France (FR)

France is a unitary semi-presidential republic and the EU's most visited country, renowned for its world-class cuisine and wine, the iconic City of Light that is Paris, the French Riviera, iconic Alpine ski resorts, and a generous social state offering universal healthcare, extensive family benefits, and strong worker protections.

Capital: Paris

Region: Europe

Language: French

Currency: EUR (€)

Cost of living: Expensive (index 74)

Emergency: 112

Emergency Numbers

Save these numbers before you need them.

General Emergency

112 (European emergency)

Police

Fire Brigade

18 (Sapeurs-pompiers)

Ambulance

15 (SAMU — medical emergency)

Poison Control

Centres antipoison: Paris 01 40 05 48 48 / Lyon 04 72 11 69 11 / Marseille 04 91 75 25 25

Mental Health

3114 (national suicide prevention, free, 24/7)

Domestic Violence

3919 (Violences Femmes Info, free, 24/7, anonymous)

Child Protection

119 (Allô Enfance en Danger, free, 24/7)

Road Assistance

112 for emergencies on the autoroute. Commercial breakdown: your insurer's assistance number (often 0800), or Europ Assistance / Mondial Assistance.

SOS Médecins / Permanence des soins

3624 (SOS Médecins nationwide) or 116 117 (regional on-call)

Out-of-hours medical service for non-emergency issues. SOS Médecins doctors can visit your home or see you in clinic. 116 117 connects you to the on-call duty doctor in your région.

Evenings, weekends, public holidays, and nights when GP surgeries are closed.

How to call emergency services in France

For 112: works from any phone (including locked/no-SIM), free. Operators speak French and English. State your location (street address, nearest landmark), type of emergency, number of people affected. Stay on the line until told to hang up.