Health services, transport and street signs in the regional language

Key rules

• Language at the clinic: You can use Spanish or the regional language with public health services, and Spanish is always valid.
• Interpreter not guaranteed: Not every health professional speaks the regional language, but services must make sure you can communicate.
• Official names: The regional place name is the official one, and signs may show only that form.
• Street names: Your municipality sets street names, usually in the co-official language.

The short version

In regions with a second official language, the regional name is often the only one on a sign. That is normal and official. In health services you can use Spanish or the regional language, but you should not expect every professional to speak the regional language.

Health services

You can use either official language with public health services. Nobody can refuse to treat you because you speak Spanish. This applies in Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearics, Galicia, the Basque Country and, partly, Navarre.

You also have the right to be spoken to and to receive information in the regional language. In practice, services must make sure you can communicate, but there is usually no guarantee that your doctor or nurse speaks it. Forms, appointment messages and notices may come in the regional language, in Spanish or in both. Spanish is always valid.

If you need to be sure you understand, ask the reception desk for the information in Spanish. Details vary by region, so ask your local health centre what it offers.

Place names: who decides

Each region with its own official language sets its official place names. The pattern differs:

• Catalonia: only the Catalan form is official. Aran uses Aranese.
• Galicia: only the Galician form is official, for example A Coruña and Ourense.
• Basque Country: Basque forms are official. Where both are traditional, the name is bilingual, such as Donostia-San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz.
• Valencia: each municipality has one official name, which may be Valencian, Spanish or both. Examples are Alicante/Alacant and Castelló de la Plana.
• Balearics: Catalan names are used, such as Eivissa and Maó.
• Navarre: the name is Spanish, Basque or both, depending on the zone. Iruña/Pamplona is one bilingual example.

So the name on a sign may differ from the one on your map app or in your head. Eivissa is Ibiza, and A Coruña is La Coruña.

Road and street signs

Road and street signs use these official forms. In Catalonia, Galicia and the Balearics they normally show only the regional-language name. In Valencia they show each municipality's official name. In the Basque Country and Navarre they follow the zone rules and are often bilingual.

Signs on state roads follow national sign rules, but the place names on them still come from each region's official forms.

Street names are set by each municipality, usually in the co-official language. Your town hall decides the street name where you live. Your address may therefore appear in the regional language on official papers.

What to do

• Before a drive, look up the regional name of your destination and of the towns on the way.
• Write your address as it appears on your contract or padrón registration.
• Ask at the health centre if you need information in Spanish.

The questions below cover the most common doubts.

Frequently asked questions

Will every doctor or nurse speak the regional language?

No, public health services do not guarantee that every professional speaks the regional language. You may use either official language, and services must make sure you can communicate in practice. Spanish is always valid, so you cannot be refused for using it.

Why do signs show a place name I do not recognise?

Signs show the official place name set by each community, which is often only the regional-language form. In Catalonia, Galicia and the Balearics, for example, signs normally show only the regional name, such as A Coruña, Eivissa or Maó. Learn both forms of your destination before you travel.

Which regions use both Spanish and regional names on signs?

Valencia, the Basque Country and Navarre are the regions where both forms often appear, depending on the place. Valencia sets one official name per municipality, either Valencian, Spanish or both, as in Alicante/Alacant. The Basque Country and Navarre follow zone rules, with forms such as Donostia-San Sebastián and Iruña/Pamplona.

Who decides the street names where I live?

Your town hall decides street names, and they are usually in the co-official language. Road signs on state roads follow national traffic rules, but take their place names from the regional official forms.