Emergency Numbers in Tangier: Who to Call, and When

In Morocco, three numbers cover almost every emergency: 15 for civil protection (fire and ambulance), 19 for police in towns, and 177 for the Royal Gendarmerie outside built-up areas and on the roads. All are free and reachable without credit. Dial 15 whenever a life may be at risk; for anything worrying but not life-threatening, a consultation — at a clinic, an emergency department, or at your accommodation — is the better route.

The three numbers worth saving

• 15 — Civil protection. Fire brigade, rescue and ambulance. This is the number for a life-threatening emergency: loss of consciousness, severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, serious accident, extensive burn, drowning.
• 19 — Police. Within towns, including Tangier: assault, road accident, a person in danger.
• 177 — Royal Gendarmerie. Outside built-up areas, on main roads and in the rural areas around Tangier.

Why do other numbers keep coming up?

Search for "Morocco emergency number" and you will find 141, 150, sometimes 112. These exist, or have existed, for particular services or regions, but they are not consistently confirmed by official sources and behaviour varies between cities.

In practice: do not gamble on a secondary number during an emergency. 15, 19 and 177 are the ones listed in the French foreign ministry's travel guidance for Morocco. If 112 happens to connect from your foreign handset, good — but do not make it your plan A.

You may also still read, including in an earlier version of this article, that "112 does not work in Morocco" or that 15 is "the French number". Neither statement is reliable, and the second is simply wrong: in Morocco 15 reaches civil protection.

Emergency services, hospital ER, or a home doctor?

Call 15 straight away

• Chest pain, tightness, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw.
• Face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech — even if it only lasts a few minutes.
• Marked breathing difficulty, blue lips or face.
• Loss of consciousness, a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes, sudden confusion.
• Bleeding you cannot stop, major trauma, extensive burns.
• Allergic reaction with swelling of the face or throat.

Go to a hospital emergency department

When equipment is needed: suspected fracture, a deep wound needing stitches, severe sudden abdominal pain, urgent imaging or blood work.

A home consultation is usually enough

Fever in an otherwise well adult, gastroenteritis, tonsillitis, ear infection, urinary infection, back pain, a superficial wound, renewing a long-term prescription, or a certificate issued after an examination. The deciding factor is not how bad it feels, but the absence of red flags and of any need for immediate tests.

What to say on the phone

Whether you call the emergency services or a doctor, give it in this order: exact address with a visible landmark, the person's age, what is happening in one sentence, how long it has been going on, and current medication. Then stay reachable — the call-back is what wastes the most time.

Night pharmacies in Tangier

On-call pharmacies rotate by district, the list changes weekly and is posted on the shutters of closed pharmacies. An on-call pharmacy will not hand over prescription-only medicine without a prescription: if you need one at night, you need a consultation first.