Key takeaways
- 19 is the police in towns and cities; 177 is the Royal Gendarmerie outside urban areas and on most roads between towns.
- 15 reaches the Civil Protection (fire, rescue and ambulances); 141 is the SAMU medical emergency line.
- 112 works from mobile phones and connects you to emergency services, even when you don’t know the local number.
- Say where you are first, then what happened and how many people are hurt.
When something serious happens, nobody wants to search the internet for the right number. In Morocco, there isn’t a single number for everything: the police, the Gendarmerie, the Civil Protection and the medical emergency service each have their own. Learn the short list below now, or save it on your phone, so you don’t have to think about it later.
The emergency numbers to know
- 19: Police (Sûreté nationale). For crimes, threats, fights, thefts in progress and road accidents inside towns and cities.
- 177: Royal Gendarmerie. For rural areas, small villages and most roads and motorways between towns.
- 15: Civil Protection. Fire, people trapped, drowning, gas leaks, collapsed buildings, and ambulance transport of the injured.
- 141: SAMU (medical emergencies). A medical regulation line launched by the Ministry of Health, for serious illness or injury where a doctor’s advice and a medical team are needed.
- 112: General emergency number from a mobile. Useful if you are a visitor, if you’re not sure which service to call, or if another number doesn’t connect.
Some older guides list 190 for the police or 150 for the fire service. The short numbers above are the ones published today by the telecoms regulator and the Ministry of Health, but if a call fails, try 112.
Police or Gendarmerie: which one?
The simplest rule: in a town, call 19; outside a town, call 177. If you’re on a national road between two cities and you call the wrong one, the operator will usually transfer you or tell you which service to call. Don’t hang up and lose time: give your location and let them route the call.
What to say when you call
Emergency operators need the same information every time, in the same order. Saying it calmly saves minutes:
- Where you are: the city, the neighbourhood or the road, a landmark (a petrol station, a mosque, a roundabout, a kilometre marker).
- What happened: an accident, a fire, an assault, someone unconscious.
- How many people are involved and whether anyone is bleeding, unconscious or not breathing.
- Any danger still present: fire, fuel leaking, traffic, an aggressive person.
- Your phone number, and stay reachable after the call.
Don’t hang up first. The operator may give you instructions, such as how to place an injured person or what not to move.
If you don’t speak Arabic or French
Operators in big cities often understand some French and sometimes English. Keep sentences short and use simple words: “accident”, “fire”, “ambulance”, “police”, and the name of the place. If someone nearby speaks Arabic or Darija, hand them the phone.
Keep the numbers one tap away
The best time to set this up is before anything happens. Save the numbers as contacts, and add a trusted person as an emergency contact on your phone’s lock screen. Chameleon AI shows the emergency numbers for the country you’re in on its Home screen and on its camera, and its widgets can call them without opening the app. It works offline, and you can reorder the numbers or add your own contacts.
If someone is in immediate danger, call first and record later. Evidence can wait; a life can’t.
Frequently asked questions
Does 112 work in Morocco?
Yes, 112 can be dialled from a mobile phone in Morocco and connects you to emergency services. It’s the easiest number to remember for visitors. Local short numbers (19, 177, 15, 141) reach a specific service directly.
Can I call emergency numbers without credit or a SIM card?
Emergency calls are free. Calls to emergency numbers are generally possible without credit, and often from a mobile without a working SIM card, but this depends on the network. Don’t rely on it: keep a charged phone with an active SIM when you travel.
What is the difference between 15 and 141?
15 reaches the Civil Protection, which handles fires, rescues and ambulance transport. 141 is the SAMU medical regulation line, where health professionals assess a medical emergency and send the right team. In a road accident with injured people, either will help you; 15 is the most widely known.
General information to help you get organised, not legal advice. Procedures and numbers can change: confirm them with the office concerned, and in danger call your local emergency number first.
