Argentina operates a unified national emergency number 911 that connects callers to police, fire, and ambulance services in all major cities including Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario, Mendoza, and most provincial capitals. The system became standardized across the country starting in 2016, though implementation varies by province. Before 911 unification, Buenos Aires used 107 for medical emergencies and 100 for police, and some older residents still reference these numbers. The 911 system functions in Spanish. English-speaking operators exist in Buenos Aires but cannot be guaranteed outside the capital. The system routes calls based on location to provincial emergency coordination centers.
For medical emergencies specifically, the public ambulance service SAME operates in Buenos Aires and responds to 911 medical calls within the capital city boundaries. SAME maintains 40 bases across Buenos Aires with approximately 200 ambulances. Response times average 10 to 15 minutes in central Buenos Aires according to city health department data from 2022, extending to 20 to 30 minutes in outer neighborhoods. SAME provides pre-hospital care and transport to public hospitals at no charge to the patient. The service operates 24 hours daily and does not require insurance verification before dispatch.
Private ambulance services operate throughout Argentina under the prepaga system, where membership or per-incident fees apply. Companies including Swiss Medical Emergency, OSDE Emergency, and Vittal maintain their own dispatch numbers and respond only to their members or fee-paying callers. Swiss Medical Emergency uses +54 11 4338-3000 in Buenos Aires. OSDE operates through +54 11 4339-6700. These services transport to private clinics and hospitals within their networks. Response times for private services in Buenos Aires average 8 to 12 minutes in wealthy neighborhoods like Recoleta and Palermo, according to 2021 industry reports, but vary significantly by time of day and location.
Outside Buenos Aires, provincial governments manage emergency medical response with varying capacity. Córdoba operates its own 911 system connecting to provincial ambulance services. Mendoza routes medical calls through 911 to Coordinated Emergency System (SEC) ambulances. In Patagonian cities like Bariloche, Ushuaia, and El Calafate, 911 connects to municipal health services with limited ambulance availability. Rural areas in provinces including Salta, Jujuy, San Juan, and across the Pampas often lack ambulance coverage beyond town centers. Travelers should contact their accommodation for local emergency procedures, as many remote estancias and mountain lodges maintain relationships with specific air ambulance providers.
The tourist police (Policía de Turismo) operates in Buenos Aires at Avenida Corrientes 436 with telephone +54 11 4346-5748. This unit employs officers who speak English, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Operating hours run 09:00 to 18:00 Monday through Friday, with weekend hours 10:00 to 16:00. The unit handles crime reports from foreign visitors, lost passport documentation, and liaison with embassies. A second tourist police station operates in San Telmo at Defensa 898. In other Argentine cities, tourist-specific police units do not exist. Standard police respond through 911 in Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta, and Bariloche. Spanish remains the working language at all police stations outside Buenos Aires tourist police offices.
Fire services in Argentina operate under municipal or provincial control. Buenos Aires fire department responds to 911 calls for fires, structural collapses, vehicle accidents, and hazardous materials incidents. The department maintains 42 fire stations across the capital. Córdoba, Rosario, and Mendoza maintain separate municipal fire departments also reached through 911. In national parks including Nahuel Huapi, Los Glaciares, Tierra del Fuego, and Iguazú, park ranger services coordinate emergency response. Rangers in these parks carry satellite phones and VHF radios. Cell phone coverage does not exist in most of Nahuel Huapi backcountry, throughout Los Glaciares except El Calafate town, in Tierra del Fuego beyond Route 3, or in remote sections of Iguazú park away from the falls themselves.
Embassies and consulates in Buenos Aires maintain emergency contact numbers for their citizens. The United States Embassy operates at Avenida Colombia 4300 in Palermo with emergency phone +54 11 5777-4533 available 24 hours. The Canadian Embassy stands at Tagle 2828 in Palermo with emergency line +54 11 4808-1000. The British Embassy occupies Dr. Luis Agote 2412 with emergency number +54 11 4808-2200. The Australian Embassy at Villanueva 1400 maintains emergency line +54 11 4779-3500. All four embassies provide after-hours emergency services for their nationals through these numbers, which connect to duty officers who can arrange consular assistance, contact families, and coordinate with Argentine authorities.
For maritime emergencies, the Argentine Coast Guard (Prefectura Naval Argentina) operates rescue coordination centers in Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Ushuaia, and Puerto Madryn. The emergency number for maritime rescue is 106 from any Argentine phone. This reaches coordination centers that dispatch patrol boats and helicopters. The Coast Guard patrols the Río de la Plata, the Atlantic coast from Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego, and inland waterways including the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. In Patagonian waters around Península Valdés and through the Beagle Channel, response times for rescue vessels range from 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on weather and vessel location. The Coast Guard maintains rescue helicopters at bases in Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, and Ushuaia with typical response times of 30 to 90 minutes for offshore incidents.
Mountain rescue in the Andes operates through provincial police in cooperation with civilian volunteer groups. In Mendoza province, which includes Aconcagua, the provincial police high-mountain unit (Unidad de Alta Montaña) coordinates rescues through 911 calls routed to their base in Puente del Inca. The unit maintains a station at Horcones valley entrance to Aconcagua Provincial Park during climbing season from November to March. Rescue operations on Aconcagua involve helicopter evacuations when weather permits, with costs ranging from $8,000 to $25,000 USD billed to the climber or their insurance. In San Carlos de Bariloche, the Andean Rescue Commission (Comisión de Auxilio del Club Andino Bariloche) responds to emergencies in Nahuel Huapi National Park through coordination with park rangers. This civilian volunteer organization operates year-round and can be reached through park ranger stations or by calling 911 in Bariloche.
Air ambulance services in Argentina include AeroMedic, MedJet, and Aeroevac, all based in Buenos Aires with aircraft capable of reaching Patagonia, Mendoza, and northern provinces. AeroMedic operates fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters with medical crews for interfacility transfers and remote evacuations. Contact requires advance arrangement through insurance providers or direct payment, with costs from $5,000 to $30,000 USD depending on distance and aircraft type. International medical evacuation to the United States or Europe typically costs $80,000 to $150,000 USD. Most Argentine travel insurance policies sold to foreign visitors include medical evacuation coverage up to specific limits, usually $50,000 to $100,000 USD. Assist Card, Travel Ace, and Universal Assistance represent major providers selling policies to tourists entering Argentina, with 24-hour coordination centers in Buenos Aires.
Poison control in Argentina operates through the National Toxicological Information System, reachable at telephone 0800-333-0160 from anywhere in the country. This toll-free number connects to toxicology specialists at Hospital de Pediatría Juan P. Garrahan in Buenos Aires who provide guidance for poisonings, overdoses, venomous animal bites, and chemical exposures. The service operates 24 hours in Spanish. For snake bites in northern provinces including Salta, Jujuy, and Chaco, hospitals in provincial capitals maintain antivenin stocks for local species including the yarará pit viper and coral snakes. In Patagonia, venomous snake species do not exist. Spider bites from the Chilean recluse spider occur in western Argentina near the Andes; treatment requires specific antivenin available at hospitals in Mendoza and San Juan.
Search and rescue in national parks falls under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Administration (Administración de Parques Nacionales). Each major park maintains ranger stations with emergency communication equipment. In Iguazú National Park, rangers station at the main visitor center responds to medical incidents, lost persons, and accidents on trails. The park receives approximately 1.5 million visitors annually, with medical incidents averaging 15 to 25 per month according to park service data. In Los Glaciares National Park, rangers operate from El Calafate and El Chaltén bases. The Fitz Roy sector near El Chaltén sees mountaineering accidents requiring rescue several times each climbing season from November to March. Helicopters must be contracted from private operators in El Calafate, with costs from $3,000 to $8,000 USD per rescue mission depending on location and weather delays.
For psychiatric emergencies, the Buenos Aires Mental Health Emergency Service operates through public hospitals including Hospital Borda and Hospital Moyano. The 911 system routes psychiatric crisis calls to specialized response teams in the capital. Outside Buenos Aires, psychiatric emergency care routes through general hospital emergency departments. In Patagonian cities and smaller provincial towns, specialized psychiatric crisis services do not exist. English-speaking psychiatric care in Buenos Aires concentrates at private institutions including Hospital Británico and Sanatorio de la Trinidad, both accessible through private insurance or direct payment.
Dental emergencies in Buenos Aires can be addressed at Hospital de Odontología, a public facility at Junín 959 providing emergency dental care without appointment. Operating hours run 08:00 to 20:00 Monday through Friday. Private dental clinics in Recoleta and Palermo offer emergency services with English-speaking dentists, typically charging $50 to $150 USD for emergency consultations and immediate procedures. In other Argentine cities, public hospitals provide emergency dental services through general emergency departments. Specialized dental emergency clinics exist in Córdoba, Rosario, and Mendoza but operate primarily in Spanish.
Pharmacies in Argentina called farmacias operate on rotating 24-hour schedules, with at least one pharmacy in each neighborhood open overnight. Buenos Aires publishes daily listings of farmacias de turno in newspapers and through the pharmacy guild website. Farmacity, a major chain, maintains 24-hour locations in Buenos Aires at Avenida Santa Fe 2830 in Recoleta and Avenida Corrientes 3247 in Abasto. These locations stock common medications and can provide emergency contraception, pain medications, and antibiotics with prescriptions. Pharmacists in Argentina receive extensive training and often provide preliminary medical advice for minor conditions. In smaller cities including Bariloche, Ushuaia, and Salta, at least one pharmacy remains open 24 hours, identified by illuminated green cross signs.
Credit card emergency services maintain Argentina-specific contact numbers. Visa operates an emergency card replacement line at +1-303-967-1096, callable collect from Argentina. Mastercard emergency services reach +1-636-722-7111. American Express maintains an office in Buenos Aires at Arenales 707 with emergency number +54 11 4310-3000. These services provide emergency card replacement, cash advances, and travel assistance. Replacement cards typically arrive within 3 to 5 business days in Buenos Aires, longer in provincial cities. The 2001-2002 economic crisis established patterns where many Argentine businesses still prefer cash, and ATM networks occasionally face temporary disruptions during bank holidays or technical issues.
Vehicle breakdown services operate through automobile clubs in Argentina. The Automóvil Club Argentino (ACA) provides roadside assistance to members and reciprocal members of international automobile associations including AAA. The ACA emergency number is 0800-777-2894 from landlines or *222 from cell phones. The service operates nationwide but response times vary dramatically by location. In Buenos Aires and along major routes including Route 9 to Córdoba and Route 7 to Mendoza, response typically occurs within 60 to 90 minutes. In Patagonia on Route 40 and in remote northern provinces, response can extend to 4 to 6 hours or longer. The ACA maintains service stations approximately every 200 kilometers along major routes in populated regions but coverage thins considerably in Patagonia and the Puna de Atacama.
For lost passports, travelers must contact their embassy in Buenos Aires to initiate replacement. The process requires a police report obtained from tourist police or the nearest police station, passport photos, and completion of embassy-specific forms. United States citizens receive emergency passports valid for limited travel within 3 to 5 business days from the Buenos Aires embassy. British citizens can obtain emergency travel documents within 2 business days. Canadian emergency travel documents process in 2 to 3 business days. Australian emergency passports typically take 2 to 4 business days. All embassies require in-person appointments scheduled through their emergency contact numbers. Provincial cities lack embassy services, requiring travel to Buenos Aires for passport replacement.
Natural disaster warnings in Argentina come from the National Meteorological Service (Servicio Meteorológico Nacional), which issues alerts for severe weather including flooding, snowstorms in Patagonia, and high winds. The agency operates a website and issues warnings through broadcast media. Argentina experiences seismic activity along the Andes, with Mendoza, San Juan, and Salta provinces facing elevated earthquake risk. The National Institute for Seismic Prevention (INPRES) monitors seismic activity and issues earthquake warnings when possible, though prediction remains limited. The February 1944 San Juan earthquake killed approximately 10,000 people, establishing building codes that apply in Andean provinces. Tsunamis do not threaten Argentina's Atlantic coast due to continental shelf geography.
Volcanic hazards affect areas near the Chilean border. Copahue volcano in Neuquén province showed increased activity in 2012 and 2013, requiring evacuations of Caviahue village. Monitoring falls under the Volcanological Observatory of the Southern Andes (OAVS) based in Zapala, Neuquén. No eruptions have occurred on Argentine territory in recorded history, but Chilean eruptions including the 2011 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle event disrupted air travel and coated Patagonian towns in ash. The 2011 eruption closed airports in Bariloche, Neuquén, and Trelew for weeks and required evacuation of several thousand residents from ash-affected areas.
Flooding represents a recurring risk in several regions. The Río de la Plata floods periodically during sustained southeasterly winds called sudestada, inundating coastal neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and La Plata. The April 2013 La Plata flood killed 89 people and displaced 30,000, establishing it as one of Argentina's deadliest modern natural disasters. Northern provinces including Chaco, Formosa, and Corrientes experience annual flooding during summer months from December to March when the Paraná and Paraguay rivers rise. The 1998 Paraná River flood affected 150,000 people across the Litoral region. Civil defense authorities in affected provinces issue evacuation orders through local radio and police notification.
Wildlife encounters requiring emergency response occur in specific regions. In northern provinces, jaguar sightings happen rarely but create local alerts. Pumas exist throughout the Andes and Patagonia but avoid human contact. The main animal-related injuries involve livestock interactions in rural areas and domestic dog bites in cities. Rabies exists in Argentina's bat populations in northern provinces and in rural dogs. Post-exposure rabies prophylaxis is available at public hospitals in provincial capitals. The Ministry of Health tracks rabies cases, reporting approximately 5 to 15 human exposures requiring treatment annually, primarily in rural areas of Salta, Jujuy, Chaco, and Misiones provinces.
Marine hazards include southern right whales near Península Valdés, which do not pose threats to humans, and orcas that hunt sea lion pups in shallow water at Punta Norte. Swimmers should note that the South Atlantic remains cold year-round, with temperatures reaching only 18 to 20 Celsius in summer at Buenos Aires beaches. Hypothermia risk exists for swimmers beyond 30 minutes in water below 15 Celsius, common in Patagonian waters. Rip currents at Atlantic beaches including Mar del Plata, Pinamar, and Villa Gesell cause drownings annually. Lifeguard services operate at major beaches during summer season from December to March, typically 10:00 to 19:00 daily.
For incidents involving Argentine security forces or government officials, embassy consular sections provide the appropriate contact point rather than local emergency services. Travelers detained by police should request embassy contact immediately. Argentine law requires police to allow detainees to contact their embassy within 24 hours of arrest. Tourist police in Buenos Aires facilitate this process for foreign visitors arrested in the capital. In provinces, regular police stations handle the notification process, though delays can occur due to bureaucratic procedures and language barriers.