Healthcare in Andorra for UK visitors: no GHIC, so insure properly

Healthcare is where British visitors most often assume too much about Andorra. It’s wedged between Spain and France, uses the euro and feels European, so it’s natural to think your GHIC will work as it does in Barcelona. It won’t. And on a mountain holiday, where a bad fall on the slopes is always possible, this is worth sorting before you pack.

Does the GHIC work in Andorra?

No. gov.uk puts it in one line. The European Health Insurance Card and the Global Health Insurance Card are not valid in Andorra, and you should have full travel and medical cover in place before you go. Andorra isn’t in the EU, which is the root of the problem. I explain where Andorra stands in Andorra and the EU.

Without insurance, any treatment is at your own expense. Spain’s Foreign Ministry also reminds its own citizens that hospital and repatriation costs fall on the traveller.

What your insurance should cover

gov.uk’s general advice is insurance that covers your itinerary, your planned activities and your expenses in an emergency. In Andorra, that translates into three things I’d check in the small print. Winter sports, if you ski or snowboard, and off-piste if you plan to leave the marked runs. Mountain rescue, which in Andorra is carried out by the fire service. And repatriation, because the flight home leaves from Spain or France, not from Andorra, which has no airport.

If you already have annual cover through a bank account or a credit card, check whether it names Andorra and winter sports specifically. Europe-only policies don’t always include countries outside the EU. If you’re coming mainly to ski, skiing in Andorra will help you judge what level of cover makes sense.

The hospital and where to get help

The public health network is the Servei Andorrà d’Atenció Sanitària, SAAS. Its main hospital is Nostra Senyora de Meritxell in Escaldes-Engordany, with an emergency department, and Spain’s Foreign Ministry lists its number as +376 871 006. At weekends and on public holidays there’s also the Servei de Permanències Mèdiques, from 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 20:00, according to Andorra Turisme, which also publishes a list of medical centres and pharmacies.

For an ambulance, gov.uk says to dial 116 and ask for one. The general emergency number is 112, the police are 110 and the fire service, which handles rescues, is 118. If you end up referred to a clinic or hospital, gov.uk advises getting on to your insurer straight away.

Altitude and cold

gov.uk warns that altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Andorra. That makes sense when the capital already stands at 1,023 m and much of the skiing and walking is above 2,000 m. If you drive straight up from sea level to a high resort, I’d take the first day gently, drink plenty of water and not push it. In winter, Spain’s Foreign Ministry notes that temperatures in the high mountains can easily fall to between −10 and −20 °C at night, so your kit is part of your health plan too. More on mountain safety in staying safe in Andorra.

Medicines and vaccines

gov.uk points out that the legal status of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can differ abroad, and recommends checking TravelHealthPro’s guidance on travelling with medicines. I’d bring enough of your own medication for the whole trip, in its original packaging. On vaccines, Spain’s Foreign Ministry lists none as compulsory or recommended for tourists, and gov.uk suggests checking TravelHealthPro’s Andorra page at least eight weeks before you go.

Before a day in the mountains

Most of the medical calls I’d worry about in Andorra start outdoors, so it’s worth following the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s simple routine for any mountain outing. Tell someone where you’re going, carry a phone with a location app and the local emergency numbers, and go properly equipped. It also recommends following Andorra’s civil protection advice and, in the ski season, the national avalanche bulletin. gov.uk adds that skiers should check the weather and avalanche safety advice before they travel. None of that replaces insurance, but it makes it far less likely you’ll need to use it.

If something goes wrong

Call 116 or 112, then your insurer. If you need help from the UK side, the FCDO in London answers around the clock on 020 7008 5000, and gov.uk can point you to English-speaking lawyers or support if you end up in hospital.