ambulance service on speed dial. That’s right, private hospitals often have their own private ambulances. Know the number to call to be taken to the exact hospital where you’d prefer to receive care.

6. You may not have cell phone service

Finally, it’s possible that your Mexican emergency will take place outside of cell phone service. Where I live in Baja California Sur, for example, cell phone service quickly disappears outside of major cities. Accidents are likely to occur on the highway between towns, on an adventure out in nature, or off shore. Each time you leave the cellular network, you might consider, “What will I do if 911, or my go-to emergency contact is unreachable?”

Here in our rural town, we have a mental short-list of neighbors we can rely on for a ride if needed. We also do our best to keep just enough gas in our car to reach the closest hospital.

Your Own Emergency Plan

As a gringo in Mexico, it’s important to have your own emergency plan, one that is specific to your situation and accounts for where you live or where you’re most likely to need emergency medical care, what your preferred hospital is, and how you’ll most efficiently get there.

• Know the address and phone number of the hospital closest to you

• Know the address and phone number of your preferred hospital

• Know a few key Spanish phrases to use when calling 911 (or a private ambulance service)

• Have the contact of your preferred method of transportation to your preferred hospital in your phone, on your fridge and in your car

• Is there someone nearby you could/should call to help stabilize you in an emergency (as the ambulance is on the way)?

• Are there basic first aid items or medications you might like to have on hand?

Think this through on your own, or…fill out the form below to receive our FREE 4-week email course: My Emergency Plan in Mexico.