{"id":52756,"date":"2022-07-13T18:46:12","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T17:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/?p=52756"},"modified":"2023-12-14T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T13:30:00","slug":"healthcare-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/blog\/healthcare-in-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthcare in Spain: How Does It Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Healthcare in Spain<\/strong> can seem quite complicated if you\u2019re not used to how the system works. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dealing with medical paperwork is never fun, no matter which country you\u2019re in. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it can be extra stressful if you\u2019re in a new country where you\u2019re not sure how the system works – and maybe don\u2019t speak the language completely fluently.<\/span><\/p>\n

We get it. We\u2019ve been there, and it\u2019s no fun at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even worse, we\u2019ve tried to figure out how healthcare in Spain<\/strong> works at the worst possible moment – when we\u2019re already sick. <\/span><\/p>\n

That just adds an extra level of stress to already feeling unwell. Luckily, healthcare in Spain doesn’t have to be a huge money stressor when it comes to how much costs are when living or studying<\/a> here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve created a simple guide to healthcare in Spain<\/strong> that will help you get everything figured out ahead of time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hopefully, you\u2019ll be in excellent health for the entire time you spend studying abroad in Spain<\/a>. But, just in case you need medical attention, here\u2019s what you need to know. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Healthcare in Spain: The basics<\/b><\/h2>\n

Spain has a national public healthcare system<\/strong>, as well as private healthcare providers. <\/span><\/p>\n

For those on a student visa from a non-EU country, you\u2019ll need to take out private health insurance. <\/span><\/p>\n

The maximum coverage amount you\u2019ll need should be \u20ac30,000. Ask your insurance company about which doctors you\u2019ll be allowed to see. <\/span><\/p>\n

From an EU country? You can access the public healthcare system in Spain<\/strong> with an EHIC card (which stands for European Health Insurance Card). This will be free or at a very low cost. <\/span><\/p>\n

Either way, don\u2019t forget to bring a form of ID with you when you visit the doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Need medical assistance in English? Private hospitals and clinics may already have doctors fluent in English on staff, and public ones often have translators or staff who speak English, too. <\/span><\/p>\n

Still can\u2019t find English-speaking medical assistance in Spain? Get in touch with your embassy or even the local tourism office, as they\u2019ll likely have contact information for an English-speaking doctor. <\/span><\/p>\n

Also, the emergency number in Spain is 112. <\/span>Hopefully you\u2019ll never have to use it! <\/span><\/p>\n

\"healthcare-in-spain\"<\/p>\n

Healthcare in Spain: How to use it <\/b><\/h2>\n

Using private insurance? Make sure to check with your insurance company first to see what hospitals and doctors you\u2019re allowed to visit. You can also ask your study abroad program or school for help. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you need to see a doctor but it isn\u2019t an emergency, you\u2019ll get medical help through the public system at a healthcare center (often abbreviated to CAP in Spanish, this stands for \u201ccentro de asistencia primaria). You can also ask to see your \u201cm\u00e9dico de cabecera\u201d – or a general doctor – for both public and private health organizations. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you need help immediately, head to your local emergency room. This is called \u201curgencias\u201d in Spanish.<\/span><\/p>\n

And last of all, if you need an ambulance, the number you need to dial is 112. <\/span><\/p>\n

A few other things to keep in mind about healthcare in Spain<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you use the state health service, take your prescription with you to the pharmacy. <\/span><\/p>\n

The cost of prescribed medications is subsidized, so they usually cost you very little out of pocket. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can also pick up some types of medicine at a pharmacy without a prescription. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pharmacies are generally closed on Saturday afternoons or all day Sundays, but almost always have a notice on the door that tells you where to find the nearest 24-hour pharmacy (the \u201cfarmacia de guardia\u201d). <\/span><\/p>\n

Pharmacists can also give you advice on what medicine to take. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dental care is not covered, except in the case of an emergency. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to see a dentist while in Spain, you can either do it through private health insurance or by paying as you go.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have any more questions about healthcare in Spain<\/strong>, get in touch with us and we\u2019ll be happy to help!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Healthcare in Spain can seem quite complicated if you\u2019re not used to how the system works. Dealing with medical paperwork is never fun, no matter which country you\u2019re in. \u00a0 But it can be extra stressful if you\u2019re in a new country where you\u2019re not sure how the system works – and maybe don\u2019t speak […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":52770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2050],"tags":[1487],"class_list":["post-52756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-in-spain","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52756"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52775,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52756\/revisions\/52775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}