HELP GUIDES

Income Tax in France

Healthcare in France

Inheritance Law and Wills in France

Visas and residency cards for France

Emergency number

Is this the end of free mountain rescue in France?

A new report says that charging for services is ‘legitimate and necessary’

How long are waits at French emergency units - new statistics released

We also look at how wait times compare with the UK and the US

114 emergency number helps if you cannot communicate easily in France

The service is available via app, text, and online - but few people know about it

practical

Can I call the emergency services in France with a UK mobile phone?

It is important to know how to call the emergency services in France, so we review how to do so with a UK phone

Growing strain on hospital emergency units in France, some closures

Tourist areas are under particular pressure. There are also increased strikes among emergency call responders

French beaches do not have enough lifeguards for August

An emergency recruitment campaign has been launched

What numbers should I dial in an emergency in France?

There are various emergency numbers in France, but if in doubt you can call the general EU emergency number, which will redirect your call

The monthly warning siren in France: What does it mean?

Sirens sound on the first Wednesday of each month across France. Here is why

France trials triaging emergency 15 calls to assess if doctor attends

Less serious cases are to be seen by district nurses or urged to go to their GP - we look at why the emergency service is changing

French emergency services: Why it is now harder to reach 15 number

And the options you have if you have difficulty getting through

French government adopts plan for single emergency telephone number

Calls to the numbers 15, 17 and 18 will be grouped together in a centralised platform for a trial period of two years, while other combinations are also tested out

British woman rescued from flames after explosion in French house

Residents of the Aude village of Bellegarde-du-Razès were disturbed by the blast on Friday night, and rushed to help the woman, who suffered burns to her body

France to trial single emergency contact number from 2022

In France – along with the rest of the EU – you can already call 112 to access the emergency services, but contacting individual services is the preferred method for most people

Emergency numbers disrupted in France: Inquiry opened into 4 deaths

Many callers throughout France could not reach 15, 17, 18 or 112 yesterday evening. Up to four deaths are currently being investigated

Six dead as storm devastation continues in France

Six people have now died and one person is missing after severe flooding in southeast France, as the region suffered intense storms twice in just over a week.

French emergency hospital staff strike intensifies

Emergency hospital staff in France are continuing to strike, with almost half of services affected five months in to the movement.

Firefighters: only call us if your life is in danger

Nearly all fire stations charge for non-emergency call-outs to dissuade people from ringing them for jobs which could be done by other professionals.

France debates new emergency number to help hospitals

France may introduce a new emergency phone number in a bid to ease congestion in hospitals and help ensure people receive faster, more appropriate care for their condition, the government has said.

‘Screams for help’ in French town actually a cockerel

A French resident in Indre-et-Loire called the gendarmerie at dawn this week after hearing “screams for help”...but the noise was in fact the crowing of a nearby cockerel.

Emergency services exempt from French motorway tolls

Firefighters and police will finally no longer be charged to drive on motorways in France, almost two years after MPs voted to exempt them from payments, in October 2017.

Do you know which emergency number to dial ?

Boy, 5, saves mother’s life as he knew emergency number to dial

Can you call pompiers from UK?

I know the key French emergency telephone numbers, eg. 18 for the pompiers. What if I had to call them from the UK (for an elderly relative living there) – could I do it? G.G.

European victim helpline number 116 006 launches today

A new European-wide helpline number designed to offer victims direct access to professional support associations following crimes such as assault and rape has launched today (Tuesday December 4).

Urgent calls for single French emergency number

Ministers want to simplify the emergency number system

Helicopter rescues hiker from French mountain goat

An emergency helicopter was called by emergency services in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur this weekend to help rescue a man being attacked by a mountain goat.

Three-digit number that could save your life

Only four out of 10 people in France know the phone number that will allow them to call emergency services from anywhere in Europe

Emergency number

Is this the end of free mountain rescue in France?

How long are waits at French emergency units - new statistics released

114 emergency number helps if you cannot communicate easily in France

Can I call the emergency services in France with a UK mobile phone?

Trending

‘Stay home’: Red weather alerts raised as Storm Nils sweeps France

Storm Nils set to cross France: 30 departments on heightened alert

British and French travellers to the US must soon provide more personal details

Paris airport to remove passenger drop-off zones near terminals

EES: Airports and airlines call for immediate review ahead of summer traffic

Ryanair brings back Brive-Stansted service for summer 2026

Traffic warnings in place this weekend as French school holidays continue