Doctor in Valencia: English-Speaking Care (2026 Guide)

How can you see a doctor in Valencia as a visitor or new resident?

Quick answer: You can access medical care in Valencia through four routes: call 112 for life-threatening emergencies; visit a public health centre (centro de salud) or out-of-hours continuous-care point (punto de atención continuada, or PAC) using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC); attend a private clinic; or book a private video consultation in English with a licensed doctor through UrgentDoc.

If you are staying in a hotel, a holiday flat or your home and prefer not to travel to a clinic, you can see an English-speaking doctor online in Valencia through UrgentDoc. Our doctors are licensed in Spain and speak English. You can book a video consultation directly from wherever you are staying. The doctor assesses your symptoms by video and determines the appropriate course of action. If the doctor decides a prescription is clinically appropriate, a private electronic prescription is issued directly to your device.

This guide is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional.

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How does a tourist see a doctor in Valencia using an EHIC or GHIC?

If you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from an EU country, or a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or UK-issued EHIC, you can get medically necessary state healthcare in Spain - Valencia included - on the same basis as people insured in Spain (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021).

For card holders, public healthcare in Spain is free, except prescription medicines: you pay part of their price (UK visitors pay 50%, or 10% with a UK State Pension, and these charges are non-refundable) (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021). For EU card holders, pensioners from an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland pay a 10% co-payment on medicines financed by the public system and prescribed by a public health provider, while other EU card holders pay 50% (European Commission, 2026).

The card only works in the public system. It does not cover private healthcare, and it is not a substitute for travel insurance - it does not pay to fly you home (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021). UK visitors should note that a GHIC or EHIC does not cover everything, such as mountain rescue or medical repatriation (GOV.UK, 2021). For EU card holders, transport by ambulance is free of charge when provided by a public healthcare provider (European Commission, 2026).

Navigating the Valencian public system

In the Valencian public system, go to your health centre (centro de salud) during its opening hours; outside them, go to a PAC (punto de atención continuada); and when you need urgent care, you can call 112, which will tell you the right place for your problem (Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, n.d.). Urgent care is given when a patient's clinical situation needs immediate attention, by doctors and nurses, in and outside health centres - including at home - 24 hours a day (Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, n.d.).

Depending on your country of residence, the administrative requirements at a public centre differ:

• EU visitors: In the Comunitat Valenciana, a visitor from another EU country goes to the nearest health centre (centro de salud) with their EHIC or Provisional Replacement Certificate. They are entitled to a temporary inclusion document (documento de inclusión temporal), which they then bring every time they go to a health centre or hospital (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026).
• UK visitors: UK visitors show their GHIC or UK-issued EHIC at any state hospital or doctor. Without a GHIC, EHIC or Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) you may need to pay in full; if you need treatment and do not have your card with you, or it is lost or stolen, you can apply for a PRC through the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (GOV.UK, 2021).
• Non-European visitors: If you have neither card - for example, if you live outside Europe - ask what you will be charged before you are treated, and check what your travel insurance covers.

Private care traps to avoid

Hotels and tour operators might sometimes call or recommend a private doctor, who will charge you; your EHIC or GHIC cannot be used for private healthcare (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021).

Some hospitals and health centres offer both private healthcare and state-provided care, and patients must state which they want (European Commission, 2026). When admission to a public hospital is required, you need a doctor's referral except in an emergency; make sure you show your card upon admission, otherwise you will be charged as a private patient (European Commission, 2026).

If you are asked to pay upfront, you are not being treated in the public system and your card is not being accepted. Ask for "asistencia sanitaria pública" (public healthcare) (European Commission, 2026). If you have to pay for care, contact your national health insurance provider once you are home to ask about reimbursement (European Commission, 2026).

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What does the Valencian public health service charge when care must be paid for?

The Generalitat Valenciana's fees law (Ley 20/2017, de tasas) sets what its public health service charges when the cost of care has to be claimed - from an insurer, from a liable third party, or from a patient who has to pay under health law. If you are treated in the Valencian public system and have to pay, these are the official fees, in force since 11 August 2026 (Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 2026).

The fee is due before or at the time of the service, but where asking for payment first could harm the patient's health, payment is required after the care has been given (Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 2026).

These are official public-system fees, not a full bill and not private-clinic prices: tests and other procedures are charged on top. The hospital emergency fee is, as a general rule, charged when you are not admitted (Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 2026). These regional rates apply across the entire Comunitat Valenciana, including the provinces of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón.

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How do new residents get a SIP card in Valencia?

The SIP card (tarjeta sanitaria SIP) is the Valencian public health card. It identifies you to the public health services, gives you access to them, and is valid throughout Spain (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026).

If you live in the Comunitat Valenciana, are registered on the padrón (the town-hall register) and with Spanish Social Security, and have health cover, you go to your nearest health centre with your DNI or NIE. It is recommended to bring a current padrón certificate and the INSS document confirming your right to healthcare. The health centre registers you in the SIP system and issues the card. With a digital certificate or Cl@ve you can register online instead (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026). Once you have a SIP card, you book health-centre appointments through the Sanitat app, the Sanitat website, or by phoning your health centre on the number shown on your card (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026). If you travel outside Spain to an EU or EEA country, you must request an EHIC from the INSS (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026).

If you are a foreign national with private health insurance, you can ask the nearest health centre for a SIP number: bring your passport or NIE and, if you have one, your insurance card (a padrón certificate is not compulsory). You receive an inclusion document showing your SIP number (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026).

If you have no public health cover by any other route, you can join the Valencian public system through a convenio especial (special agreement) once you have lived for at least one continuous year in Spain, another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the UK, provided you are registered on the padrón in the Comunitat Valenciana. It costs €60 a month under 65 and €157 a month from 65, and covers healthcare except pharmaceutical costs (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026).

Someone who is not yet registered in the public system (no SIP card yet) can still book a video consultation with our doctors.

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What happens when you call 112 in the Comunitat Valenciana?

112 Comunitat Valenciana serves callers in English, French and German, so any tourist or visitor can be helped in those languages. In 2023 it answered 17,064 calls in English (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024). Across 2023, the service answered 21,560 calls across these three foreign languages, with English being the most requested language and the summer months being the busiest (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024).

You can dial 112 even with your phone's keypad locked, without entering a PIN and even without a SIM card, as long as there is network coverage (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024).

In the Comunitat Valenciana, a 112 operator passes your call to the health emergency coordination centre (CICU), which sends the most appropriate medical resource. You will be asked where you are and whether the person is breathing; keep the line free in case they call you back. If someone is not breathing, a nurse or doctor stays on the line and tells you what to do until help arrives (Servicio de Emergencias Sanitarias de la Comunitat Valenciana, n.d.).

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When should you seek urgent in-person medical care?

In a life-threatening emergency, call 112 straight away (European Commission, 2026; Servicio de Emergencias Sanitarias de la Comunitat Valenciana, n.d.) - do not go to a health centre first and do not book a video consultation instead.

The Comunitat Valenciana's health emergency service (SESCV) says to call 112 immediately, for example in these situations (Servicio de Emergencias Sanitarias de la Comunitat Valenciana, n.d.):

• A person who does not respond
• A person who is unconscious but breathing
• Signs of a possible stroke (difficulty speaking or understanding, a drooping mouth, loss of strength or feeling in one half of the body - face, arm and leg on the same side - a very intense headache that starts suddenly, sudden loss of balance, vision affected in one or both eyes)
• Signs of a possible heart attack (intense, oppressive chest pain that may spread to the jaw, left arm, neck or back, with heavy sweating, nausea or vomiting, and sometimes palpitations or difficulty breathing)
• Serious bleeding
• Heat stroke
• Choking
• A traffic accident

If you call 112 for a person who is choking, a coordinating doctor will instruct you on how to proceed (Servicio de Emergencias Sanitarias de la Comunitat Valenciana, n.d.). If our doctor thinks you need to be examined or tested in person, they will tell you to go to a health centre, a PAC or a hospital emergency department.

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How do prescriptions and duty pharmacies work in Valencia?

The lists of pharmacies on duty (farmacias de guardia) are published by the official college of pharmacists of each province - Valencia, Alicante and Castellón - and the Conselleria de Sanidad's website points to all three (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, n.d.).

If you consult an online doctor, a prescription is never guaranteed: it is the doctor's clinical decision following assessment. If the doctor decides a prescription is appropriate, you receive a private prescription issued through REMPe, Spain's private e-prescription system. You show its QR code at a pharmacy in Spain, and the pharmacist checks it before dispensing.

If you are a visitor or new resident who has run out of, lost or forgotten a medication you take regularly, you can renew a regular prescription online through a private video consultation. Furthermore, if you fall ill shortly before your flight home and require clearance, our doctors can provide an evaluation for a fit-to-fly certificate.

Please note that our doctors cannot examine you physically, run tests or handle emergencies. If you are travelling further south in the region, the same video consultation is also available if you need an online doctor in Alicante.

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What documents should you prepare before seeing a doctor?

Because the EHIC and GHIC do not cover private healthcare (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021), you pay for a private consultation yourself - including a video consultation with UrgentDoc. Consultations start from €39. The exact fee is shown on the doctor's offer before you pay, and any medicine is paid for at the pharmacy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I see a doctor in Valencia as a tourist?

In an emergency, call 112 straight away, where callers can be assisted in English, French and German (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024). If it is not an emergency and you hold an EHIC or GHIC, visit your local centro de salud during normal hours or an out-of-hours PAC; EU visitors bring their EHIC or PRC to obtain a temporary inclusion document, while UK visitors present their GHIC or UK-issued EHIC (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021; Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, n.d.). Alternatively, you can book a private video consultation in English with our licensed doctors from your accommodation.

Can I see an English-speaking doctor in Valencia?

Our doctors are licensed in Spain, speak English and see you by video wherever you are staying. Consultations start from €39, with the exact fee shown on the doctor's offer before you pay, and any medicine is paid for at the pharmacy. If you face an urgent situation requiring emergency response, 112 Comunitat Valenciana provides service in English, French and German (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024).

Can I use my EHIC or GHIC in Valencia?

Yes. If you have an EHIC from an EU country, or a UK GHIC or UK-issued EHIC, you can get medically necessary state healthcare in Spain - Valencia included - on the same basis as people insured in Spain (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021). In the Comunitat Valenciana, an EU visitor presents their card at a health centre to receive a temporary inclusion document for ongoing care (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026). The card only works in the public system and does not cover private healthcare or medical repatriation (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021).

How much does it cost to see a doctor in Valencia without insurance?

For EHIC and GHIC holders, public care is free, except that you pay part of the price of prescription medicines (European Commission, 2026; GOV.UK, 2021). When care in the public system must be paid for under health law, official fees set by the Generalitat include €77.16 for a first primary-care consultation during normal hours and €240.00 for hospital emergency care, with tests charged on top (Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado, 2026). Private clinics set their own separate fees, while an UrgentDoc video consultation starts from €39. If you live outside Europe and lack card cover, ask what you will be charged before receiving care and verify your travel insurance coverage.

How do I get a SIP card in Valencia?

If you live in the Comunitat Valenciana, are registered on the padrón and with Spanish Social Security, and have health cover, bring your DNI or NIE to your nearest health centre (presenting a current padrón certificate and your INSS health entitlement document is recommended), and the centre registers you and issues the card (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026). Alternatively, if you lack public cover through other routes but have lived continuously for at least a year in Spain, the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the UK, you can apply for the convenio especial, which costs €60 a month under 65 or €157 a month from 65 (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, 2026).

Does 112 answer in English in Valencia?

Yes. 112 Comunitat Valenciana serves callers in English, French and German, so any tourist or visitor can be helped in those languages (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024). In 2023, the service answered 17,064 calls in English (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024). You can dial 112 even with the phone keypad locked, without entering a PIN and without a SIM card, provided there is network coverage (Generalitat Valenciana, 2024).

How do I find a pharmacy on duty in Valencia?

The lists of pharmacies on duty (farmacias de guardia) are published by the official college of pharmacists of each province - Valencia, Alicante and Castellón - and the Conselleria de Sanidad's website points to all three (Conselleria de Sanidad, Generalitat Valenciana, n.d.).

Can an online doctor in Valencia give me a prescription?

The doctor evaluates your situation and decides whether a prescription is medically appropriate, meaning a prescription is never guaranteed. If the doctor decides a prescription is appropriate, you receive a private prescription issued through REMPe, Spain's private e-prescription system. You show its QR code at a pharmacy in Spain, and the pharmacist checks it before dispensing.

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If you need non-emergency medical advice or care while staying in Valencia, you can book a video consultation with a licensed English-speaking doctor.