Here’s Your Comprehensive Guide To Hospitals In Spain:
Hospitals in Spain offer so much more to the visitors other than exotic beaches, bullfights, plenty of sunshine, and flamenco music. Over the years, medical tourism in Spain has shown tremendous growth. Due to the low-cost treatments and quality medical services, patients from all around the world are attracted to Spain. It has all the ingredients that are required for making it a leading international healthcare and medical tourism destination. Spain has a combo of public and private healthcare systems.
The national health system of Spain is a universal coverage health care program and it gets backed through taxes. However, the public system is free from any charges for the citizens and residents.
By the World Health Organization, Spain’s healthcare system is in the 7th position in Europe. It is also famous for having high-standard livings combined with low costs of living. Not just this, Spain features 750 hospitals with state-of-art facilities, the doctors here are highly qualified and they provide top-quality medical treatment to the patients. There are 20 hospitals and clinics in Spain that have been accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI). The doctors in Spain can converse in English, they also attend numerous seminars, where they learn English. There are numerous reasons that make medical tourism in Spain boom, here’s everything that you need to know while you travel to Spain for your medical treatment:
Why Should You Choose Hospitals In Spain?
With Spain’s excellent infrastructure and medical facilities, Spain is included in the top 5 destinations that are visited every year for medical tourism. Here are some of the factors that will make you seriously consider visiting Spain for your medical treatment;
1. The Doctors Are Highly Qualified
Almost all doctors in Spain are proficient in English; they have gone through numerous training programs to attain the expertise they own right now. However, the General Medical Council, which is located in the UK, has registered numerous surgeons from Spain.
2. Low-Cost Services, Top Quality Treatment
Spain is included in those nations that have high standards of living at really low costs. The healthcare services provided here are of top-quality and these are really affordable. A person can save up to 70 percent of costs for his treatment when he chooses Spain instead of the UK or the USA.
3. Healthcare is Free for EU Members
Those tourists who belong to the EU countries, holding an EU card or an E-11 form can avail their healthcare for free up to 3 months. After the completion of 3 months, these tourists may have to fall back to the private plans.
4. Vast Network of Clinics and Hospitals
With over 700 hospitals and clinics, Spain gets around 2.5 million surgeries done per year. They not only provide these medical services te citizens only but greatly to the tourists as well. Moreover, the hospitals in Spain are equipped with the latest technological infrastructure.
Spanish Hospitals are Famous For These Medical Treatments
A high-quality network of medical centers and hospitals is maintained by Spain. They cater to a variety of medical needs proficiently. Some of the medical treatments that are dominated by Spain are;
- Bariatric procedures
- Orthopedics
- Cosmetic surgeries
- Ophthalmology
Average Costs of Medical Procedures in Hospitals in Spain:
If you want public healthcare in Spain then it’s all yours! If you live and work in Spain then all the public healthcare facilities are free for you. However, if you’re not an employee or living here then you can get all those private facilities by paying a monthly premium. Below is the chart of some estimated costs.
| Medical Item | Cost in Spain |
| A specialist visit may cost you | €150 |
| If you stay in a hospital for a day | €200 |
| The average monthly medical premium for an individual | €50 |
Some Useful Phrases That Will Help You to Communicate in Spanish Hospitals
Here are some of the common terms that will help you to communicate when someone can’t understand English. It is better to memorize these or write them down somewhere, so you’ll never think of facing the language barrier.
| The medical term | Spanish translation |
| Doctor doctor/a | médico/a |
| broken bone | hueso roto |
| dentist | dentista |
| medical bill | factura médica |
| medical insurance | seguro médico |
| pharmacy | farmacia |
| prescription | prescripción |
| ambulance | ambulancia |
| accident | accidente |
| emergency | emergencia |
| stroke | embolia |
| hospital | hospital |
| heart attack | ataque al corazón |
6 Top Hospitals in Spain
One of the most important things for any patient who is going to get his/her treatment from Spain is indeed the selection of hospitals. As when someone comes to Spain for his/her medical treatment then he/she is down to many options. For making it easier for them, we have listed the names of the 6 top hospitals in Spain.
- 1. Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves
- 2. Parc de Salut Mar
- 3. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete
- 4. Hospital Sant Joan de Deu
- 5. Hospital Vall d’Hebron
- 6. Hospital de Cruces
The names mentioned above are of not only the best hospitals in Spain, but these are ranked among the world’s best 350 hospitals.
Some Information about Medical Visa for Spain
Spain has earned quite a name in the medical tourism department. Patients usually from all over the globe, but especially North American and European patients prioritize Spain for medical treatments that are either not available or the patients or not able to get.
There is no specific Visa for the purpose of medical tourism in Spain. Tourists/travelers need an active passport and Visa to make entry into the Spanish territory. However, as a member of Schengen, you would need to apply for a Schengen visa.
The Visa requirements for traveling to Spain
Nationals of non-EU member states do not need a Visa if they are planning a stay of fewer than 90 days, or 90 days max.
EU member countries, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland do not need a visa for entry in Spain. However, for people staying in Spain for more than 3 months are required active passport, travel documents without any minimum validity.
A letter of consent is required for a child or children holding a valid passport, not traveling with the parent/parents because every child under the age of 18 is believed to be a minority and is subject to parental supervision. Children included in the traveling parent’s passport must be accompanied.
It is important that the travelers verify that the name on their ticket matches the name on their passport, and in case of any mishap, he or she should contact the airline prior to flying.
Documents Required for Visa Application
- A local medical report of the patient.
- Medical attestation from the hospital or doctor in Spain, which confirms the date of your appointment and your medical situation
- Payment receipt of the medical fees from the hospital or clinic where the patient is being treated.
Visa Extension
The extension of Visa is a big concern for non-Europeans visiting or staying in Europe. There are always emergencies coming up, especially for patients seeking out treatment in Spain. But there is good news for patients holding a valid passport and Schengen visa. It can be extended, which means you would be allowed to stay in Spain past your visa expiry date. It is better to get the Schengen visa extended before the expiry date in order to avoid any difficulties.
Some Important Numbers during Emergency in Spain
We never know when one can get into any sort of emergency, and as being a visitor, you should be aware of the emergency numbers. Here are some of the numbers that may help you during emergencies. Make sure to note them all.
- Dial 112, for all emergencies
- Dial 080 or 112 for calling the fire brigade
- Dial 092, for calling the police
- Dial 061 or 112 for calling an ambulance
Some Quick Facts about Medical Care and Hospitals in Spain:
- The money in Spain is named by the euro and it can be written as EUR or €.
- The pharmacies in Spain are in a number of 21,458.
- There are 453 hospitals in Spain.
- 99% of the population in Spain is covered by health insurance.
Wrapping Up:
In recent years, medical tourism in Spain has become a popular choice among foreign travelers due to the highly skilled doctors, state of the art infrastructure, quality medical treatments, ease of accessibility, and the best hospitals in Spain. Hopefully, any incident won’t happen in Spain, but if it does, then you don’t have to worry as you’re in good hands! You’re never too far from the top hospitals in Spain and it is extremely rare that the medical treatment that you’ll be receiving will be expensive. Whenever, you look for options for your medical treatment abroad, make sure you’ve Spain on the list! And with this guide, you can travel with a lot of convenience and comfort.
