Hospitals, dentists, pharmacies and the numbers to call: what to do if you need medical help in Venice.
Last updated August 28, 2026
In a nutshell: hospitals, dentists, pharmacies and the numbers to call - what to do if you need medical help, and how the system works on the islands. Sort the practical side with what to pack and getting around, so a health hiccup never derails the trip.
Venice is a safe city and medical care is excellent, but knowing what to do before you need it saves precious time. The single most important number: 112 - the European emergency number, free from any phone, answered by an operator who speaks your language. It works everywhere in Italy, 24 hours a day.
Dial 112 for any emergency - ambulance, police or fire. The operator will connect you to the right service; for medical help this is the ambulance service (118). If you call from a hotel, the reception can help describe your location in Italian - the narrow calli have no street numbers in the usual sense, so give the nearest campo, fondamenta or landmark.
The Ospedale Civile SS. Giovanni e Paolo is the main hospital on the island, in the Castello district at Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, a ten-minute walk from St. Mark's - the entrance is through the magnificent Scuola Grande di San Marco. It has a 24-hour emergency department (pronto soccorso) covering medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics and more. Its history goes back to 1807, when Napoleon turned the Scuola Grande into a military hospital; the complex also houses a fascinating Museum of the History of Medicine.
For major emergencies, patients are stabilised on the island and may be transferred to the Ospedale dell'Angelo in Mestre, the largest hospital of the local health authority (AULSS3 Serenissima), reachable by ambulance across the causeway in about twenty minutes. The water ambulances of Venice are a sight in themselves - and a sign that you are in the right hands.
The guardia medica turistica (tourist medical service) provides non-emergency medical care for visitors - for fevers, infections, minor complaints that need a doctor but not an emergency room. Information and the current location are available from your hotel, the tourist offices, or the AULSS3 website. EU citizens should carry their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); it covers medically necessary treatment at public facilities. Non-EU visitors: check whether your travel insurance covers medical costs and keep the policy number and emergency line with you.
For dental emergencies, the AULSS3 runs a dental emergency service in the city, and there are several private dental practices (studi odontoiatrici) in the historic centre that see visitors quickly for a fee. Your hotel reception can recommend and call one; a simple consultation typically costs €50–100, more for treatment. The 112 operators can also direct you to the nearest available dentist.
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| European emergency (ambulance, police, fire) | 112 |
| Medical emergency (ambulance) | 118 |
| Police (Carabinieri) | 112 |
| Fire brigade | 115 |
| Tourist medical service (guardia medica) | via hotel or AULSS3 |