What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in São Paulo?
Police
190
Ambulance: 192.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: expatassure.com, expatfocus.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- There is no single unified emergency number in São Paulo (no 911/112 equivalent that dispatches everything) — police is 190, ambulance is 192, and fire is 193, so it helps to save all three separately in your phone.
- The public ambulance (SAMU, 192) is free but can be slow in a dense city like São Paulo; many nomads also save the direct number of a nearby private hospital as a backup for non-life-threatening issues.
- Emergency calls in Brazil are free from any phone, even a mobile with no credit or SIM restrictions.
- During São Paulo's rainy season (roughly October–March), it's worth registering for municipal Defesa Civil (civil defense) alerts for flooding/landslide warnings via SMS or WhatsApp.
- Brazil doesn't use the US-style Level I–IV trauma center system; hospitals are instead described as 'referenced emergency units' or regional referral centers for trauma. Hospital das Clínicas (HCFMUSP) and Beneficência Portuguesa (BP) function as the closest equivalents to top-tier trauma centers in the public and private systems respectively.
- For life-threatening emergencies, call SAMU (192) for free public ambulance dispatch, or Corpo de Bombeiros (193) for accidents/trauma rescue — both will take patients to the appropriate public hospital regardless of ability to pay.
- Public hospitals (SUS) like Hospital das Clínicas and Santa Casa are free at point of care for anyone, including foreigners, but expect long waits for non-critical issues; go there for genuinely severe trauma or life-threatening conditions.
- Private hospital ERs (Sírio-Libanês, Oswaldo Cruz, BP, Samaritano, Santa Paula, São Camilo) are faster and more comfortable but require either an accepted health insurance plan or upfront cash/card payment before treatment — bring a credit card or be prepared to pay a deposit.
- Many private hospitals are clustered in Bela Vista, Higienópolis, Jardins and Itaim Bibi/Vila Olímpia — all areas where nomads commonly stay — so a private ER is usually within a short taxi ride of most short-term rentals.
Official Safety Apps
Unidades Policiais SP
- Purpose
- Maps the nearest police, fire, forensic, and highway patrol units in São Paulo state with address, phone, and email, and provides navigation to them.
- Publisher
- Secretaria da Segurança Pública de São Paulo (SSP-SP)
Platforms
- iOS
SP Mobile
- Purpose
- State public security program/app referenced on the official SSP-SP site alongside other citizen-facing security programs (SP Mulher, Moradia Segura).
- Publisher
- Secretaria da Segurança Pública de São Paulo (SSP-SP)
Defesa Civil Municipal/state Alerts
- Purpose
- Registering with local Civil Defense can enable SMS, WhatsApp, or app-based alerts for flooding and landslide risk, especially relevant in rainy season.
- Publisher
- Prefeitura de São Paulo / Coordenadoria Estadual de Proteção e Defesa Civil
International Style Numbers
- Notes
- Both were added in 2013 to mimic US/European conventions but simply redirect to the same 190 police line rather than functioning as independent unified dispatch numbers.
Numbers
- 911
- 112
Hospitals
Hospital Das Clínicas Da FMUSP (HCFMUSP) — Instituto Central
- Type
- public (SUS)
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
- Address
- Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 255, Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP (Pediatric/SUS emergency access via Av. Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, 647)
- Trauma Designation
- Not a US-style numbered trauma level — classified locally as a 'Unidade de Emergência Referenciada' (Referenced Emergency Unit) and the region's main tertiary/quaternary trauma referral center
- Notes
- This is the largest public ER in the São Paulo metro area and the main severe-trauma referral hospital for the whole state; it has a helipad, dedicated trauma bays, and imaging/interventional radiology on-site. It treats large volumes of politrauma cases and is generally considered the top public trauma destination in the city, though as a public SUS facility it can have long waits for non-critical cases.
Santa Casa De Misericórdia De São Paulo
- Type
- public/philanthropic (SUS-affiliated teaching hospital)
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day (general ER)
- Address
- R. Dr. Cesário Mota Júnior, 112, Vila Buarque, São Paulo, SP
- Trauma Designation
- No formal numbered level; long-established major public teaching hospital and regional referral center for emergency and trauma cases from across São Paulo state
- Notes
- One of Brazil's oldest and largest teaching hospitals, historically tied to the founding of USP and Unifesp medical schools.
Hospital Sírio-Libanês — Unidade Bela Vista
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
- Address
- Rua Dona Adma Jafet, 91, Bela Vista, São Paulo, SP (ER access via Rua Barata Ribeiro, Acesso 4)
- Trauma Designation
- No public numbered trauma-level designation; marketed as a high-complexity private ER with dedicated cardiovascular and pediatric emergency units
- Notes
- High-end private hospital popular with international patients; has an interpreter service and dedicated international-patient support.
Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz — Unidade Paulista
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
- Address
- Rua Treze de Maio, 1815, Bela Vista, São Paulo, SP
- Trauma Designation
- No numbered trauma level; ER staffed with on-site trauma, neurology, cardiology and surgery teams for complex emergency cases
- Notes
- Emergency department only treats patients age 14 and up; pediatric emergencies are routed elsewhere.
Beneficência Portuguesa De São Paulo (Hospital BP) — Núcleo De Trauma
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
- Address
- Rua Maestro Cardim, 769, Portaria 3, São Paulo, SP
- Trauma Designation
- One of only a handful of private hospitals in the city officially authorized to receive severe trauma victims picked up directly from the street by the Fire Department (Corpo de Bombeiros) — effectively the closest private-sector equivalent to a designated Level I trauma center in São Paulo
- Notes
- Has a dedicated ICU embedded inside the emergency department specifically for trauma stabilization.
Hospital Samaritano Higienópolis
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
- Address
- Higienópolis, São Paulo, SP (confirm exact street number before travel — not independently verified this call)
- Trauma Designation
- No numbered trauma level; ER uses the ESI (Emergency Severity Index) five-level triage scale and has 24h orthopedic trauma, cardiology and neurology coverage
- Notes
- Handles over 150,000 ER patients a year according to the hospital; separate adult and pediatric emergency areas.
Hospital Santa Paula
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
- Address
- Av. Santo Amaro, 2486, Vila Olímpia, São Paulo, SP
- Trauma Designation
- No numbered trauma level; general 24h ER with orthopedics and neurology on call
- Notes
- Located near Vila Nova Conceição/Itaim Bibi, a common nomad and expat residential area; private/cash-pay ER visits require upfront payment.
Hospital São Camilo — Unidade Pompeia
- Type
- private
- Hours
- 24h coverage for General Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedics and Pediatrics; other specialties (e.g. Infectology, ENT) have limited weekday/weekend hours
- Address
- Av. Pompeia, 1178, Perdizes, São Paulo, SP
- Trauma Designation
- No numbered trauma level; standard general ER (adult, pediatric, and a 60+ senior-focused pathway)
- Notes
- Also has Santana and Ipiranga units elsewhere in the city with similar adult/pediatric ERs.
Police
- Number
- 190
- Service Name
- Polícia Militar (Military Police)
- Notes
- This is the number most commonly used for any general emergency, including crime in progress, robbery, or assault. If you describe a non-police emergency, operators will typically redirect you or assist directly.
Ambulance
- Number
- 192
- Service Name
- SAMU (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência)
- Notes
- Free public ambulance and emergency medical service available 24 hours. It transports patients to public (SUS) hospitals; quality and wait times can vary, so many residents and nomads also keep a private hospital's direct line on hand.
Civil Defense
- Number
- 199
- Service Name
- Defesa Civil (Civil Defense)
- Notes
- Relevant during São Paulo's heavy summer rain season for flooding, landslides, and structural risk reports.
Tourist Police
- Notes
- São Paulo has an English-speaking Tourist Police unit; contact number is best obtained via your embassy or hotel concierge at time of need, as no single public listing was verified for this call.
Universal Note
Brazil does not use a single all-purpose emergency number like 911 or 112 for routing between services domestically; instead it uses separate 3-digit numbers per service, all free to call from any phone (including mobiles with no credit).
Fire And Rescue
- Number
- 193
- Service Name
- Corpo de Bombeiros (Fire Department)
- Notes
- Covers fires, building collapses, gas leaks, and technical rescues (e.g. elevator entrapment, animal rescue).
Human Rights Hotline
- Number
- 100
- Service Name
- Disque Direitos Humanos
- Notes
- Free, anonymous, 24-hour line for reporting human rights violations affecting vulnerable groups.
Womens Safety Hotline
- Number
- 180
- Service Name
- Central de Atendimento à Mulher
- Notes
- Dedicated hotline for domestic violence and sexual assault support, can connect to local police assistance.
Healthcare
Public System
- Cost
- Free
- Name
- SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde)
- Access
- Available to foreign residents with CPF and National Migratory Registry Card
- Characteristics
- Universal coverage but often understaffed with long wait times; high-quality hospitals in São Paulo concentrate advanced services
Private System
- Quality
- High-quality care available; São Paulo has world-class hospitals like Albert Einstein with international standards
- Hospital Day
- R$9,000
Excludes treatment or tests
- Consultation GP
- R$210
- Dental Consultation
- R$150
- Consultation Specialist
- R$280
- Routine Surgical Procedure
- R$12,800
Range typically 7,600–18,000 BRL; costs vary significantly by facility and provider
Health Insurance Example
- Monthly Cost
- R$268
- Note
- Example for individual over 50; can vary widely; family plans quoted at 600 BRL (~$116 USD)
Pharmacies
- Services
- Delivery available from major chains; many offer online ordering and home delivery; e-prescriptions supported
- Availability
- Extensive network across city; major chains include Droga Raia, Drogasil, Drogaria São Paulo, Ultrafarma, Farmácia Equilíbrio
- Price Variation
- Significant variation possible (up to 1,400% difference for same drug across city pharmacies); shopping around recommended
- Prescription Requirements
- OTC medicines available without prescription; antibiotics, narcotic pain relievers, and some controlled drugs require prescription
- Online Consultation Option
- Online doctor consultations available (~$20 USD) with e-prescription delivery to pharmacy
Price Range Example
- Low
- R$490
- High
- R$703
- Lowest Cost Chains
- Drogaria Onofre typically offers competitive pricing
- Note
- Basket of common medicines
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 São Paulo
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.