In an emergency in Valencia, call 112 - it is free and English-speaking operators are usually available. For everyday problems, start at a pharmacy. For a prescription, or to continue medication you already take, see a private or online English-speaking doctor. Your GHIC or EHIC covers state care only, not private clinics or a flight home, so keep travel insurance too.
Not sure where to go?
Pick what is happening and we will point you the right way.
Start at the pharmacy
For minor illness, bites, upset stomachs and advice. Pharmacists handle a lot at the counter, and it is free to ask.
See a doctor
For a prescription, or to continue medication you already take, an online English-speaking doctor is the simplest route. The Holiday Doctor can help where it is safe and clinically appropriate.
Call 112
For chest pain, breathing difficulty, severe bleeding, a bad allergic reaction or any life-threatening sign. Do not wait.
What's different about getting ill in Valencia?
Valencia is a comfortable city to be unwell in, with good hospitals and a growing English-speaking community. A few local things are worth knowing, especially around the festival season and the summer heat.
Las Fallas
The Fallas festival (roughly 1 to 19 March) fills the city with firecrackers and fireworks. The common injuries are burns, eye injuries and faintings in the crowds, and the noise is intense - bring ear protection for children. The city runs a large first-aid operation during the festival.
Summer heat
Summers are hot and getting hotter; 2025 was Spain's hottest on record. Sunburn, heat exhaustion and dehydration are easy to underestimate. Drink plenty, find shade in the early afternoon, and treat heatstroke (confusion, a very high temperature, collapse) as an emergency: call 112.
Beaches
Malvarrosa and El Saler use a flag system; swim when the flag is green or yellow and stay out on red. Jellyfish appear at times in summer. Lifeguards are on the main city beaches in season.
Tiger mosquito
The tiger mosquito is established in the area and its bites can be itchy and persistent. It is a nuisance rather than a disease risk: no locally-acquired tropical infection has occurred. Repellent and covering up at dusk help.
Where do I go in an emergency?
Call 112 for anything urgent or life-threatening. It is free, works from any phone, and operators usually speak English. For serious problems they will send help or direct you to the nearest A&E (urgencias).
The main public hospitals in the city are:
- Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe - the city's largest hospital and main referral centre.
- Hospital Clínico Universitario - a major teaching hospital near the centre.
- Hospital General Universitario - a large general hospital with a full A&E.
How do I see an English-speaking doctor in Valencia?
For a visitor who is not in the Spanish system, booking a routine public appointment is difficult, so most people use a pharmacy first and then private or online care if they need a prescription. Valencia has a well-established network of English-speaking private clinics serving the city's expat and digital-nomad community.
- A private GP or specialist consultation typically costs around €40 to €150.
- An online consultation with an English-speaking doctor is usually the quickest option, from about €29 to €39.
If you simply need to continue a medication you already take, an English-speaking online doctor can review a continuation supply where it is safe and clinically appropriate. The Holiday Doctor is built for exactly that.
What about the pharmacy (farmacia)?
Spanish pharmacies are excellent and everywhere, marked by a green cross. Pharmacists are highly trained and handle minor problems directly. The city has around a dozen pharmacies open 24 hours every day, and there is always a farmacia de guardia (duty pharmacy) covering nights and weekends on a rota.
No prescription needed
Paracetamol, rehydration salts, antihistamines, bite and sting creams, and the morning-after pill.
Spanish prescription required
Antibiotics, codeine-based painkillers, asthma reliever inhalers and stronger anti-inflammatories. A UK or other foreign paper prescription cannot be dispensed here.
Does my GHIC or EHIC work in Valencia?
Yes. A valid UK GHIC (or EHIC) covers state care in Valencia on the same terms as a local. The card covers state care only, never private clinics or a flight home, so keep travel insurance as well. Tap a card below to focus it.
UK GHIC
Covers
- State care, same terms as a local
- Emergencies and care that can't wait
- Flare-ups of ongoing conditions
Does not cover
- Private clinics or hospitals
- A flight home (repatriation)
EU EHIC
Covers
- State care for EU/EEA visitors
- Emergencies and necessary care
- Ongoing conditions and maternity
Does not cover
- Private treatment
- Repatriation home
Travel insurance
Covers
- Private care and clinics
- Repatriation home
- Cancellations and extras
Check the policy
- That it covers any pre-existing conditions
I've run out of my medication, what now?
Spain uses an electronic prescription system (the receta electrónica), but it works through a Spanish prescriber, so your home prescription cannot simply be carried over at a pharmacy. If you have run out of something you take regularly, the quickest route is an online English-speaking doctor who can issue a continuation supply where it is safe and clinically appropriate.
The Holiday Doctor is set up for travellers and residents in this position. A prescription is never automatic: a doctor reviews each request, and some medicines or situations need to be seen in person.
What an online doctor cannot help with
Some situations need a person in the room, and it is important to be honest about them.
An online clinical review is not for emergencies; for anything urgent or life-threatening you call 112, not a website. It is not for under-18s, and it is not the route to start a brand-new, high-risk medicine for the first time, which needs proper in-person assessment. It cannot help anyone who is not physically in Spain. And a prescription is never automatic: a doctor reviews each request, and where a medicine or a situation needs face-to-face care, the honest answer is to say so and point you to it. None of this is small print. It is the difference between a service that is safe and one that is not.
Common questions
Does my GHIC work in Valencia?
Yes. A valid UK GHIC (or EHIC) covers medically necessary state care in Valencia on the same terms as a local. It does not cover private clinics or a flight home, so travel insurance is still needed.
What is the emergency number in Valencia?
Call 112 from any phone, free, for any emergency. Operators usually speak English. Public A&E is signposted as urgencias.
Is Las Fallas safe, and what are the medical risks?
Las Fallas is generally safe but very crowded and loud. The common problems are minor burns from firecrackers, eye injuries and faintings, plus the noise, so bring ear protection for children. The city runs a large first-aid operation throughout the festival; call 112 for anything serious.
Can I see an English-speaking doctor in Valencia?
Yes. Valencia has a well-established network of English-speaking private clinics serving its expat and digital-nomad community, and an online English-speaking doctor can help for non-urgent problems and prescriptions.
Where do I find a 24-hour pharmacy in Valencia?
Valencia city has around a dozen pharmacies open 24 hours every day, and there is always a duty pharmacy (farmacia de guardia) on a rota. A flashing green cross marks a pharmacy, and the rota is posted in pharmacy windows.
What if I run out of my medication in Valencia?
Start at a pharmacy for advice. For a continuation of medication you already take, an online clinical review with a Spanish-registered English-speaking doctor can arrange a supply where it is safe and clinically appropriate. A prescription is not guaranteed.
Does my GHIC get me a routine doctor’s appointment in Valencia?
Not in practice. Without the regional health card (the SIP card), a visitor can use hospital emergencies (urgencias) and collect prescriptions, but routine appointments at a public health centre are very hard to arrange. For non-urgent care, an English-speaking doctor online can usually help the same day. A prescription is not guaranteed.
Are mosquitoes or jellyfish a health risk in Valencia?
The tiger mosquito is present in the region but has not caused locally transmitted disease, so the usual bite avoidance is enough. On the beaches, a flag system warns when jellyfish are in the water; if you are stung, rinse with sea water, do not rub, and ask a lifeguard or pharmacy for advice.
Check it yourself
Rules and entitlements change, so the official source is the final word.
