For tourists & expats

Urgent care in Paris: how to see a doctor without an appointment

Getting sick in Paris when you don't know the system is disorienting. This guide maps every urgent-care option available to English speakers — from genuine life-threatening emergencies to the most common problems travellers face — so you know exactly where to turn before you need to.

A plain-English guide · French Doctor

The three urgent-care channels in Paris

Once you've ruled out a genuine emergency, you have three realistic options. They differ in speed, language accessibility, and what they can actually treat.

Hospital emergencies (urgences)

Every French hospital has an urgences department that is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. There is no appointment and no health card required — you show up, register at the desk, and are triaged by a nurse who determines how quickly you're seen.

The practical reality: for anything that is not genuinely life-threatening, waits of two to five hours are common, especially in central Paris. Staff quality is excellent but English is not guaranteed — you may be treated by a nurse or junior doctor who doesn't speak it fluently.

Use urgences for: chest pain, difficulty breathing, suspected fractures, deep wounds, high fever in an infant, altered consciousness, severe allergic reaction, or anything you genuinely believe cannot wait.

SOS Médecins and home-visit doctors

SOS Médecins is a network of GPs who can come to your hotel, apartment or Airbnb. You call their number (+33 1 47 07 77 77 in Paris), describe your situation, and they dispatch the next available doctor to your location.

It's a useful option when you're too unwell to travel and need a physical examination — but expect a wait of one to four hours during busy periods, and English-speaking doctors are not reliably available on request. Fees are higher than a standard consultation and are billed directly to you.

Online consultation with an English-speaking GP

For the majority of problems that tourists and expats actually encounter — a urinary tract infection, a sinus or chest infection, a flare-up of a known condition, a lost prescription, gastroenteritis, contraception, a sick note for your employer or insurer — an online consultation is the fastest route to treatment.

At French Doctor, the process is straightforward: you describe your symptoms in English (by WhatsApp or web form), a French-licensed GP reads your case personally and responds. If a prescription is clinically appropriate, it is issued as a signed PDF valid at any French pharmacy. If your case needs a physical examination or the emergency room, the doctor will tell you clearly.

The most common tourist illnesses in Paris

Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

One of the most frequently requested teleconsultations. Symptoms are recognisable and the clinical assessment can be done remotely in many cases. See our UTI treatment guide for more detail.

Upper respiratory infections

Sore throat, sinus infection, cough, mild chest infection. Many respond to treatment that can be appropriately prescribed following a remote assessment of your symptoms.

Skin infections, mild rashes, insect bites

A photo sent via WhatsApp often gives a doctor enough information to assess the situation and recommend appropriate treatment.

Prescription renewals

If you've run out of or lost a regular medication — blood pressure, contraception, asthma inhaler, diabetes — a French doctor can issue a short-supply prescription following a brief consultation to confirm your usual treatment.

Sick notes and medical certificates

If you need a medical certificate for your employer, travel insurer, or airline, a French-licensed doctor can issue one following a clinical consultation. See our sick note guide.

Private consultation with a French-licensed GP. Invoice provided for private insurance reimbursement. Not a substitute for emergency care — call 15 or go to urgences for serious symptoms.