Healthcare and health insurance for expats in Barcelona

Healthcare in Barcelona follows Spain’s excellent system and has a strong reputation among locals and international residents. Even medical tourists from abroad travel to the city for treatment, drawn by the exceptional standard of care. Both public and private healthcare sectors have risen to meet this demand.

The Catalan public health system, known locally as CatSalut, offers largely subsidised care for those with a Targeta Sanitària Individual (TSI) healthcare card. You’ll also need to register for state healthcare access. The system is often associated with long queues for routine examinations and extended waiting times for non-urgent procedures. That said, you can be assured of treatment by highly qualified doctors at public healthcare facilities.

EU citizens can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access state healthcare during short-term visits. UK citizens can use their Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which replaced the EHIC post-Brexit.

Expats moving to Catalonia may consider the well-established private healthcare system and invest in private health insurance. Private hospitals are less crowded and more efficient than their public counterparts, and the Catalan capital houses more than a quarter of Spain’s private clinics.

Healthcare and Medical Insurance in Spain

Hospitals in Barcelona

Below is a list of some of the most prominent hospitals in Barcelona:

Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital

Website: www.sjdhospitalbarcelona.org
Address: Pg. de Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat

Hospital de Barcelona

Website: www.scias.com
Address: Av. Diagonal, 660, 08034 Barcelona

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Website: www.santpau.cat
Address: Carrer de Sant Quintí, 89, 08041 Barcelona

Centro Médico Teknon

Website: www.teknonbarcelona.com
Address: Carrer de Vilana, 12, 08022 Barcelona

Hospital Universitari Dexeus

Website: www.quironsalud.es
Address: Carrer de Sabino Arana, 5-19, 08028 Barcelona

Vall d’Hebron University Hospital

Website: hospital.vallhebron.com
Address: Pg. de la Vall d’Hebron, 119, 08035 Barcelona

Expat Experiences
"I have private insurance through a company called Adeslas. On the few occasions that I have gone to a doctor I had almost no wait time, it was remarkably easy, efficient and inexpensive."
Read more about Dan, an American expat, and his experiences in his expat interview about life in Barcelona.
"So, in Spain, if you do your empadronamiento (register at an address at the city hall) you can apply for the social/public healthcare systems. This system is paid for through taxes taken from people’s salaries but is totally free besides that. In the first years I only used the public system which was totally fine. The doctors and hospitals are of high quality but, as it’s free, waiting times are pretty long. Especially during the pandemic, it’s basically been impossible to get appointments for regular check-ups.
Since the beginning of this year I signed up for private healthcare through my employer. This is pretty common in Spain. Though I don’t think that private is necessarily better than public, it is easier to get an appointment and you can go see a specialist directly instead of having to pass by your regular doctor at the CAP first."
See Linda’s expat interview about Barcelona to find out how she's adapted to her new life.

Are you an expat living in Barcelona?

Expat Arrivals is looking for locals to contribute to this guide, and answer forum questions from others planning their move to Barcelona. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute, or fill in our expat interview form to be featured.