Emergency Numbers in France: 15, 112, 116 117.

start with JARI.

• Community — local health info.
• Expert services — insurance, interpreting, health advice.

the essential numbers (free, 24/7).

• 15 — SAMU (medical emergency): loss of consciousness, breathing, chest pain… Also advice and orientation (SAS).
• 18 — Fire brigade: fire, accident, injury, rescue.
• 17 — Police: crime, violence, accident.
• 112 — European number: works without a SIM and on a locked phone; handy when you don't know who to call.
• 114 — SMS (deaf/hard of hearing): 24/7.

who to call (quick guide).

• Life-threatening (unconsciousness, haemorrhage, chest pain, breathing distress) → 15 or 112.
• Fire, road accident, fall → 18.
• Assault, theft, threat → 17.
• If French is hard, 112 helps with multilingual orientation.

on the phone (stay calm).

• Give the location (address, floor, door code), what's happening, the person's condition and age, your number.
• Don't hang up until the operator tells you to, and follow the instructions.

non-urgent, evenings & weekends.

• 116 117 — on-call doctor: evenings, weekends, holidays, outside life-threatening emergencies.
• SOS Médecins: home visits.
• On-call pharmacy: call 3237 (24/7) or check 3237.fr — in Paris/Île-de-France, monpharmacien-idf.fr.
• For a dental emergency, check the local dental on-call service.

other help lines.

• 3114 — suicide prevention (24/7, free).
• 3919 — violence against women.
• 119 — child protection.
• 115 — SAMU social (homeless, social emergency).
• Poisoning → regional poison control centre.

going to A&E.

• The wait can be long — for minor issues, prefer 116 117 or the pharmacy.
• Bring your carte Vitale and ID; a flat fee applies at A&E (covered by the mutuelle).

tips.

• Save the numbers in advance.
• Memorise your address and door code.
• Child/chronic illness: prepare an info card.

common mistakes.

• Crowding A&E with non-urgent cases.
• Not knowing the number at the critical moment.
• Hanging up before the end of the call.

FAQ.

Medical emergency? 15 (SAMU) or 112. Non-urgent, evening/weekend? 116 117 (on-call doctor). Free? Yes, all free and 24/7. Without French? 112 helps with multilingual orientation.

useful links.

• On JARI: Community · Expert services
• Read next: Getting healthcare · Finding a doctor · Pharmacy & medicines
• Official: service-public.fr · sante.fr