Medical Care
Spain has an excellent public healthcare system — regularly ranked among the top 10 in international rankings. The life expectancy (83.5 years) is one of the highest in the world.
For EU Citizens
With the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) — on the back of your German health card — you are entitled to medical care in public facilities under the same conditions as Spaniards. This means: emergency room (Urgencias) free of charge, doctor visits at the Centro de Salud (health center) free of charge, medications with co-payment.
Where to go in case of illness?
- Centro de Salud: The public doctor's office — for minor illnesses. Waiting times can be long (2–4 hours). Without an appointment (sin cita), go to the acute consultation
- Urgencias (Emergency Room): In every public hospital (Hospital). For serious cases. Waiting times for non-life-threatening cases often 4–8 hours
- Private Doctors & Private Clinics: Faster treatment, but at a cost (doctor visit €50–100, specialist €80–150). In tourist areas, there are German-speaking doctors — hotel receptions have lists
- Pharmacies (Farmacias): Recognizable by the green cross. Pharmacists in Spain are allowed to advise and sell more than in Germany — many prescription medications (except antibiotics) can be obtained here without a prescription. At night and on weekends: Farmacia de Guardia (emergency pharmacy, notice at every pharmacy)
💡 Tipp
Photograph your EHIC card and important medication packaging (with active ingredient names) before the trip. In an emergency, this saves valuable time. A travel health insurance (from €10/year) covers repatriation — the EHIC does not!