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Medicine in Spain: A complete guide to the best healthcare in Europe
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Spain is rightly considered one of the countries with the best healthcare system in the world. According to the World Health Organization, Spanish medicine ranks 7th globally, ahead of many developed countries including the USA, Germany and the UK. The average life expectancy in Spain is one of the highest in the world: 83.5 years, which testifies to the exceptional quality of medical care.

Why Spanish medicine is considered one of the best in the world?

The Spanish healthcare system combines the accessibility of public medicine with the highest quality of private medical services.

Why Spanish medicine is considered one of the best in the world?

The Spanish healthcare system combines the accessibility of public medicine with the highest quality of private medical services.

  • The country invests about 9% of GDP in healthcare, ensuring modern equipment, advanced technologies and highly qualified medical personnel.

  • Spanish doctors receive education in some of the best medical universities in the world.

  • The residency system (MIR) in Spain is considered exemplary — young doctors undergo strict selection and many years of training under the guidance of experienced specialists.

  • Many Spanish medical professionals work and train in leading clinics in the USA, Switzerland, and Germany, bringing worldwide best practices into Spanish medicine.

  • The climate of Spain also plays an important role in treatment effectiveness. Abundant sunshine, clean air, especially on the coast and islands, create ideal conditions for rehabilitation and recovery after serious illnesses and surgeries.

Structure of the Spanish healthcare system

Structure of the Spanish healthcare system

1
Public Health System (Sistema Nacional de Salud).

The public medicine in Spain provides universal access to medical services for all residents of the country. The system is funded through taxes and social security contributions.
1

Public Health System (Sistema Nacional de Salud).


The public medicine in Spain provides universal access to medical services for all residents of the country. The system is funded through taxes and social security contributions.

Principles of public medicine:
  • Universality — coverage for all residents
  • Equality — the same access regardless of social status
  • Free at point of service
  • Decentralization — management at regional level
What public medicine covers:
  • Primary medical care
  • Specialized medical care
  • Emergency medical care
  • Hospitalization
  • Surgical operations
  • Most medications (with small co-pay)
  • Rehabilitation
  • Psychiatric care
2
Private Health System.

Private medicine in Spain complements the public system, offering additional services, reduced waiting times and higher comfort.
2

Private Health System.


Private medicine in Spain complements the public system, offering additional services, reduced waiting times and higher comfort.

Advantages of private medicine:
  • No queues and fast access to specialists
  • Choice of doctor and clinic
  • Comfortable conditions of stay
  • Access to the latest technologies and experimental treatments
  • Individual approach to the patient
  • English-language service in international clinics

Types of health insurance in Spain

Types of health insurance in Spain

1. Public insurance (Seguridad Social)

Automatically provided to all working residents and their families. Contributions amount to about 6% of salary.
Who is entitled:
  • Employed people
  • Autónomos (self-employed)
  • Pensioners
  • Unemployed registered persons
  • Families of insured persons

2. Private health insurance

Complements or replaces public insurance, providing access to private clinics.
Major insurance companies:
Sanitas — largest private insurance company in Spain
  • Wide network of clinics and specialists
  • International coverage
  • Special programs for expats
  • Cost: from €50 to €200 per month
Mapfre — one of the leading European insurance groups
  • Excellent coverage for cancer diseases
  • Strong network in Madrid and Catalonia
  • Sports programs
  • Cost: from €40 to €180 per month
Adeslas — specializes in premium medical care
  • High level of service
  • Access to top private clinics
  • Check-up and prevention programs
  • Cost: from €60 to €250 per month
DKV — German quality in Spanish medicine
  • Strong positions in dentistry
  • Good coverage for psychotherapy
  • Corporate insurance programs
  • Cost: from €45 to €190 per month
Asisa — regional company with high standards
  • Personalized approach
  • Good coverage in regions
  • Family programs
  • Cost: from €35 to €160 per month

3. International medical insurance

For those who travel often or want to receive treatment outside Spain.
Cigna Global — a world leader in international medical insurance
  • Coverage anywhere in the world
  • Direct billing with clinics
  • 24/7 support in multiple languages
  • Cost: from €200 to €800 per month
Bupa Global — British company with excellent reputation
  • High coverage limits
  • Access to top clinics in the world
  • Oncology coverage without limits
  • Cost: from €300 to €1000 per month

4. Specialized types of insurance

Dental insurance:
  • Sanitas Dental: from €15 per month
  • Mapfre Dental: from €12 per month
  • Includes preventive care, treatment, orthodontics
Maternity and childbirth insurance:
  • Special programs for expectant mothers
  • Coverage for all stages of pregnancy
  • Choice of hospital and doctor
  • Cost: from €80 to €200 per month

Best hospitals and medical centers in Spain

Best hospitals and medical centers in Spain

Hospital Universitario La Paz
  • One of the largest hospitals in Europe
  • Leader in transplantation and pediatric surgery
  • Center of advanced research
  • More than 1300 beds
Clínica Universidad de Navarra (Madrid)
  • A world-class private clinic
  • Specialization: oncology, cardiology, neurosurgery
  • Proton therapy for cancer treatment
  • International accreditations JCI
Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre
  • Leading organ transplantation center
  • Specialized cancer research institute
  • Modern cardiac surgery
  • Over 1400 beds
HM Hospitales (private hospital network)
  • 5 hospitals in Madrid
  • Proton therapy center (one of the few in Spain)
  • Specialization: oncology, cardiology, neurology
  • International accreditation
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Spain — a world center for cancer treatment

Spain is one of the world leaders in oncology, offering the most advanced methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Spanish oncologists regularly publish in leading medical journals and participate in international research.

Spain — a world center for cancer treatment

Spain is one of the world leaders in oncology, offering the most advanced methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Spanish oncologists regularly publish in leading medical journals and participate in international research.

Advanced technologies in oncology:

Proton therapy — Spain has one of the most modern proton therapy centers in Europe (HM Hospitales, Madrid). This technology allows precise targeting of tumors, minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
Immunotherapy — Spanish clinics were among the first in Europe to apply the latest immune agents for treating melanoma, lung cancer and other cancer types.
Robot-assisted surgery — da Vinci systems are widely used in Spanish clinics for minimally invasive operations.
Radiotherapy CyberKnife — precise irradiation of brain tumors and other locations.

Leading oncology centers:

Instituto de Oncología Katalysis (Madrid)
  • Specialization: treatment of all cancer types
  • Individual treatment protocols
  • International team of doctors
  • Clinical research programs
IOB Madrid (Instituto de Oncología Dr. Baselga)
  • Founded by world-renowned oncologist Dr. José Baselga
  • Personalized medicine
  • Genetic testing of tumors
  • Targeted therapy
Centro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal (Madrid)
  • One of the best private oncology centers in Europe
  • High survival rates
  • Comprehensive treatment
  • Clinical research programs

Treatment Success Statistics:

  • Breast cancer: 5-year survival rate 89%
  • Prostate cancer: 5-year survival rate 95%
  • Lung cancer: 5-year survival rate 18% (above the European average)
  • Colorectal cancer: 5-year survival rate 65%

Sports medicine: Spain — a world leader

Spain holds leading positions in the world of sports medicine. The country is home to many professional sports clubs of global level including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, which has contributed to the development of advanced methods for treating sports injuries.

Sports medicine: Spain — a world leader

Spain holds leading positions in the world of sports medicine. The country is home to many professional sports clubs of global level including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, which has contributed to the development of advanced methods for treating sports injuries.

Why athletes choose treatment in Spain:

Advanced recovery technologies:
  • Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) — using patient’s own plasma to speed up healing
  • Stem cells for regeneration of cartilage tissue
  • Shock wave therapy
  • Cryotherapy and hyperthermia
Comprehensive approach:
  • Multidisciplinary teams of specialists
  • Combination of medicine and physiotherapy
  • Psychological support for athletes
  • Injury prevention programs

Leading sports medicine centers:

MAPFRE Centro de Medicina del Deporte (Madrid)
  • Official medical center of Spain’s national football team
  • Treatment of professional athletes from all over the world
  • Specialization: injuries of knee, shoulder, spine
  • Innovative rehabilitation methods
CEMTRO Clinic (Madrid)
  • Specialization: orthopedics and traumatology
  • World-class arthroscopic surgery
  • Treatment of Real Madrid athletes
  • Center for regenerative medicine
Centre Mèdic Sant Jordi (Barcelona)
  • Official medical partner of FC Barcelona
  • Treatment of footballers, tennis players, cyclists
  • Biomechanical lab
  • Programs for return to sports
Quirónsalud San José (Madrid)
  • Center for arthroscopic surgery
  • Treatment of professional tennis players
  • Specialization: injuries of elbow, wrist
  • Rapid rehabilitation

Famous athletes who received treatment in Spain:

  • Rafael Nadal — regularly undergoes treatment in clinics in Mallorca and Barcelona
  • Cristiano Ronaldo — received treatment in Madrid clinics while playing for Real
  • Novak Djokovic — underwent rehabilitation in Barcelona
  • Many football players from La Liga and other European championships

Pregnancy care and childbirth in Spain

Spain offers some of the best conditions in the world for pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality in the country is only 3 cases per 100,000 births — one of the lowest indicators globally.

Pregnancy care and childbirth in Spain

Spain offers some of the best conditions in the world for pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality in the country is only 3 cases per 100,000 births — one of the lowest indicators globally.

Public pregnancy care system:

Free prenatal care includes:
  • Regular obstetrician-gynecologist consultations
  • All necessary tests and investigations
  • Ultrasound in each trimester
  • Prenatal courses
  • Hospital delivery in public hospital
  • Postnatal care
Parental leave:
  • 16 weeks for the mother (full pay)
  • 16 weeks for the father (since 2021)
  • Possibility of extension in multiple pregnancies
  • Additional benefits for large families

Private maternity clinics for childbirth:

Clínica Universidad de Navarra
  • Premium maternity hospital
  • Individual rooms
  • Neonatal intensive care
  • Cost of childbirth: from €3000
Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud Madrid
  • Modern perinatal center
  • Water births
  • Operating rooms in the maternity ward
  • Cost of childbirth: from €2500
Clínica Corachan (Barcelona)
  • Family-oriented childbirth
  • Luxury rooms
  • Breastfeeding consultations
  • Cost of childbirth: from €2800

IVF and reproductive medicine programs:

Spain is a European leader in assisted reproductive technologies:
IVI (Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad)
  • World leader in IVF
  • Clinics in 13 countries
  • High success rates
  • Donor programs
Centro de Fertilidad Ginemed
  • Specialization: complex infertility cases
  • Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
  • Egg and sperm bank
  • International patients

Medical tourism in Spain

Spain accepts over 500,000 medical tourists annually, making it one of the leading destinations for medical tourism in the world.

Medical tourism in Spain

Spain accepts over 500,000 medical tourists annually, making it one of the leading destinations for medical tourism in the world.
Popular medical tourism areas:

Plastic surgery:
  • Rhinoplasty: from €3000
  • Breast augmentation: from €4500
  • Liposuction: from €2500
  • Facelift: from €6000
Dentistry:
  • Implant: from €800 per implant
  • Veneers: from €300 per tooth
  • Orthodontics: from €2000
  • Full rehabilitation: from €15000
Ophthalmology:
  • Laser vision correction: from €1200
  • Cataract surgery: from €1800
  • Glaucoma treatment: from €2500
  • Lens replacement: from €2200
Orthopedics:
  • Hip replacement: from €8000
  • Knee replacement: from €7500
  • Arthroscopy: from €2500
  • Spine surgery: from €10000
Advantages of medical tourism in Spain:

  • Savings of up to 50-70% compared to USA and Switzerland
  • No queues — operations are performed at convenient times
  • High quality of medical services
  • Comfortable recovery conditions on the coast
  • Language support — many clinics provide interpreters

Accessing medical services for expats

Spain offers some of the best conditions in the world for pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality in the country is only 3 cases per 100,000 births — one of the lowest indicators globally.

Accessing medical services for expats

Spain offers some of the best conditions in the world for pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality in the country is only 3 cases per 100,000 births — one of the lowest indicators globally.

For EU citizens:

  • European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) ensures access to public medicine
  • Possibility of obtaining a permanent health card (Tarjeta Sanitaria)

For non-EU citizens:

  • Obtaining NIE (foreigner’s tax identification number)
  • Registering in the municipality (empadronamiento)
  • Employment or autónomo status to access public medicine
  • Private health insurance as an alternative

Documents required to receive medical care:

  • Passport or NIE
  • Social security card or private insurance
  • Proof of residence registration
  • Medical card (if available)
Innovations in Spanish medicine
Telemedicine:
Spain is actively developing digital medical technologies:
  • Online consultations with doctors
  • Monitoring of chronic diseases
  • Mobile health applications
  • Artificial intelligence in diagnostics
Genetic medicine:
  • Genome sequencing for personalized treatment
  • Gene therapy for rare diseases
  • Pharmacogenetics for drug selection
  • Genetic counseling
Regenerative medicine:
  • Stem cells for treating heart disease
  • Tissue engineering
  • 3D printing of organs and tissues
  • Cell therapy

Preventive medicine and check-up programs

Spanish clinics offer comprehensive preventive examination programs:

Preventive medicine and check-up programs

Spanish clinics offer comprehensive preventive examination programs:

Basic check-up (from €200):

  • General blood and urine test
  • Blood biochemistry
  • ECG
  • Chest X-ray
  • GP consultation

Extended check-up (from €500):

  • All basic package tests
  • Abdominal ultrasound
  • Echocardiography
  • Mammography (for women)
  • Gynecological examination
  • Urological examination (for men)

Premium check-up (from €1000):

  • All previous examinations
  • Brain MRI
  • CT scan of chest organs
  • Colonoscopy
  • Genetic testing
  • Consultations with specialists

Pharmaceutical provision in Spain

The Spanish pharmaceutical system is considered one of the best in the world. The country has a well-developed network of pharmacies and a modern drug quality control system.

Pharmaceutical provision in Spain

The Spanish pharmaceutical system is considered one of the best in the world. The country has a well-developed network of pharmacies and a modern drug quality control system.

Pharmaceutical provision in Spain:

  • Over 22,000 pharmacies across the country
  • Density: one pharmacy per 2,100 residents
  • 24/7 on-duty pharmacies in every neighborhood
  • Electronic prescriptions and digital patient card

Medicine reimbursement:

Public insurance covers:
  • 100% of the cost of essential medicines
  • 90% for chronic conditions
  • 60% for ordinary medications
  • Free medicines for low-income pensioners

Private insurance:

  • Additional coverage of medicines
  • Access to innovative drugs
  • No limits on quantity

Innovative drugs:

Spain is among the first in Europe to approve new medicines:
  • CAR-T therapy for treating blood cancer
  • Monoclonal antibodies
  • Biosimilars at affordable prices
  • Orphan drugs for rare diseases

Digitalization of healthcare

Spain is actively introducing digital technologies in medicine:

Digitalization of healthcare

Spain is actively introducing digital technologies in medicine:

Electronic medical record:

  • Unified system for all medical institutions
  • Doctors’ access to full medical history
  • Integration of test and study results
  • Allergy and drug interaction alert systems

Telemedicine:

  • Online consultations with doctors
  • Remote monitoring of chronic diseases
  • Health apps for doctor appointment scheduling
  • Video communication with family doctor

Artificial intelligence:

  • Automatic processing of X-rays
  • Disease risk prediction
  • Personalized treatment regimens
  • Robot-assisted diagnostics

Медицинское образование и исследования

Испания активно внедряет цифровые технологии в медицину:

Medical education and research

Spain is actively introducing digital technologies in medicine:

Leading medical universities:

  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid — the oldest university in Spain
  • Universidad de Barcelona — a leader in biomedical research
  • Universidad Autónoma de Madrid — strong medical school
  • Universidad de Navarra — private university with high standards

MIR System (Médico Interno Residente):

  • Competitive selection for residency
  • 4-5 years of specialization under supervision of experienced doctors
  • Rotations through different departments
  • High training standards

Medical research:

  • €2.4 billion annual investment in medical research
  • Participation in European research programs
  • Clinical trials of new drugs
  • International collaboration with leading centers

Our services: simplifying access to Spanish medicine

We help obtain quality medical care in Spain without unnecessary complications:

Our services: simplifying access to Spanish medicine

We help obtain quality medical care in Spain without unnecessary complications:

🏥 Assistance with health insurance:

  1. Consultation on choice between public and private insurance
  2. Selection of the optimal private insurance plan
  3. Help with paperwork and follow-up
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🤱 Pregnancy and childbirth support:

  1. Choosing clinic and doctor for pregnancy care
  2. Organizing childbirth in selected maternity hospital
  3. Help with documents and formalities
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🏥 Hospital selection for treatment:

  1. Finding the best clinics for your condition
  2. Organizing consultations and surgeries
  3. Coordination of complex treatment
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Our Team

Alina
CEO of Dreamlife Spain
Natalia
Head of Dream Care Department
Anton
Dreamlife Property Expert