CHAPTER 18 · LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF
Staying safe and wellin France.
In France dial 15 for a medical emergency (SAMU), 17 for police, 18 for fire and 112 for any emergency. The national suicide prevention line 3114 is free at any hour. Students get free consultations at their university's health service (SSE) and can use the government's free psychologist sessions. The Embassy of India in Paris and the Consulate General in Pondicherry help with passports and emergencies. Housing deposit scams and pickpocketing are the problems Indian students meet most.
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Source review: · How to use our guides
- Medical emergency
- 15 (SAMU)
- Police / fire
- 17 / 18
- All emergencies
- 112
- Suicide prevention
- 3114
- Free, 24 hours
Mental health and wellbeing
Your university's student health service (service de santé étudiante) offers free consultations, often with psychologists. Through the national Mon soutien psy scheme, sessions with a participating psychologist are reimbursed by Assurance Maladie, with a doctor's referral no longer required. Student-run Nightline listening services operate in several cities. The first winter, French bureaucracy and the language can weigh on you: reach out early.
Scams aimed at international students
- Flats offered by an owner "abroad" who asks for a transfer before a viewing. Visit or use a trusted platform; never send money through transfer services to strangers.
- Requests for payment for a CAF application or a residence-permit appointment: both are free on official sites (caf.fr, administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr), apart from the stated permit tax.
- Fake calls or SMS from "Ameli", "the police" or "the préfecture" asking for bank details.
- Report online scams through the government's Cybermalveillance service and file a complaint with the police or gendarmerie.
Discrimination
Discrimination based on origin or religion is illegal in France. The Défenseur des droits (Defender of Rights) handles complaints for free, including in housing and employment, and you can file a police complaint (plainte) for racist abuse. Universities have referents for racism and discrimination.
Everyday safety
- Watch for pickpockets on the Paris metro, at tourist sites and on night buses.
- Carry your residence permit (or VLS-TS with its validation) and keep the passport at home.
- Validate your transport ticket every time; controls are frequent.
- Women alone at night can ask bus drivers in many cities to stop between stops.
When to contact the Indian mission
- The Embassy of India in Paris (and the Consulate General in Pondicherry) issues emergency certificates if your passport is lost or stolen (report it to the police first and keep the report).
- It helps in arrests, hospitalisation, a death, or when a student is missing; families in India can raise a request on the MEA's MADAD portal.
- It cannot pay your bills, get you out of a legal case or intervene in visa decisions of the host country.
- Save the mission's emergency number from its website in your phone before you fly, and register any address change with it if asked.
QUICK ANSWERS
Your questions, answered.
15 for a medical emergency, 17 for police, 18 for fire and 112 for any emergency. 3114 is the free 24-hour suicide prevention line.
Yes. University health services offer free consultations, and sessions under Mon soutien psy are reimbursed by Assurance Maladie once you are registered.
WHERE TO GO NEXT
Keep going: the pages that help next.
Each card says what you will find there. Looking for something else? See every page on the site.
FRANCE GUIDE
Health, bank & phone
How international students register for free French health insurance, choose a mutuelle, open a bank account and get a phone plan.
FRANCE GUIDE
First weeks in France
The order to do things after arriving in France: visa validation, university enrolment, bank, phone, social security, CAF housing aid and transport.
FROM INDIA
Scams & emergencies abroad
Study abroad fraud warnings for Indian students: fake agents, offer letters and visas, forex and job scams, plus lost passports and emergencies abroad.
FROM INDIA
A guide for parents
Study abroad answers for Indian parents: true costs, loans and co-applicants, sending money, safety, health, visiting your child and checking an agent.
TOOL
Compare countries
Compare countries on fees, living costs, visa rules and post-study work, in one table.
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