Emergency assistance and free emergency care

In Russia, healthcare in a life-threatening situation is provided to everyone, including foreigners, free of charge and cannot be refused. This page explains emergency numbers, which services are free and which are paid, what to say when calling an ambulance, and how Turkish citizens can reach consular missions. See O2.1 for the complete list of numbers.

• 112 — Single emergency number: can be called from all operators. According to the Moscow administration, the call is free; it can be made even if the line has been disconnected for nonpayment or if there is no SIM card in the phone.
• 101 — fire service and rescue (Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations: "01 or 101")
• 102 — police
• 103 — ambulance (скорая медицинская помощь)
• 104 — natural gas emergency service
• Numbers 101–104 are listed in the Moscow administration's guide for landlines and mobile phones.
• Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations hotline: +7 495 400 99 99 · Information line: +7 495 983 79 01
• Under Russian law, accepting calls on the 112 line is available to everyone, free of charge and uninterrupted.

• Russian law defines healthcare services in three forms:
  • Emergency (экстренная): when there is an immediate threat to life in the event of a sudden illness, condition or exacerbation of a chronic disease
  • Urgent (неотложная): when there is a sudden illness or exacerbation but no apparent threat to life
  • Planned (плановая): services whose postponement does not endanger health
• Emergency care: the healthcare institution and physician provide this service without delay and free of charge. Refusal is prohibited.
• Ambulance: state and municipal healthcare institutions provide ambulance services to foreigners free of charge.
• Urgent and planned care: if you do not have ОМС, it is provided under a paid-services contract or your ДМС policy (see R7.1).
• In Moscow, травмпункт (trauma clinic) provides free care for injuries that are not life-threatening, without requiring an insurance policy.

1. Call 103 or 112. If more than one emergency service is needed (for example, after a traffic accident), call 112.
2. Do not hang up. During busy hours in Moscow, you may hear an automated response. If you hang up and call again, you will go to the end of the queue.
3. Briefly provide the following information:
   • what happened
   • the phone number you are calling from
   • the patient's address; if you are on the street, a clear landmark; if in an apartment building, the nearest entrance, block, floor and door code
   • the patient's first name, surname and date of birth or age
4. Prepare your documents: passport, ОМС or ДМС policy if available, and a list of the medicines you use.
5. Follow the operator's instructions. The operator may continue asking you questions or giving you directions while the team is on its way.
6. In Moscow, if there is a threat to life, an ambulance (скорая) arrives within 20 minutes at the latest; if there is no threat to life, an urgent-care team (неотложная) arrives within 2 hours at the latest.
7. If you are unsure whether the situation is an emergency, in Moscow you can call 103 and request telephone advice from a senior physician.

• 122 — Moscow Unified Medical Information Line: call this number to request a home doctor visit. An ОМС policy is required. The line accepts calls for adults on weekdays from 08:00 to 19:00, on Saturdays from 09:00 to 17:30, and on Sundays from 09:00 to 15:30.
• If you do not have an ОМС policy but have a ДМС policy, call your insurance company.
• People without an insurance policy can also call 103 for an ambulance or emergency doctor.
• Numbers and hours may differ in other regions. Check the website of the healthcare administration in your area.

• In the event of a serious illness, accident or hospitalization, notify the Turkish consular mission in your region.
• Duty telephone numbers of Turkish consular missions (outside working hours and on public holidays):
  • Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Moscow: +7 906 770 11 90 · Switchboard: +7 495 994 48 08
  • Consulate General in Kazan: +7 937 524 93 17
  • Consulate General in Krasnodar: +7 918 632 54 92
  • Consulate General in St. Petersburg: +7 933 340 91 33
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Call Center (24/7): +90 312 292 29 29
• e-Devlet "Overseas Emergency Notification": you can submit your location, the type of emergency (including health emergencies), your contact details, a person who can be reached on your behalf, and a photo or document of up to 1 MB. The system forwards the notification to the relevant consular mission based on your location.
• If you have private health insurance, also call the 24/7 assistance line listed in your policy.

• Delaying an ambulance call because of concerns about cost in an emergency. Treatment is free in life-threatening situations.
• Hanging up and calling again while waiting in the queue after calling 103.
• Failing to give the address and building entrance details clearly.
• Assuming that treatment after the life-threatening situation has passed will also be free.
• Not carrying your passport and insurance details with you.
• Failing to notify the consular mission and relatives in a serious situation.

• Is an ambulance paid for foreigners? No. State and municipal healthcare institutions provide ambulance services to foreigners free of charge.
• I do not have an insurance policy. Can a hospital turn me away in an emergency? No. Under the law, emergency healthcare is provided without delay and free of charge; it cannot be refused.
• Can I call 112 from a phone without credit or without a SIM card? According to the Moscow administration, yes. The call is free; it can be made even if the line has been disconnected or no SIM card is inserted.
• I do not speak Russian. What should I do? Keep your address written in Russian and ready on your phone. If necessary, ask someone with you for help and call the consular mission.
• Where should I go for a minor injury? In Moscow, if there is no threat to life, go to a травмпункт; it provides free care without requiring an insurance policy.
• I have been hospitalized. Should I notify the consular mission? Yes. Call the duty number or use the Overseas Emergency Notification on e-Devlet.

• Moscow – How to call emergency services
• Moscow – Calling a doctor, ambulance and urgent care
• Rules for providing healthcare to foreigners (Government Resolution No. 631, official publication)
• Healthcare Law 323-FZ, Article 11: emergency care cannot be refused
• 112 Law 488-FZ (official publication)
• e-Devlet – Overseas Emergency Notification
• Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Consular services and call center