How does healthcare in Spain work for travellers and tourists?

If you need medical care while visiting Spain, understanding how the Spanish healthcare system operates can help you access treatment safely. In this episode, we explain urgent care pathways, emergency services, and what EU travellers should expect.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Spain’s public healthcare system (Sistema Nacional de Salud – SNS) functions

• The role of local health centres (centros de salud)

• When to attend hospital emergency departments (urgencias)

• Emergency number 112 in Spain

• Using the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

• When private travel insurance is recommended

• Accessing pharmacies (farmacias) and prescription regulations

• Regional healthcare differences across autono ...