What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Bonaire?
Emergency number
911
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: bonaire.com, cw.usconsulate.gov
Good to know
Good to Know
- 911 is the one number to remember for police, fire, and ambulance — operators are multilingual (Dutch, English, Spanish, Papiamentu) and it works even without credit or a SIM card.
- Save the direct-dial backups too: 912 (ambulance), 919 (fire), 913 (coast guard), and 133 (hyperbaric/decompression emergencies) — useful for divers especially.
- There's no dedicated tourist police unit, but general police officers speak English and are used to assisting visitors.
- Bonaire has no traffic lights (only roundabouts and stop signs), so in a car accident always call 911 first, even for material-damage-only incidents, since police need to file a report for insurance.
- If you're heading out on the water, always tell someone on land your plan (departure time, destination, expected return) — the coast guard notes this can be lifesaving if something goes wrong.
- Download the official 'Disasterprep Bonaire' app before you need it — it's the government's channel for hurricane/storm push alerts and disaster guidance, available in English.
- Bonaire has only one hospital on the entire island, so all serious emergencies funnel through Fundashon Mariadal's ER in Kralendijk.
- There is no US-style trauma-center level ranking system here — treat this as the island's single, generalist emergency facility rather than a specialized trauma center.
- The hospital has a dedicated hyperbaric chamber for dive accidents, which is a big deal given how much diving tourism the island sees.
- For anything beyond what a general hospital can stabilize, expect medical evacuation off-island (commonly to Curaçao), which can be very expensive — solid travel/medevac insurance is strongly advised.
- Bring cash or a card — the hospital operates in US dollars (Bonaire's official currency) and typically expects payment upfront, with reimbursement handled later via your insurer.
- Bring your passport, not just an ID — Dutch ID cards and European health insurance cards are not accepted here even though Bonaire is part of the Netherlands.
Official Safety Apps
Disasterprep Bonaire
- Purpose
- Official government disaster-preparedness app for hurricanes, fires, tsunamis, and earthquakes; the OLB can send push notifications to all users during a crisis or disaster.
- Publisher
- Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire (Bonaire's local government)
Languages
- Papiamentu
- Dutch
- English
- Spanish
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
Universal Emergency Number
- Number
- 911
- Details
- The general emergency number for police on Bonaire is 911, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and works for ambulance and fire department as well. Emergency communications use the 911 system that utilizes all available networks, and you can call even without a SIM card or credit.
Covers
- police
- ambulance
- fire department
Hospitals
Fundashon Mariadal (Hospital San Francisco)
- Phone
- +599 717 8900
- Hours
- Emergency Room open 24/7. General outpatient/administrative office hours are weekdays; non-emergency line +599 717 8000 is for office hours only.
- Address
- Kaya Soeur Bartola 2, Kralendijk, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
- Trauma Level Designation
- None formally designated. Bonaire uses the Dutch/Caribbean Netherlands healthcare model, which does not assign US-style Level I-IV trauma center rankings. This is the island's only general hospital and functions as its de facto sole emergency/trauma facility.
- Notes
- This is the only hospital on Bonaire, so it serves as the island's sole ER/trauma-capable facility. An after-hours walk-in clinic (Huisartsenpost Bonaire), located nearby on Kaya Soeur Bartola, handles non-critical evening/weekend cases and is separate from the hospital ER.
Capabilities
- 24/7 emergency room staffed by doctors and nurses
- General surgery, diagnostic imaging, and specialist departments
- On-site hyperbaric recompression chamber (adjacent to the ER) for diving-related emergencies such as decompression sickness and gas embolism, staffed 24/7
- Serious trauma or complex cases (e.g. major surgery, cardiac, some pediatric specialties) are typically stabilized here and then medevac'd off-island, usually to Curaçao or the US
Pharmacies
- Prescriptions
- Local doctor prescription required; Dutch prescriptions not directly accepted but local doctor can write replacement if shown Dutch medication
- 24 Hour Pickup
- Automated 24-hour medication pickup machine available (advance registration required)
- Recommendation
- Bring supply of important/chronic medications from home; local procurement time-consuming and requires doctor consultation ($50-75 consultation cost for prescription replacement)
- Medication Costs
- Often higher than Netherlands due to import duties and costs
- Medicine Availability
- Selection more limited than Netherlands; common medicines available but some must be imported
Other Pharmacies
Botika Korona
- Phone
- +599 717-7552
- Address
- Kaya Korona 180
Botika Sabana
- Phone
- +599 717-5638
- Address
- Kaya Nikiboko Zuid 26
Primary Pharmacy
- Phone
- +599 717-8905
- Name
- Botika Bonaire
- Locations
- Main branch in Kralendijk; multiple smaller locations
- Hours Main
- Monday-Friday 8:00-18:00, Saturday 8:00-14:00
- Main Address
- Kaya Grandi 27, Kralendijk
- Emergency Service
- On-call service available through hospital
Police
- Emergency
- 911
- Non Emergency
- +599 717 8000
- Crime Tip Line
- +599 717 7251
- Notes
- The Bonaire Police Corps has its headquarters in downtown Kralendijk, with branch offices in the Amboina neighborhood and in Rincon, and falls under the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force (KPCN), with the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security as force manager. The non-emergency and tip line numbers are available during office hours.
Hospital
- Phone
- +599 717 8900
- Name
- Fundashon Mariadal
- Notes
- The island's only public hospital, located in Kralendijk, with a 24-hour emergency department.
Ambulance
- Emergency
- 911
- Direct Dial
- 912
- Notes
- There are two ambulances on the island, both manned 24 hours a day, with personnel trained in advanced life-saving techniques who work closely with the hospital. They transport patients to the island's only hospital, Fundashon Mariadal in Kralendijk.
Coast Guard
- Number
- 913
- Alternative
- Marine VHF radio channel 16
- Notes
- The Bonaire coast guard is on standby 24/7 for maritime assistance; sea rescue is coordinated by the Rescue and Coordination Center (RCC) headquartered in Curaçao, as part of the Coast Guard for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean Region.
Fire Department
- Emergency
- 911
- Direct Dial
- 919
- Notes
- Bonaire has fire stations at Flamingo Airport and in Rincon, staffed by a well-trained volunteer fire department with modern equipment.
Calling From Abroad
- From US
- 011-599 followed by the number
- From Netherlands
- 00-599 followed by the emergency number
- Note
- Once on Bonaire you just dial the three-digit local number directly.
Hyperbaric Decompression Chamber
- Number
- 133
- Location
- Next to Fundashon Mariadal hospital, Kaya Soeur Bartola 2, Kralendijk
- Notes
- The chamber is staffed 24/7 and treats decompression sickness, gas embolism, and other dive-related medical problems — relevant given Bonaire's dive tourism.
Healthcare
- Language
- Dutch, Papiamentu, English, and Spanish spoken at hospital
- Overview
- Healthcare on Bonaire meets Dutch standards with a centralized modern hospital system supplemented by family doctor clinics.
- Emergency Contact
- 911 (ambulance and hospital)
Facilities
- Dentists
- Available on-island
- Physical Therapy
- Available on-island
- Specialist Referrals
- Specialists rotate in from Curaçao; complex cases referred to Curaçao, Colombia, or the Netherlands with medical evacuation available
Primary Care
- Consultation Cost
- $30
- General Practitioners
- 8 family doctors available on-island
Primary Hospital
- Phone
- +599 717-8900
- Beds
- 80
- Name
- Fundashon Mariadal
- Hours
- 24/7 emergency; outpatient consultations weekdays
- Address
- Kaya Soeur Bartola 2, Kralendijk
- Services
- 24-hour emergency care, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics, radiology, intensive care, dialysis center, decompression chamber for dive injuries
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this emergencies research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Bonaire
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.