Morocco operates a national emergency system accessible throughout the country, though response times and resource availability differ substantially between urban centers and remote areas. The primary emergency number is 190 for police, 150 for ambulance services (SAMU), and 15 for fire services. These numbers function from landlines and mobile phones without requiring a SIM card or credit. In 2014, Morocco began implementing a unified emergency number 112 following European standards, but the service rollout remains incomplete. The 112 number theoretically routes calls to appropriate services, but many responders and dispatchers still direct callers to use the dedicated three-digit numbers instead.
Foreign nationals requiring consular assistance contact their embassy or consulate directly. The United States Embassy operates in Rabat at 2 Avenue Mohammed El Fassi with a 24-hour duty officer reachable at +212 537 637 200. The consulate in Casablanca at 8 Boulevard Moulay Youssef maintains separate emergency contact through +212 522 264 550. The British Embassy in Rabat is located at 28 Avenue S.A.R. Sidi Mohammed, Souissi, with emergency contact +212 537 633 333. The Canadian Embassy at 66 Mehdi Ben Barka Avenue in Rabat provides after-hours assistance through +212 537 544 949. The Australian Embassy closed its Rabat office in 2018; Australian citizens contact the Canadian Embassy under a consular services agreement. French nationals reach their consulate network through a Paris-based emergency number +33 1 43 17 53 53, which redirects to the appropriate Moroccan office among the consulates in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, and Agadir.
Tourist police units (Brigade Touristique) operate in major cities including Marrakech, Fes, Tangier, Agadir, and Essaouira. These units staff officers who speak French, English, and sometimes Spanish. In Marrakech, the tourist police station sits on the north side of Jemaa el-Fnaa square, operating daily from 08:00 to 21:00 with reduced staff outside those hours. The Fes tourist police maintain an office near Bab Boujloud at the entrance to the medina. These specialized units handle reports of scams, lost passports, theft, and disputes with vendors or guides, though criminal investigations transfer to regular police jurisdiction.
The Gendarmerie Royale functions as the primary law enforcement authority outside municipal boundaries, covering highways, rural areas, and smaller towns without municipal police forces. The Gendarmerie operates distinct emergency numbers depending on location: travelers on highways dial 177, while those in rural areas use 177 or contact the nearest brigade directly. The Gendarmerie maintains roadside posts along major routes including the A1 highway between Rabat and Tangier and the A7 connecting Marrakech to Agadir. These posts appear approximately every 40 to 60 kilometers on major highways.
Medical emergencies in cities proceed through SAMU (Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente), accessible at 150, which dispatches ambulances from public hospitals. Response time in Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech typically ranges from 15 to 30 minutes within city limits. Private ambulance services operate alongside the public system; the most established include SOS Médecins, reachable in Casablanca at +212 522 989 898, in Rabat at +212 537 201 818, and in Marrakech at +212 524 404 040. These private services charge approximately 600 to 1,200 dirhams for transport, with payment required before or immediately after service. Many private ambulances lack advanced medical equipment beyond oxygen and basic stabilization supplies.
In rural and mountain areas, emergency medical response infrastructure barely exists. Villages in the High Atlas, Anti-Atlas, and Rif Mountains rely on community members transporting patients by private vehicle to the nearest dispensary or health center, which may be 30 to 90 minutes away on unpaved roads. Mountain rescue coordination falls to the Gendarmerie, but helicopter evacuation requires authorization from provincial authorities and typically occurs only for life-threatening emergencies involving Moroccan nationals or when embassies intervene. The High Atlas Foundation documented response times exceeding six hours for medical emergencies in villages south of Toubkal National Park during winter months when snow closes passes.
Helicopter evacuation services operate commercially through Heliconia Morocco, based at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, contactable at +212 522 539 040. The company primarily serves offshore oil operations and mining sites but accepts medical evacuation requests when aircraft are available. Quoted rates for evacuations from Marrakech to Casablanca start at approximately 35,000 dirhams. Insurance coverage requires verification before dispatch. Medical evacuation insurance policies should specify coverage amounts exceeding $100,000, as evacuations to Europe from Morocco typically cost between $25,000 and $75,000 depending on medical staffing requirements during flight.
Road accidents require police attendance for insurance purposes. The nearest police or gendarmerie unit must file an accident report (constat à l'amiable) before vehicles can be moved, unless blocking a highway, in which case moving to the shoulder is permitted after photographing positions. In cities, municipal police handle minor accidents without injuries; serious accidents require Judicial Police (Police Judiciaire) investigation. On highways and rural roads, the Gendarmerie has exclusive jurisdiction. Accident response times on the A1 highway between Rabat and Tangier average 20 to 45 minutes. On secondary routes in the Atlas Mountains or desert regions, response can take three to six hours.
Automobile clubs provide roadside assistance through Assistance Touring Maroc, the affiliate of Alliance Internationale de Tourisme, contactable at +212 522 999 654. The service operates 24 hours covering major routes between cities but maintains limited capacity for mountain roads and desert tracks. Towing from Marrakech to Ouarzazate costs approximately 3,000 to 4,500 dirhams. Many international automobile association memberships provide reciprocal coverage, but verification should occur before departure, as processing claims from Morocco involves documentation requirements including police reports and garage invoices in Arabic or French.
Poison control operates through the Moroccan Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center (Centre Anti Poison et de Pharmacovigilance du Maroc) in Rabat, reachable at +212 537 686 464. The center staffs physicians 24 hours daily who provide telephone consultation in Arabic and French. English-speaking capacity is inconsistent. The center maintains treatment protocols for scorpion stings, viper bites, pesticide exposure, and medication overdoses common in Morocco. Antivenom for Moroccan scorpion species (particularly Androctonus mauretanicus) is stocked at regional hospitals in areas where scorpions are prevalent, including Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Errachidia, and Zagora.
Sexual assault support services function through Association Solidarité Féminine, headquartered in Casablanca with a crisis line at +212 661 791 010, operating Monday through Friday from 09:00 to 17:00. The organization provides shelter, legal referrals, and medical accompaniment. The Association Marocaine des Droits des Femmes in Rabat offers legal advice at +212 537 706 329. Reporting sexual assault to police as a foreign national involves mandatory medical examination at a public hospital, where a physician completes a certificat médical required for prosecution. Many survivors report police discouragement from filing formal complaints, particularly when the incident involves acquaintances or occurs in private residences.
Mental health crisis intervention operates minimally. The psychiatric emergency department at Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca accepts walk-ins 24 hours at Boulevard Panoramique, Hay Hassani. The Service de Psychiatrie at Cheikh Zaid Hospital in Rabat provides psychiatric consultations through the general emergency department. These facilities focus on acute psychosis and immediate risk situations. Suicide prevention hotlines do not exist as dedicated services. The nearest equivalent is Ecoute Enfants Maroc at +212 800 002 025, primarily for minors but occasionally accepting adult calls.
Mountaineering accidents in the High Atlas proceed through the Gendarmerie post in Asni for the Toubkal region, contactable at +212 524 485 626. The post coordinates with the Brigade de Haute Montagne, a specialized unit that operates during the main climbing season from April through October. Outside this period, the unit operates with reduced staffing. Rescue operations typically require family members or traveling companions to pay deposits of 5,000 to 15,000 dirhams before mobilization, refundable only if insurance documentation is provided. The Asni gendarmerie maintains a list of certified mountain guides who can be contracted for rescue support at standard guide rates plus risk premiums totaling approximately 2,000 to 3,500 dirhams per day.
Marine emergencies along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts fall under Navy jurisdiction. The Royal Moroccan Navy operates rescue coordination from Casablanca at +212 522 222 121 for the Atlantic coast and from Al Hoceima for the Mediterranean. Response capabilities concentrate near naval bases in Casablanca, Agadir, Tangier, and Al Hoceima. Recreational boaters and surfers experiencing distress more than five kilometers offshore face response times exceeding two hours in the best conditions. The coast guard maintains limited helicopter capacity, primarily allocated to interdicting unauthorized migrant vessels.
Fire services (Sapeurs-Pompiers) operate under municipal authority in cities and come under the Interior Ministry's Protection Civile in other areas. The emergency number 15 connects to the nearest fire station. In Marrakech, the main station occupies Avenue Yacoub El Mansour near the train station. Casablanca operates multiple stations with the central command at Boulevard Rachidi in Maarif. Fire services respond to structure fires, traffic accidents requiring extraction, and some medical emergencies when ambulances are unavailable. Response time in Rabat and Casablanca averages 10 to 20 minutes; in smaller cities like Essaouira or Chefchaouen, the single fire station may take 20 to 40 minutes to mobilize and arrive at incidents in outlying areas.
Credit card emergency services for lost or stolen cards operate through international numbers that function from Moroccan phones. Visa Global Customer Assistance is reachable at +1 303 967 1096 (collect calls accepted). Mastercard Global Service connects at +1 636 722 7111 (collect calls accepted). American Express operates a Morocco-specific number at +212 522 277 466 during business hours and redirects to a global center at +44 20 7365 4933 after hours. Blocking a card requires the 16-digit card number, which travelers should store separately from the physical card. Replacement card delivery to Morocco takes seven to fourteen business days to major cities, longer to smaller towns.
Prescription medication replacement for travelers who lose supplies or have them stolen proceeds through private pharmacies in cities. Pharmacies (pharmacies de garde) operate rotating 24-hour schedules in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, and Tangier, with the schedule posted at each pharmacy and published in newspapers like Le Matin and L'Economiste. Pharmacists hold authority to dispense many medications without prescriptions that would require them in Europe or North America, but controlled substances including benzodiazepines, stimulants, and opioids require a Moroccan physician's prescription. A consultation with a general practitioner costs approximately 200 to 400 dirhams at private clinics; appointments are usually available same-day or next-day.
Legal representation for foreign nationals facing criminal charges or detention proceeds through the embassy or consulate, which maintains lists of French-speaking and occasionally English-speaking attorneys. The U.S. Embassy list for Morocco includes approximately fifteen attorneys in Rabat and Casablanca. Detention following arrest can extend 48 hours before presentation to a prosecutor, and an additional 48 hours before presentation to an investigating judge. Consular access is not automatic; embassy staff request access through diplomatic channels, which can take 24 to 72 hours to arrange depending on the city and the charge.
Natural disaster response coordination operates through the Interior Ministry's Direction Générale de la Protection Civile, which manages earthquake, flood, and severe weather events. Morocco experiences moderate seismic activity, with the last major earthquake measuring magnitude 6.3 occurring near Al Hoceima in February 2004, killing 629 people according to Interior Ministry figures. The Protection Civile operates a national emergency number at +212 537 276 348, though this routes to an administrative office rather than a dispatch center. Actual emergency response during natural disasters proceeds through local civil protection units coordinated by provincial governors.
Travelers requiring urgent travel document replacement due to lost or stolen passports contact their embassy or consulate. The U.S. Consulate in Casablanca issues emergency passports typically within two business days, requiring a police report, two passport photos, proof of citizenship, and payment of $165. The British Embassy in Rabat issues emergency travel documents within one business day for £100, valid for a single journey to the UK or another destination where a full passport can be obtained. The Canadian Embassy requires approximately three to five business days for emergency passport issuance at a fee of CAD $110. Processing requires appointment booking; wait times for appointments range from same-day in emergencies to five business days during peak periods.
Hotel safes for valuables that malfunction or in case of dispute over missing items require police reports filed at the municipal police station with jurisdiction over the hotel's location. Hotels in Morocco hold legal liability for items deposited in room safes or at reception safes under Article 1782 of the Dahir of Obligations and Contracts, but enforcement requires documentation through police channels and often civil litigation. Travel insurance covering theft typically requires police reports filed within 24 hours of discovery.
Dental emergencies proceed through private dental clinics, which operate in all cities. Casablanca has approximately 2,000 licensed dentists according to the Ordre National des Médecins Dentistes du Maroc, with major concentrations in Maarif and Bourgogne districts. Emergency dental consultations cost approximately 250 to 500 dirhams; simple extractions range from 300 to 600 dirhams; root canal treatment costs 1,500 to 3,000 dirhams per canal. Payment occurs at time of service; insurance reimbursement requires receipts translated into the policy language.
Embassy and consulate contact information for additional countries: German Embassy in Rabat +212 537 218 600, Spanish Embassy in Rabat +212 537 633 900, Italian Embassy in Rabat +212 537 674 697, Netherlands Embassy in Rabat +212 537 219 600, Belgian Embassy in Rabat +212 537 269 646, Swiss Embassy in Rabat +212 537 268 030, Japanese Embassy in Rabat +212 537 631 782. These offices maintain duty officer systems for after-hours emergencies, accessed through the main embassy number which redirects to an answering service.
Travelers arrested for drug offenses face mandatory detention pending trial under Moroccan law. Morocco classifies cannabis possession as a criminal offense regardless of quantity, with minimum sentences of three months imprisonment. Embassy intervention is limited to ensuring consular access, providing attorney lists, and monitoring trial proceedings. The U.S. Embassy reports assisting approximately 15 to 25 American citizens arrested on drug charges annually, predominantly for cannabis possession in amounts under 100 grams.
Wildlife emergencies including scorpion stings and snake bites require immediate hospital attendance. The most medically significant scorpion species in Morocco, Androctonus mauretanicus, produces neurotoxic venom requiring antivenom administration within six hours for optimal outcomes. Antivenom is manufactured by Institut Pasteur du Maroc and distributed to regional hospitals. The emergency departments at Sheikh Zaid Hospital in Rabat, Ibn Rochd Hospital in Casablanca, and Mohammed VI Hospital in Marrakech stock the antivenom. Snake bites from vipers (Vipera species) present throughout Morocco require similar antivenom protocols, with the same Institut Pasteur antivenom effective against most Moroccan viper species.
Water rescue along coasts operates through beach lifeguard services during summer months from June through September at designated beaches in Agadir, Essaouira, El Jadida, and Tangier. These services operate typically from 10:00 to 18:00. Outside these hours and at unguarded beaches, response falls to municipal police or gendarmerie, who lack specialized water rescue training or equipment. The Atlantic coast produces powerful currents and undertows; drowning incidents occur regularly at unguarded beaches. Official Ministry of Interior statistics from 2019 recorded 83 drowning deaths along Moroccan coasts during summer months.