Spain (incl. the Canary Islands)
In emergencies, call 112 for help.
Sudden illness and access to treatment in Spain
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to medically necessary treatment whilst staying temporarily in mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
Medically necessary treatment refers to treatment that cannot wait for your return home.
You can receive medically necessary treatment, for example, for:
- a sudden illness
- an accident
- pregnancy and childbirth
- a chronic illness
If your medical condition requires regular treatment while abroad, please contact the healthcare provider in advance to arrange your treatment.
Please note the following:
- The European Health Insurance Card does not guarantee treatment free of charge, but gives you the right to medically necessary treatment on the same terms and at the same cost as for local residents.
- It is also advisable to carry a paper copy of the card with you.
- If you do not have a card or it is not accepted, you will have to pay the costs of treatment yourself. In this case, you can apply for reimbursement from Kela afterwards.
- Some private health centres, doctors and hospitals work in partnership with the public health service. However, appointment times are separate: if you are asked to pay, it is private treatment and the card will not be accepted.
- The card is not valid in Gibraltar, as it is not part of the European Union.
- In some areas, such as islands off the Spanish mainland, the journey to public healthcare services can be a long one.
You can obtain information about healthcare services from the Spanish Social Security Institute (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social), local offices and regional health authorities (Servicio Regional de Salud).
Doctor in Spain
You will be able to access a general practitioner (médico de familia) or paediatrician (pediatra) directly when you seek treatment at a health centre (centro de atención primaria, ambulatorio tai centro de salud) or at the consulting office (consultorio) of a doctor within the public system. You can see a specialist if you have a general practitioner´s referral.
Make sure that the doctor treating you belongs to Spain´s public healthcare system (asistencia sanitaria pública or asistencia del Sistema Nacional de Salud) and present your European Health Insurance Card and ID at the appointment. In this way, treatment is free.
Dentist in Spain
The public healthcare system partially reimburses the costs of dental care for children under the age of 14, pregnant women, people with disabilities and certain cancer patients.
Other patients must pay for dental care themselves. Cases requiring emergency treatment are free of charge in the public healthcare system.
Medication in Spain
When collecting prescription medication prescribed by a doctor in the public system from a pharmacy (farmacia) in Spain, present your European Health Insurance Card and ID. All customers must pay a share of their medication costs by themselves.
If you are staying in Spain temporarily, you pay a 50 per cent co-payment for medically necessary medication treatment by showing your European Health Insurance Card. Pensioner tourists pay a 10 per cent co-payment.
Finnish pension recipients permanently residing in Spain usually also pay the 10-per cent co-payment. If it is not apparent from the date of birth on your health insurance card that you are a pensioner, you may be asked to provide additional proof.
Prescriptions are valid for 10 days from the date of issue. For chronic conditions or repeat prescriptions, the validity period starts from the estimated dispensing date indicated by the doctor.
With a Finnish electronic prescription, you can now buy medicines from almost all pharmacies in Spain (sanidad.gob.es, in Spanish). You can purchase the medication by showing your passport or official identity card in the pharmacy. However, note that not all medicines can be purchased with an electronic prescription abroad. Check the restrictions on the Kanta.fi website. You can claim reimbursement from Kela retrospectively.
Hospital treatment in Spain
You can access hospital treatment with a specialist´s referral. In urgent cases, however, you can go directly to an outpatient clinic (ambulatorio) or to an emergency room in a hospital (urgencias).
When you present your European Health Insurance Card and ID, in addition to the referral, at the hospital´s reception desk, treatment, including medicines, will be free of charge. Otherwise, you will be regarded as a private patient and you will have to pay for treatment.
Ambulance transport is free if transportation is necessary for a medical reason and you present your European Health Insurance Card.
If your illness requires you to use special transport when returning to Finland, you will be liable for the travel costs in their entirety. You are recommended to take out a travel insurance that covers these costs.
Patient data in Spain
Remember to make sure that your patient data is transferred between countries. You can provide those responsible for your follow-up care or your health centre with the patient records concerning the treatment you received abroad. If the patient records need to be translated, you will be responsible for arranging that yourself.
An electronic Patient Summary is in use between Spain and Finland, which means that doctors can, to a limited extent, view the health information that has been previously recorded about you in Finland. The Patient Summary contains information such as diagnoses, prescriptions and allergies.
Check with your place of treatment whether they use the Patient Summary. You must also give your consent in MyKanta for the use of the Patient Summary.
Quality and safety of treatment in Spain
The Regional Authorities supervise the quality and safety of healthcare services provided in their region. You can obtain additional information by contacting the authorities for the region in which your place of treatment is located.
In the event of treatment injuries, the legislation and patient insurance of the country providing the treatment is always applied. In case you are unhappy with the treatment you received, you should primarily try to sort the matter out with the treatment provider.
The national contact point can help you with finding the right authority if you wish to make a complaint.
Healthcare system in Spain
The National Health System in Spain is managed by health services of the the Autonomous Regions. The public healthcare system provides primary, specialist, and hospital care in its own facilities.
Only certain private clinics have agreements with the public health services to treat patients. Treatment in the public system is free of charge. In Spain, you must pay for private treatment yourself.
How do I find a place of treatment in Spain?
The Spanish Ministry of Health’s website features a search tool (in Spanish) that allows you to search for public or private hospitals. The search service operates primarily on the basis of geographical area.
The General Registry of Health Centres, Services and Establishments (REGCESS) enables you to search for information about public and private healthcare providers in Spain and about their services (in English). The registry includes hospitals, clinics and other treatment facilities, medical centres and, for example, opticians and pharmacies. You can set the search criteria in English or Spanish. The information on places of treatment is mainly in Spanish.
Additional information about healthcare service providers is available on the website of the Spanish Ministry of Health.
If you plan to travel to Spain for healthcare services, please visit our website for general information about seeking treatment abroad. If you have any questions about health care in Spain, contact the National Contact Point of Spain.
How much does healthcare cost in Spain?
When you present your European Health Insurance Card and ID, in addition to the referral, at a public hospital’s reception desk, treatment and medicines are free of charge. You must pay for private treatment yourself.