Abortion (interrupción voluntaria del embarazo) in Spain: access and rules

Key rules

• Time limit: On your request, abortion is allowed up to 14 weeks; later stages need a medical reason.
• Waiting period: No waiting period applies, and you can sign consent at the first appointment.
• Age 16 and 17: You can decide on your own, with no need to tell your parents.
• Cost: It is free with public health coverage, and you pay a private clinic if you have none.
• Tourists: Visitors and non-residents can have an abortion, usually paying privately.

The legal limits

Abortion is allowed on your request up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. You do not have to give a reason.

Up to 22 weeks it is allowed where there is a serious risk to your life or health, or a serious risk of foetal anomaly.

After 22 weeks it is allowed only in two cases. One is when anomalies incompatible with life are detected. The other is when an extremely serious and incurable foetal disease is confirmed by a clinical ethics committee.

These rules apply to any woman in Spain, whatever her nationality. The legal route depends on how far along you are, so date your pregnancy first.

Waiting period and consent

There is no mandatory waiting period. The old three-day reflection period was removed in 2023, and so was the duty to hand you written information about aid for motherhood.

You still have the right to information about your rights, the procedure and the public support available. You also sign informed consent in writing. You can give that consent straight away, at the same appointment.

If you are 16 or 17

At 16 and 17 you can consent to abortion and contraception on your own, without parental consent or notification. The same informed consent steps apply as for adults. If you are under 16, general rules on consent by a legal representative apply, so ask a health centre what that means in your case.

Who pays

Abortion is part of the public health system and is free if you are covered. In practice, most procedures happen in private accredited clinics that have a contract with your regional health service. The region pays the clinic. Few are done in public hospitals.

Arrangements and waiting times differ by region. Ask your regional health service which clinics it uses and whether you need a referral.

Doctors who refuse

Doctors can refuse on grounds of conscience. They are listed in a register of objectors. Public hospitals must still make sure the service is provided, so ask the centre to send you to another provider.

Tourists, non-residents and people without coverage

You can have an abortion in Spain even if you are a tourist or have no public health coverage. The legal rules apply to every woman.

Without public coverage you generally pay privately at an accredited clinic. The price depends on how many weeks pregnant you are and on the method. Ask the clinic for the total price and what it includes before you book.

Some regions treat undocumented residents as covered by public health, and urgent or risk cases are covered. Ask your regional health service how it treats you where you live.

How to get started

The steps, from first contact to follow-up, are in the process below. The checklist covers what to ask and check.

Abortion steps from first contact to procedure

• Gather your ID and health card: before your first contact

• Contact your GP, a sexual and reproductive health centre or an accredited clinic directly: as soon as you decide, since the weeks of pregnancy count

• Ask whether your region needs a referral or an authorisation form so the public system pays the accredited clinic: at first contact, in regions that use one

• Attend the information appointment, get an ultrasound to date the pregnancy and sign your informed consent: at the appointment; you can give consent straight away, with no mandatory waiting period

• Have the procedure: pills in the early weeks or aspiration (a minor surgical procedure) later: usually within days of the appointment

• Go to your follow-up check and contraception counselling: usually about 2 weeks after the procedure

• Pay privately if you are not using the public system; ID is usually all you need: when booking with the clinic

• Use the emergency contact details you were given: if you have complications after the procedure

Checklist

• Work out how many weeks pregnant you are, since the legal route depends on the stage of pregnancy.

• Check whether you have public health coverage, because abortion is free for those covered.

• Ask your regional health service which accredited clinics it contracts, since most procedures are done there and paid by the region.

• Ask a private accredited clinic for the total price and what it includes if you have no public coverage.

• Ask the clinic or health centre to send you to another provider if a doctor refuses on conscientious grounds.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a waiting period before an abortion in Spain?

No, Spain no longer has a mandatory three-day reflection period before an abortion. You still get information on your rights, the procedure and public support, and you sign informed consent in writing. You can give that consent immediately.

Is abortion free in Spain?

Yes, abortion is free if you have public health coverage. In practice, most procedures happen in private accredited clinics that the regional health service pays for, and few take place in public hospitals.

Can I have an abortion in Spain if I am a tourist or have no health coverage?

Yes, you can have an abortion in Spain without residency or coverage, because the rules apply to any woman. You will generally pay privately at an accredited clinic, and the price depends on how far along you are and the method.

Do doctors in Spain have the right to refuse abortions?

Yes, doctors can refuse on conscientious grounds, but they must be on a register of objectors. Public hospitals must still make sure the service is provided, so ask the clinic or health centre to direct you to where it is.