What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Rio de Janeiro?
Police
190
Ambulance: 192.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: thelatinvestor.com, riotimesonline.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- There is no single Brazilian '911' — save 190 (police), 192 (ambulance/SAMU), and 193 (fire) separately in your phone before you need them; dialing 911 or 112 will still reach the police line, but the local numbers are faster.
- If you're robbed or need a report for travel insurance, go to DEAT (the Tourist Police) in Leblon rather than a regular police station — staff there are used to helping foreigners and speak English.
- SAMU (192) ambulances take patients to public hospitals, which can be overcrowded; if you have travel insurance, it's worth also keeping the direct line of a private hospital's emergency room saved.
- All of Brazil's emergency numbers (190, 192, 193, 199) are completely free to call, even from a mobile phone with no credit or SIM balance.
- Rio's metro runs women-only carriages (the front car of each train) during weekday rush hours, which some female travelers find a useful extra safety option.
- For any life-threatening emergency, dial 192 for SAMU (public ambulance/paramedic service) — this connects you to advanced life-support units for trauma and cardiac emergencies regardless of insurance status.
- Public hospitals (SUS) provide free emergency care to everyone, including tourists and foreigners without residency, but wait times and crowding at public ERs are commonly reported as significantly worse than private facilities.
- Private hospital ERs (like Copa D'Or, Samaritano, Barra D'Or) generally offer faster, more comfortable care but typically require proof of private/international insurance or an upfront deposit at check-in; without insurance, an ER visit can run roughly USD 100-300 plus separate ambulance and test fees.
- Brazil does not use the US-style Level I-IV trauma center classification — hospitals are instead informally known as 'referência em trauma' (trauma referral) facilities, and Souza Aguiar and Miguel Couto are the main public ones for central and southern Rio respectively.
- If you carry international health insurance, confirm in advance which private hospitals are in-network, since insurers can sometimes issue a direct payment guarantee to avoid you paying out of pocket.
Emergency Numbers
Police
- Number
- 190
- Cost
- free, 24/7
- Name
- Polícia Militar (Military Police)
- Notes
- This is the number most Cariocas know and use for any general emergency, not just crime. If your emergency isn't police-related, the 190 operator will typically redirect you or advise you on the correct number to call.
Ambulance
- Number
- 192
- Cost
- free, 24/7
- Name
- SAMU (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência)
- Notes
- Connects to the public ambulance service. It is free and operates around the clock, but response times and vehicle quality can be inconsistent, and it will take you to a public hospital. Many longer-term visitors also keep a private hospital's direct emergency line saved, since private ambulances tend to be faster and more reliable.
Civil Defence
- Number
- 199
- Notes
- Used for flooding, landslides, and other weather-related civil emergencies, which are a real seasonal risk in Rio during the rainy season.
Federal Police
- Number
- 194
- Notes
- Used for immigration, passport, and federal-crime matters rather than street emergencies.
Tourist Police
- Phone
- +55 21 2332-2924
- Alt Phone Reported
- +55 21 3399-7170
- Name
- DEAT (Delegacia Especial de Apoio ao Turismo)
- Hours
- 24 hours
- Address
- Av. Afrânio de Melo Franco, 159, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
- Notes
- A dedicated police station for tourists and foreigners, with English-speaking officers who file the official Boletim de Ocorrência (police report) needed for travel-insurance claims. This is the recommended place to report theft or robbery rather than a regular precinct.
Fire And Rescue
- Number
- 193
- Cost
- free, 24/7
- Name
- Corpo de Bombeiros (Fire Department)
- Notes
- Covers fires, gas leaks, building collapses, and rescue situations such as flooding.
Human Rights Hotline
- Number
- 100
- Notes
- Free, anonymous, 24-hour national hotline for reporting human rights violations, including issues affecting vulnerable groups.
Recommended Safety Apps
Official Rideshare Apps (Uber, 99)
- Purpose
- Not a safety-alert app per se, but treated as the default safe transport choice in Rio, especially after dark, since trips are GPS-tracked and drivers are identifiable.
GeoSure
- Purpose
- Third-party (not government-run) neighborhood-level safety-scoring app some travelers use for Brazil, including Rio.
Noonlight
- Purpose
- Third-party personal safety app that can alert emergency contacts/dispatchers, sometimes recommended for travel in Brazil generally.
Find My iPhone / Find My Device
- Purpose
- Apple and Google device-tracking features work normally in Brazil and are commonly recommended for locating or remotely locking a phone if it's stolen — a very common crime in Rio.
Womens Assistance Hotline
- Number
- 180
- Notes
- National hotline for reporting violence against women and getting referred to local support services.
Universal Emergency Number
- Cost
- free from any phone, including mobiles with no credit
- Detail
- Brazil does not operate a single all-services emergency number like 911 or 112. However, since a 2013 law, calls made to 911 or 112 from a Brazilian phone are automatically redirected to the same line as 190 (police), so either of those numbers will still connect you to help if you forget the local ones.
- Exists
- No
Hospitals
Hospital Municipal Souza Aguiar
- Type
- public (SUS)
- Hours
- 24 hours (emergency/trauma department)
- Address
- Praça da República, 111, Centro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20211-350
- Trauma Designation
- Brazil does not use a formal Level I-IV trauma system like the US, but Souza Aguiar is the city's principal public trauma referral hospital in the historic center.
- Notes
- Founded in 1907 and described as the largest hospital in the city, it functions as Rio's main public trauma and emergency reference center for the downtown/Centro area. Free at point of use under SUS but expect crowding and long waits; it is the hospital where SAMU ambulances typically bring serious trauma cases from central Rio.
Hospital Copa D'Or
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24 hours (Emergência)
- Address
- Rua Figueiredo de Magalhães, 875, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22031-011
- Trauma Designation
- No formal US-style trauma level, but marketed as a high-complexity referral hospital with intensive care and surgical capability.
- Notes
- A private hospital in Copacabana with a 24-hour emergency department using a rapid-triage ('Smart Track') system; commonly recommended for expats/tourists in the Zona Sul. Requires proof of private insurance or upfront payment/deposit for non-SUS patients.
Hospital Samaritano (Barra)
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24-hour emergency care
- Address
- Av. Jorge Curi, 550, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22775-001
- Trauma Designation
- No formal trauma-level system; general private-hospital emergency and surgical capability.
- Notes
- Part of a well-regarded private group frequently used by international-insurance holders in the Barra da Tijuca nomad/expat area.
Hospital Barra D'Or
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24-hour emergency department (standard for Rede D'Or hospitals)
- Address
- Av. Ayrton Senna, 3079, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22775-002
- Trauma Designation
- No formal trauma-level system; general private emergency/surgical hospital.
- Notes
- Sister hospital to Copa D'Or under the Rede D'Or São Luiz network, serving the Barra da Tijuca area.
Hospital Municipal Miguel Couto
- Type
- public (SUS)
- Hours
- 24 hours (public emergency department, typical for this hospital class)
- Address
- Zona Sul, Gávea neighborhood, Rio de Janeiro - RJ (exact street address not independently confirmed at the time of research)
- Trauma Designation
- Functions as a key public trauma and emergency reference hospital for Rio's Zona Sul.
- Notes
- Free under SUS for residents and, per SUS rules, emergency care is accessible to non-residents too, but expect significant wait times compared with private facilities.
Private Healthcare
- Consultation GP
- R$250
- Quality Standard
- Meet or exceed Western European and North American standards for acute care
- Consultation Specialist
- R$525
Recommended Hospitals
- Copa D'Or (Copacabana)
- Hospital São Lucas Copacabana
- Samaritano Botafogo
Private Health Insurance
- Copay Range
- R$125
- Mid Tier Monthly
- R$2,150
- Entry Level Monthly
- R$500
- Emergency Visit Uninsured
- R$5,000
- Premium International Monthly
- R$8,000
- Note Per Month
- Costs vary significantly by age, coverage level, and pre-existing conditions. Rio has higher premiums than smaller Brazilian cities.
Recommended Providers
- Bradesco Saúde
- SulAmérica
- Amil
Public System
- Name
- SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde)
- Status
- Free universal
- Challenges
- Long wait times, overcrowding, limited specialist access, variable English support outside private clinics
- Description
- Free public healthcare available to all residents and legal foreigners. Provides GP consultations, inpatient treatment, and surgery at no cost.
Pharmacies
- Hours
- Variable by location; major chains often 24/7; daytime visits preferable when full pharmacist on duty
- Availability
- Multiple chains throughout Rio with at least one 24-hour pharmacy accessible in central areas
- Access Notes
- Most staff Portuguese-speaking; major chains may have some English capability in expat neighborhoods. Translation app recommended for complex needs.
- Medication Cost Context
- Significantly cheaper than many developed countries; generic medicines widely available
Major Chains
- Droga Raia
- Drogaria Pacheco
- Pague Menos
- Drogaria Venâncio
Generic Medications
- Indicator
- Yellow 'G' stripe on packaging
- Cost Saving
- Often significantly cheaper than brand equivalents
- Recommendation
- Ask for 'medicamento genérico' at pharmacy counter
Prescription System
- Status
- No flat-fee system; market prices regulated by ANVISA
- Public Subsidy
- SUS provides some medications free; ~87% of medication spending is out-of-pocket
Farmacia Popular Program
- Discount
- Up to 90% off
- Requirements
- CPF and medical/dental prescription; expats with valid CPF may be eligible
- Medicines Available
- 112
- Description
- Free or heavily discounted medicines for specific conditions (diabetes, asthma, hypertension, osteoporosis, contraception, dyslipidemia, rhinitis, Parkinson's, glaucoma)
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.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.