Do you need a doctor urgently? Have you lost your wallet or had your mobile phone stolen? Or are you just looking for a nice swimming pool? Look no further - we have listed all the main telephone numbers along with some basic information.

In case of life-threatening illnesses or accidents call the emergency rescue service of the fire department: emergency telephone number 112

You can also call the ambulance service of the Cologne hospitals at any time in an emergency.

Duty doctor and ophthalmologist:
Telephone +49 (0)1805 / 044 100 (12 cents per minute)
Weekdays: from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following day
Wednesdays: from 1 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Thursday
Fridays: from 1 p.m. and then the whole weekend until 7 a.m. on Monday morning

Duty dentist:
Tel. +49 (0)1805 / 986 700

To search online for a doctor's surgery visit the website of the North Rhine association of statutory health insurance physicians at

To search online for a dentist visit the website of the North Rhine chamber of dentists at the Zahnärztekammer Nordrhein.

To search online for pharmacies in Cologne and for the out-of-hours pharmacy service, visit the website of the North Rhine chamber of pharmacists at

Any medicines urgently required outside the shop opening times are supplied by the pharmacies on duty around the clock.

You can find out which pharmacies are on duty from one of the following sources:

• Ring the emergency hotline on +49 (0)1805 / 938888
• Visit the "Apothekerkammer-Nordrhein" website and see the emergency service information under "Notdienstplan".
• Read the duty roster notice displayed in the window of any pharmacy
• Read the notices in the daily press, for example the "Kölner Stadtanzeiger"; Kölnische Rundschau" and other newspapers.

If you have lost your identity papers or important documents, we have summarised the information you need so that you can organise a replacement as soon as possible.

Reporting a theft or lost property
If you have lost your identity papers or important documents, for example driving licence, passport, identity card, please find the nearest police station and report the theft or loss.

Telephone hotline to cancel or block debit cards, credit cards, mobile phones, and so on:
In Germany there is one number to block debit and credit cards, mobile phones, digital signatures, health insurance cards, employee ID badges and store cards!

The number to call is 116 116 The lines are manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and calls are free of charge within Germany.

Lost property office
Your wallet or mobile phone may have been handed in at the municipal lost property office. However, it generally takes up to 14 days for an item to be handed in at the lost property office. The items of lost property are kept for six months. For further information please contact the

For detailed information on the services provided by Cologne city council (Stadtverwaltung Köln) and on the required documents, and to download specific documents please visit our web page public services at:

For further information on diplomatic representations visit the website of the

There are plenty of automatic cash dispensers in the centre of Cologne. You can withdraw cash from these machines at any time with the standard bank cards and credit cards.

Do you want to change money?
No problem at the following branches of the "Reisebank" currency exchange bank in Cologne:

• Main railway station (Hauptbahnhof)
  Daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Cologne Bonn Airport (Flughafen Köln/Bonn), Terminal 1
  Daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Details of current exchange rates and further information can be obtained over the telephone on +49 (0)221 / 2003-2004 or from the Reisebank website.

There are several public toilet blocks around the city, some of them with disabled access and facilities. The public conveniences in the city centre are listed below together with their opening times:

Cathedral (south side): Daily, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friesenplatz:
 Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
 Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
 Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Neumarkt:
  Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  Sundays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Further toilets which are suitable for wheelchair users:

An der Rechtschule 1, 50667 Köln (advertising pillar, stand-alone toilet unit, open around the clock):

Brüderstr. 1, 50667 Köln (advertising pillar, stand-alonte toilet unit, open around the clock)

Frankenwerft 35, 50667 Köln (Stapelhaus) -  Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There are advertising columns with integrated toilet at the following locations in the city centre: 
Barbarossaplatz, Deutzer Freiheit, Hohe Pforte, Machabäerstraße and Rudolfplatz. Please note, however, that these units do not have wheelchair access.

All visitors are kindly requested to keep our city clean and tidy. Fines are now imposed on people who pollute the environment, discard litter or urinate in public.

It is not always easy to find a parking space in Cologne, especially in the city centre. Always check that you are leaving your vehicle in a legitimate parking space and check whether you need to buy a parking ticket!

It is even possible to buy a parking ticket with a mobile phone these days. This service is available from any mobile telephone and on any network. For more information on buying a parking ticket by mobile phone visit Handy-Parken in Köln German only.

If your car has been towed away visit our web page Abgeschleppt?

A dip in the water is the perfect tonic on hot days, but not all water is safe for bathing. For information about the lakes which are suitable for swimming visit