Your flight has been cancelled and you want to know if you can get your money back? How do you get a job in another European country? What EU grants can your organisation apply for? Is it safe to shop online in another EU country? Are there any EU rules that guarantee the quality of your food? We have the answers to your questions!
What we do
The Europe Direct Contact Centre is the European Union's helpline when you want to know something about the EU. We answer any questions from the public about the European Union, via phone, email or chat. Our services do not cost you anything: You can call us free of charge from anywhere in the EU, in all 24 EU official languages. And if you need hands-on practical information for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, you can also contact us in Ukrainian and Russian. If you want to know more about our service, you can find facts and figures in our annual activity reports.
We can
- give you an immediate answer to general questions about the EU
- help you navigate the webpages published by the EU institutions
- give you the contact details for the best sources of further information and advice
- give you information that is factually correct and updated, according to the standards of public civil service. However, our answers are never legally binding.
What we cannot do
The Europe Direct Contact Centre cannot do any of the following:
- register or forward complaints or problems (but we can tell you who to contact)
- give legal advice or interpret EU laws for you
- deal with any matters that are not in the remit of the EU
- help make your political opinions about EU matters known. However, you can share your views on the Have Your Say website. You are also welcome to follow us and comment on social media. You can also make your voice heard by engaging with your elected representatives at national and European level.
How to use the Europe Direct Contact Centre
Our services do not cost you anything.
You can call us from anywhere in the EU, for free at +800 6 7 8 9 10 11. In very few cases, some telecom operators do not allow access or charge for this. That is why you can also reach us via alternative numbers in each country.
You can write or call us from anywhere in the world. If calling from outside the EU, additional costs may apply. Outside our opening hours – working days 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central European Time – you can leave a message, or ask us to call back using this form.
You can also contact us by chat via Messenger to @EuropeanCommission.
When you write to us, we usually answer within 3 days. More complex questions may take longer. On average, we answer phone calls within 15 seconds.
Your Europe
You can find out more about your rights under EU law and in some cases get legal advice on how they apply on Your Europe.