Overview

Spain is a renowned medical tourism destination. Despite recent economic woes, the sunny climate, several vacation spots coupled with abundance of high quality medical facilities that makes Spain a very attractive destination for medical tourists.

The Spanish health system is sophisticated and offers many high-quality facilities at the fraction of cost of hospitals in the United States and neighboring countries, attracting a growing number of medical travelers from the British Isles as well as from the Middle East and North Africa.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked the Spanish healthcare system as the 7th best in the world. According to a more recent 2014 Bloomberg report on efficiency of health care systems, Spain scored better than Switzerland, Sweden, Canada and Germany and way above United States that scored 44th place. Spain has more than 800 hospitals serviced by 450,000 doctors and nurses. All of the hospitals in Spain are recognized and supervised by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

State Department Information

Medical tourists going to Spain from any of the United States do not need a visa to enter Spain. They need to produce proof of nationality such as a passport or a national identity card and can stay for up to 3 months without an entry visa.

Quick Facts
Alerts and Warnings

Securing Your Money When You Travel

Carrying large amounts of cash is obviously unsafe in a foreign country. Also, be careful using your credit cards when you travel. Never give out your PIN, never let anyone else swipe your card and don't ever let anyone take your card out of your sight (example: at a restaurant). Make sure your cards are "Chip" enabled, require a PIN to use and carry in a wallet or case that shields the data from being scanned on the street.

Many clinics are no longer accepting personal checks, cash or travelers checks. Wire transfer and credit cards are your best bet however they can come with high bank fees per use internationally, variable exchange fees and lower daily spending limits when being used in a foreign country.

A Simple Solution to keep your money safe - Travani offers 3 secure travel products to carrying money for expenses and for paying your doctor. There are no credit checks, low fees, and you don't have to worry about having your money or identity stolen off of your card. In fact, leave those important cards at home and get a FREE RFID shield!* Find out more.