Emergency numbers in Tunisia: ambulance 190, police 197, fire 198

Public service · Number · When to call

911 Travel Assistance

911 Travel Assistance is a private medical assistance company, not a public emergency number. For a hotel doctor, private ambulance, clinic coordination or help with your insurer, call or WhatsApp +216 97 911 911, available 24/7. In a life-threatening emergency, call 190 first; do not wait for a WhatsApp reply.

How to call from your mobile or hotel phone

While in Tunisia, dial the relevant three-digit public number directly, without adding +216. If you are using a hotel room phone, ask reception whether you need an outside-line access code. For an ordinary Tunisian phone number, use +216 followed by the eight-digit number, for example +216 97 911 911. [2]

A foreign SIM, roaming settings and the available network can affect access. This guide does not guarantee routing on every handset or network. If your call fails, immediately ask reception, a local person or another phone user to call the appropriate service for you.

What about 112 and 911?

Tunisia’s official numbering plan assigns 112 to emergency calls. That does not establish how every foreign SIM, handset or roaming network will route it. Keep the direct local numbers 190, 197, 198 and 193 saved. Do not assume that dialling 911 will connect you to Tunisian public services; the name 911 Travel Assistance refers to a private company reached on its full phone number. [2]

What to say when the operator answers

1. Your exact location: town, hotel name, room number, street and a nearby landmark. Say the location first in case the call disconnects.

2. What has happened: for example chest pain, a fall, a road accident, or someone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

3. Who needs help: approximate age, adult or child, whether the person responds and whether they breathe normally.

4. Your callback number: include the country code if it is a foreign mobile number.

5. Stay on the line: answer questions and follow the operator’s instructions. Send someone to meet the emergency team if possible.

English may not be available on every public emergency call. Use short sentences and ask reception or a French- or Arabic-speaking person to help, without delaying the call.

English · Useful French words

When to call 190 immediately

Call for severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, unconsciousness, a seizure, persistent severe bleeding, serious injury, or suspected stroke: a drooping face, sudden weakness or speech difficulty. Chest pain, especially with pain spreading to the arm or jaw, also needs urgent assessment.

Call urgently after a drowning incident, a head injury followed by vomiting or unusual drowsiness, a severe allergic reaction with breathing difficulty or throat swelling, or when a child is unusually floppy, difficult to wake or struggling to breathe. You do not need to know the diagnosis before calling.

What to do while help is on the way

Make sure the scene is safe and follow the emergency operator’s instructions. Avoid moving an injured person unless there is immediate danger or movement is needed to keep the airway open.

If a person is unresponsive but breathing normally, a recovery position can help protect their airway. Where neck or spinal injury is suspected, avoid unnecessary movement and follow the dispatcher’s guidance; maintaining an open airway takes priority. [3]

If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, including occasional gasps, tell the operator immediately, put the phone on speaker and start CPR following their instructions. Ask someone to bring an automated external defibrillator if one is available. [4]

Public emergency services and private medical assistance

The SAMU assesses the situation and decides the appropriate medical response. Depending on the patient’s needs and the arrangements available, transfer can be to a public or private healthcare facility. A call to 190 does not automatically mean transfer to a public hospital. [5]

Topic · Public emergency services · 911 Travel Assistance — private service

If you are ill at your hotel

For a problem without immediate danger signs, such as a fever, stomach illness or a painful sprain, a doctor can assess whether a hotel visit is appropriate. A sick child also needs an assessment of urgency; do not wait for a routine visit if warning signs are present.

Call or WhatsApp +216 97 911 911, giving the hotel, room, age of the patient and symptoms. Our team coordinates hotel visits, ambulance transfers and further care in Tunisia’s main tourist areas, including Tunis, Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Djerba, Zarzis, Tozeur and Tabarka. Availability and arrival time are confirmed when you call.

See our pages on hotel doctors (https://911travelassistance.com/en/doctor-at-hotel), medical ambulances (https://911travelassistance.com/en/medical-ambulance) and areas covered (https://911travelassistance.com/en/areas).

Travel insurance: what to prepare

Do not assume your European Health Insurance Card or UK GHIC covers care in Tunisia. These cards do not apply there. Other national or bilateral arrangements may exist depending on your circumstances; check your own entitlement before travelling. Keep appropriate travel insurance and funds available for costs that may need to be paid upfront. [6–8]

Save the insurer’s assistance number and policy reference. Insurance or assistance linked to a bank card also depends on the card’s terms and eligibility conditions. Contact the assistance provider as soon as the medical situation permits; do not delay emergency care to obtain insurance approval.

Keep medical reports, itemised invoices and receipts. We can contact your insurer and request a payment guarantee. Direct billing applies only to costs the insurer has approved and the provider accepts; exclusions, deductibles and uncovered expenses can remain payable. See our insurance information (https://911travelassistance.com/en/insurance).

Before departure, save the public numbers, your insurer’s contact details and our private assistance number. Keep your hotel address, medication names, allergies and policy documents accessible, and tell a travelling companion where to find them.

Sources and references

[1] GOV.UK — Tunisia: getting help — https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tunisia/getting-help

[2] Instance nationale des télécommunications — dossier numérotation — https://intt.tn/fr/index.php?rub=265&srub=372

[3] St John Ambulance — Recovery position — https://www.sja.org.uk/first-aid-advice/recovery-position/

[4] St John Ambulance — How to do CPR — https://www.sja.org.uk/first-aid-advice/cpr/

[5] Ministère tunisien de la Santé — Services d’aide médicale urgente SAMU — https://santetunisie.rns.tn/fr/sante-en-tunisie/medecine-d-urgence/les-services-d-aide-medicale-urgente-samu

[6] GOV.UK — Tunisia: health — https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tunisia/health

[7] NHS — Healthcare cover abroad, GHIC and EHIC — https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/

[8] CLEISS — Couverture maladie pendant des vacances en Tunisie — https://www.cleiss.fr/particuliers/partir/vacances/tunisie.html