The healthcare system in Spain is viewed globally as advanced and prepared, with well-educated doctors and satisfied patients. Erasmus students in need of help can make use of a lot of facilities such as nursing, social work, physiotherapy,… Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish, some hospitals have a translation service because most of the medical staff only speak Spanish. Furthermore, you should receive healthcare as if you were a normal citizen, depending on your home country.

You can compare the Spanish healthcare system with the German one, although there are some differences. The quality of treatment is generally really good, but there are some conflicting opinions about medical treatments and dentistry, depending on the area where you are staying.

The most important thing about the Spanish healthcare system is that it is denied to no one, regardless your nationality or your ability to pay. For Spanish citizens it is totally free, but international students need to have some insurances.

 

Necessary Policies

 

• International students from the EU: If you are a member of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you only need the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which will grant you publically-funded emergency healthcare while in Spain. If you want to get private treatment, then you need to obtain a private health insurance plan as well.

• International students not from the EU: If your country is not of the European Union, you will need to get a private health insurance policy in Spain that covers the duration of your stay.

• Attention: There is a special treatment for people from Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil or Andorra. They can benefit from free hospitalization if they can prove they have the corresponding health certificate from their home country.

 

If you want some more information you can always visit the official website of International Student Insurance.

 

Clínica Universitaria

 

The Clínica Universitaria is the University's hospital. Located within the campus along Pío XII Avenue, it is highly regarded as one of the best hospitals in Spain. To access this hospital, however, it is necessary to get covered by ACUNSA.

ACUNSA- (Asistencia Clínica Universitaria de Navarra) is the University's own company. It may only provide services to the University Hospital, but students get a special discount. This company offers three policies: Estándar (Standard), Oro (Gold), and Platino (Platinum). Each one makes a variety of amenities available to the client, with the Platino policy covering 100% of all expenses for roughly 50€ a month. 

 

Some tips

 

• If you are from an EU member state you can get your EHIC-card from the EHIC website. Beware of scams, there are a lot of fake companies online that claim to be the official EHIC and charge you a lot of money!!

• Be sure to always carry the card when you leave your home country. Hospitals can charge extra money if you can’t prove to have an EHIC-card.

• The first place you visit when you need a medical treatment is the CAP (el Centro de Atención Primaria). Here  are all the CAP offices in Pamplona. Of course, when it is an emergency you go straight to a Public Hospital (Urgencias).

• 112 is the number for urgent police, fire, or medical attention. Remember that the person answering the phone will probably not speak English, so try to speak Spanish as well as possible.