Dialysis in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is Catalonia's capital and one of the most-visited cities in Europe, drawing travellers for its architecture, its beaches and its food as much as for business and study. With your sessions arranged before you go, you can build a trip around the city and still keep your treatment schedule.

Reni coordinates your dialysis while you travel. We list the dialysis centres we can find in Barcelona. Tell us where and when, and we contact the centres for you, follow up until one confirms your sessions, and help you plan the rest of the trip. The centre provides your treatment, and you book your travel directly with each provider. Finding a centre and arranging your sessions with it is free, and we share your details with a centre only with your consent.

Getting your sessions sorted comes down to five steps:

1. Find a centre. The centres in our directory appear below, so pick the one closest to where you're staying.
2. Send your inquiry. Include your current dialysis schedule, prescription details and travel dates. We contact the centre for you and follow up until it answers, only with your consent.
3. Confirm dates, times and what to bring. The centre replies with available slots. Get your sessions confirmed in writing before you do anything else.
4. Gather your paperwork. Ask your nephrologist or dialysis nurse for everything the centre needs. Leave time; home units can be busy.
5. Travel. With your slots confirmed and your documents in order, you can enjoy the city with your schedule sorted.

Spain runs a high-standard mix of public and private dialysis units. In Catalonia the public system is CatSalut (Servei Català de la Salut), which primarily serves residents and emergencies; most holiday visitors arrange sessions with a private or visitor-friendly unit instead.

When we last reviewed this guide, our directory listed centres in the places below. The list further down this page comes straight from the directory, so check it for the current centres.

• Les Corts: near Camp Nou, in the western part of the city.
• Sant Andreu: in the north, a straightforward metro ride from the centre.
• Horta-Guinardó: in the north-east, on the hillside above the Eixample.

A typical routine is three sessions a week of around four hours, but your schedule is a matter for you and the centre. We don't give medical advice; our job is to help you find a centre and get in touch.

Centres typically ask visiting patients for the same core set of documents. Gathering these before you leave is one of the most important things you can do:

• A recent letter or summary from your home unit, including your dialysis prescription and current schedule.
• Recent blood test results.
• Virology and serology results (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV), routinely required.
• A full list of your medications, including doses and timing.
• Your passport, plus EHIC or GHIC if you have one and it's valid.

How recent your blood and virology results must be is set by the centre that will treat you, and it differs from one centre to another. Ask that centre what it needs, then ask your nephrologist or home unit to arrange the tests to match.

Requirements vary by centre, so confirm the exact list when you make contact.

Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) is one of Spain's busiest, with direct flights from across Europe and long-haul connections beyond.

• Distance: about 12 km southwest of the city centre, linked by metro, train and taxi.
• Within the city: the metro and rail network is extensive, so a centre in a different district is usually a straightforward journey.
• Worth asking: when you contact a centre, ask how other visiting patients usually get there and whether there is parking.

Barcelona draws visitors year-round, with a clear peak from June to September and a smaller surge around Easter and local festivals.

The golden rule: get your sessions confirmed in writing before you book flights or accommodation. Changing flights is expensive and stressful; confirming dialysis first keeps you in control.

If you are travelling in peak season, inquire several weeks ahead and keep a backup centre in mind. Outside the peak there is generally more room, but it is still best to arrange before you arrive rather than on the day.

Availability, what to bring, languages spoken and any costs can all change, and they differ from centre to centre. Always confirm the details directly with the centre before you book flights or treatment. We list centres and keep their contact details as current as we can, but we are not affiliated with them and cannot confirm availability on their behalf.