Can You Buy Antibiotics in Spain? What Tourists Need to Know
You’ve got a sore throat that won’t quit, a urinary infection, or an ear that is killing you, and you know from home that an antibiotic would sort it out. So you walk into a pharmacy in Spain, ask for one, and the pharmacist politely says no. Here is why, and what to do instead, so you can get treated quickly and legally.
The short answer: no, you can’t buy antibiotics in Spain without a prescription. They are prescription-only, and that includes 24-hour pharmacies. You need to see a doctor first, in person at a health centre or clinic, or online by video, and the physician decides whether you actually need one.
Can you buy antibiotics in Spain without a prescription?
No. In Spain antibiotics are prescription-only medicines. A pharmacy cannot sell you one over the counter, whether it is a small neighbourhood pharmacy or a pharmacy open 24 hours. If you ask for an antibiotic without a prescription, the pharmacist will refuse and will usually send you to a doctor.
This surprises many visitors. In some countries you can walk in and buy antibiotics from the shelf, but Spain is stricter, partly to limit antibiotic resistance and partly because the wrong antibiotic can do more harm than good.
Can a pharmacist prescribe antibiotics in Spain?
No. A Spanish pharmacist is highly trained and can give advice on minor problems, recommend non-prescription products for symptoms like a cough, a sore throat or heartburn, and tell you where to go next. But they cannot prescribe an antibiotic or sell one for a new infection. For that you need a prescription from a doctor.
How to get antibiotics in Spain as a tourist
The path is always the same: first a doctor, then a pharmacy. You have three practical options:
- Public health centre or emergency department. EU and UK visitors can use Spain’s public system with their EHIC or GHIC. Waits can be long and English is not always spoken, and urgent cases go to an emergency department.
- Private clinic. Faster and often with English-speaking staff, but you pay out of pocket. See how much it costs to see a doctor in Spain.
- Online consultation. A video consultation with an English-speaking physician available through TravelDoctores, usually within about 15 minutes, 24/7, for €33. If a prescription is clinically appropriate, the treating physician issues it independently, and you take it to a pharmacy. This is useful at night, on weekends or on a trip when you don’t know where to go.
A prescription from your home country is not always accepted. Prescriptions from another EU country can often be dispensed, but the pharmacist decides, and prescriptions from outside the EU generally are not accepted.
Not sure whether you need an antibiotic at all? A short video consultation can help you find out. You can also speak to a doctor online in English, any time of day.
Do you actually need an antibiotic?
Often, no. Antibiotics only work against bacteria, and many common travel illnesses are caused by viruses. Taking one when it isn’t needed won’t help you recover faster, and it can cause side effects and add to antibiotic resistance. Only a physician can tell you which kind of infection you have.
Common reasons travellers ask for antibiotics
These are some of the problems visitors to Spain most often want to be checked, and where a doctor may decide a prescription is appropriate:
- Urinary tract infection (UTI) →
- Sore throat and strep throat →
- Sinus infection →
- Ear infection →
- Traveler’s diarrhea →
When to see a doctor straight away
Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency room for difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, fainting, a stiff neck with fever, severe dehydration, or swelling of the face and lips. Online consultations are not a substitute for emergency care.
What if it’s night or the weekend?
You can see a doctor at any hour: an emergency department for urgent cases, or a video consultation, available 24/7. Once you have a prescription, you can collect it at a farmacia de guardia, the on-duty pharmacy that stays open overnight. Read our guide to finding a pharmacy open 24 hours in Spain.
Need to see a doctor in Spain?
Speak with an English-speaking physician available through TravelDoctores by video, 24/7. Typically connected in about 15 minutes. €33.
More reading for travellers in Spain
- English-speaking doctor in Spain →
- Pharmacy open 24 hours in Spain →
- How much does it cost to see a doctor in Spain? →
- Need antibiotics while travelling? A traveller’s guide →
- Leer en español: antibióticos en España para turistas →
Frequently asked questions
Not without a prescription. In Spain, antibiotics are prescription-only medicines, so a pharmacy cannot legally sell you one over the counter. You need a prescription from a licensed physician, which you can get from the public health system, a private clinic or an online consultation.
No. Unlike in some other countries, Spanish pharmacies do not sell antibiotics over the counter, including 24-hour pharmacies. A pharmacist can advise you on minor symptoms and sell non-prescription medicines, but for an antibiotic you first need a prescription from a doctor.
No. In Spain a pharmacist can give advice and recommend non-prescription products for minor problems, but cannot prescribe or sell an antibiotic for a new infection. If a pharmacist thinks you may need one, they will send you to a doctor.
A tourist needs a prescription first, then takes it to a pharmacy. You can see a doctor at a public health centre or emergency department (EU and UK visitors can use the public system with their EHIC or GHIC), at a private clinic where you pay yourself, or in an online video consultation with a physician available through TravelDoctores. The physician decides whether an antibiotic is appropriate.
It depends. Prescriptions issued in another EU country can often be dispensed in Spain, but the pharmacist decides whether they can accept it. Prescriptions from outside the EU, such as the US or UK, are generally not accepted, so you would need a new prescription from a doctor in Spain or from an online physician.
You can get a prescription at any hour, and then collect it at a farmacia de guardia, the on-duty pharmacy that stays open overnight. A pharmacy cannot sell you an antibiotic without a prescription, so the first step is to see a doctor: an emergency department for urgent cases, or a video consultation, available 24/7 with TravelDoctores.
You pay for the consultation and then for the medicine. Private clinic fees vary by city and clinic, and the public system may be free or low-cost for EU and UK visitors with an EHIC or GHIC. A TravelDoctores video consultation costs €33. Prescription medicines are paid for at the pharmacy.
You can have an online consultation with a physician available through TravelDoctores, usually within about 15 minutes, 24/7, for €33. Not every case needs an antibiotic. If a prescription is clinically appropriate, it is independently issued by the treating physician and depends on the physician’s licence and local rules. You cannot choose the medication, and online care is not suitable for emergencies.
No. Colds and flu are caused by viruses, and antibiotics only work against bacteria. Taking them for a viral illness will not help you recover faster and can cause side effects and contribute to antibiotic resistance. A physician can tell you whether your symptoms point to a bacterial infection.
No. Antibiotics sold without a prescription may be the wrong medicine for your infection, the wrong strength, or counterfeit. Using the wrong one can hide a more serious problem and add to antibiotic resistance. Get a prescription from a licensed physician and collect the medicine at a registered pharmacy.
This article is general information for travellers and is not medical advice. Rules can change, so check with a pharmacist or physician. It does not replace an in-person examination, and it is not for emergencies. In an emergency call 112 or go to the nearest emergency room.
See a doctor online, wherever you’re travelling
English-speaking physicians · Online 24/7 · About 15 minutes · €33
