Jacques Chirac, who has been in poor health for several years, has been taken to hospital with suspected gout, sources close to the former French president say.
An AFP reporter saw an ambulance and police motorbikes in front of the 81-year-old's home on Monday evening.
Chirac was later checked into the American Hospital of Paris in the plush suburb of Neuilly, a government source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
A member of Chirac's inner circle said there was no cause for alarm. "There is absolutely no vital emergency. We suspect an acute episode of gout."
Chirac, who suffered a stroke in 2005, underwent successful kidney surgery in December.
He was France's president from 1995 to 2007 and twice previously served as prime minister.
He is considered one of the most popular politicians in recent French history.
