Updated July 23, 2021.
As of July 20, 2021, official figures state that there have been 786,811 confirmed coronavirus cases in Catalunya and 4,219,723 cases in Spain since the start of the pandemic.
The government recommends calling your local public health center (CAP) or 061 if you believe you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or 112 emergency services if you are in need of urgent assistance. While there is a lot of information on the Spanish Ministry of Health website covering a variety of topics, including dozens of videos answering FAQs on everything from how to help your children cope with homeschooling to how to properly wear a mask, it doesn’t make it clear where to go if you want or need to be tested.
What Are the Different Kinds of Tests Available?
Though there are various kinds of COVID-19 tests out there, the two most common types of laboratory tests are the PCR test and the antibodies test.
The PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is a viral diagnostic laboratory test, which is usually performed using a sample taken from a nasal swab. It detects the presence of the virus’ genetic material in your body at the time of the test, allowing you to find out if you are currently infected.
The antibodies test is a serological test, which requires drawing a small amount of blood. This type of test screens for one or more types of antibodies in your blood, letting you know if you’ve been infected with the virus at any point.
Some centers offer “rapid” versions of both viral and antibodies tests, which are much quicker to process but are not as accurate as a laboratory test. The antigen test is the quick alternative to the PCR test: it looks for parts of the protein that make up the virus in order to determine if you are currently infected. The quick antibody test is performed on-site, without sending results to a lab.
The prices for these tests aren’t regulated, so the more expensive PCR tests tend to run from €95 to €190, though some clinics have been known to charge up to €230. Antibody tests are less expensive, and usually cost between €30 and €65.
How Do I Get Tested?
There is no public health care option for voluntary testing at this time. In order for the public system to cover the costs of your test, you must receive a prescription from a doctor in the public health care system. The public health department organized a batch of free mass testing in Barcelona and other Catalan cities in August 2020, but with the exception of health workers, diagnostic tests are simply not available via the public system for asymptomatic patients.
Since April 2021, the Ministry of Health has officially allowed public and private laboratories to perform viral tests if prescribed by a doctor from either the public health system or a private clinic, even though many private clinics had already been offering tests to their patients since March—even without a prescription.
Although all public hospitals have laboratories, they will only test patients admitted to the hospital, or referred from other centers within the public health system. Private laboratories are the only option for an individual or company that wants to be tested on their own. While a prescription is still required for most private clinics, it is much easier to obtain one from a doctor at a private clinic than via a doctor within the CatSalut system. Some clinics don’t require a prescription at all.
Nearly all testing centers require an appointment as well as the use of a face mask while inside the facility. It’s a good idea to ask what kind of documentation is required when making your appointment, as many centers require photo ID and/or a CatSalut or EU health card.
Where Do I Get Tested?
The Generalitat has required all private laboratories to request authorization from the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut), but not all centers offer the same kinds of tests and prices vary widely. Below is a list of local medical centers that provide private coronavirus testing at the time of the writing of this article.
Disclosure: Some of these providers are affiliates of Barcelona Metropolitan. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Turó Park Clinics
C/ Francesc Pérez Cabrero 19, 1st Floor, 08021 Barcelona | tel. 932 52 97 29 | Book Appointment
Turó Park is a private medical center in Barcelona with an international network of multilingual medical and dental specialists. The clinic offers the PCR test for €95, the rapid antigen test for €45, the antibodies test for €40, and you can also request both the PCR and antibodies tests be performed on the same day for €135. The clinic guarantees results in 48 hours, though you may choose to pay a rush fee of €30 if you would like to receive the results within 24 hours. You must first have an online consultation with one of the doctors in order to receive your prescription and process your payment, which can be booked online or by calling the clinic.
The tests are performed at the clinic. Additional video consultations with medical specialists are also available for €60. The consultations as well as the test results are available in English.
The clinic also offers in-home rapid antigen tests that provide results in 15 minutes. The doctor will visit your work or home, collect the mucus sample and explain the results to you. Testing costs are: €245 for one person and €290 for two people. There is a charge of €45 per person after the second test.
Salutlabs Services Barcelona
Calle Sardenya 229, 4th Floor, 08013 Barcelona | PCR Test | Antigen Test
Salutlabs offers a convenient same-day courier service that provides COVID-19 PCR and antigen tests. The courier delivers a testing kit to your location in Barcelona. (Outlying areas of the metropolitan area may not be available for this service). The tests are non-invasive saliva tests which Salutlabs will provide to its diagnostic partner, Unilabs. Operating hours are seven days a week, including bank holidays, between 9:00 and 19:00. PCR tests are priced at €135 and antigen tests are €65 per person. Results are guaranteed within 24 hours and an authorized travel certificate will be sent to you by email.
Vidaria
Vía Augusta 237, 08021 Barcelona | tel. 933 62 40 35 | Email info@vidaria.es | Website
Vidaria is a private medical clinic based in Barcelona that offers rapid antigen tests for €45 with a turnaround time of 20 minutes. PCR tests cost €100 with results in 24 hours, while laboratory antibody tests cost €65 with results in 24-36 hours. A rapid antibodies test costs €40 and delivers results in 15 minutes.
Results are available in English if you request it at the time of the test. Also available are “in-company” testing packs for companies, with price discounts according to volume and a visit by the medical team to your place of business.
Barnaclinic
C/ Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona | tel. 932 27 93 91 | Email: barnaclinic@clinic.cat | Website
Barnaclinc is the branch of Hospital Clínic de Barcelona that is responsible for medical treatments not covered by the public health system. It offers PCR tests for €100 with results available in 48 hours.
At the time of the writing of this article Barnaclinc does not offer PCR tests for asymptomatic patients but does offer the possibility of an antibody test, depending on the patient profile. Results are also available in English. Call or make an appointment online to request pricing.
Laboratorio Echevarne
C/ Provença 312, 08037 Barcelona | tel. 900 909 110 | Find the center closest to you | Website
Echevarne is a system of 200 clinics located in Spain, Portugal and Andorra with six clinics in Barcelona. The main local branch is located in Eixample. The clinics offer a PCR test for €120, which takes 24 hours to process, a rapid antigen test for €40 that privies results in 20 minutes, an antibody test for €30 with results in 24 hours and a rapid antibody test for €30 with results in 15 minutes. Test results are available in English, and you can consult your results online after your visit with a secure username and password.
Certimedic
Avga. Diagonal 440, bajos, 08037 Barcelona | tel. 934 15 94 74 | Email: info@certimedic.es | Contact Form | Website
Certimedic is a private clinic that specializes in tests for medical certificates, such as the vision certificate needed to renew your drivers’ license. It offers two “rapid” tests: the serological antibodies test for €45 or the antigen test for €50 (results in 15 minutes for either). Certimedic also offers the PCR test (results in 24 to 48 hours) for €120, with an additional €20 charge if you need the results in under 24 hours (€210 in total). An authorized travel certificate is available with the results.
The company website contains diagrams with Spanish captions explaining exactly how each test works. The results can be downloaded to your mobile device or computer from the website.
Centre Medico Italo-Català
C/ Castillejos 355, 08025 Barcelona | tel. 722 488 557 or 627 293 037 (urgent line) | Email: prenotazioni@centromedicoitalianobarcelona.es | Website
In collaboration with the Amedics Medical Center, the Italian Medical Center of Barcelona has created a COVID-19 testing and prevention department inside its facilities. Though its main selling point is that the doctors speak Italian, the center treats patients of all nationalities.
The PCR tests are €100, with results available in 24 hours, as well as numerous other tests and services: a rapid antibodies test for €25 (results in 10 minutes), a rapid antigen test for €35 (results in 10 minutes), a laboratory antibody test for €65 (results in 72 hours), a lungs revision for €110, an x-ray of your lungs for €39, and two “COVID-19 Prevention Packs” for €75 and €110. The former includes a doctor’s visit and an x-ray, whereas the latter adds on a rapid antibodies test.
Centre Medic y Psicologic (CMIP) Eixample
C/ Valencia 396, Local 1, 08013 Barcelona | tel. 930 25 52 69 | Email: info@cmipeixample.com | Website
The CMIP is a multidisciplinary medical center with three areas of focus: medicine, psychology and physiotherapy. The center also offers medical certificates, such as vision certificates and certificates for weapons permits. CMIP offers a rapid antigen test for €39 and a rapid antibodies test for €49. It has two PCR tests, both for €99 each with results in 24 to 48 hours. For an additional €20 you get have your test results in less than 24 hours.
Centro Médico MAPFRE Barcelona
C/ Muntaner 40, 08011 Barcelona | tel. 936 34 41 41 | Contact Form | Website
The medical center offers a variety of services to MAPRE insurance clients, including highlighting the primary care, physiotherapy and other medical and surgical specialties. The antibody test is €50 and a PCR laboratory test €110, with results in 24 to 48 hours. The center also offers telephonic medical consultations with physicians from the center.
Operarme.es: Laboratorio Serro
Rambla de Catalunya 120, 08008 Barcelona | Laboratory tel. 932 18 70 91 Operarme tel. 902 90 75 45 | Email for assistance in English: estefaniaperez@operarme.es | Contact | Website
Operarme.es is a private medical services company owned by Caser Group which works with clinical labs and hospitals all over Spain. It specializes in offering surgical services and medical testing at a fixed price. The reduction in costs is possible due to the large volume of interventions that the organization processes on a regular basis. Services are purchased via the website and must be used within 90 days.
In Barcelona, Operame is partnered with the Laboratorio Sarro in Eixample. A home PCR test is available for €95 with results in 48 hours; the lab PCR test is €110 with results in 24 to 48 hours. The antibody test costs €49 with results in two to three days. A rapid antigen test is available for €45 with results in 12 to 46 hours. A package with both the PRC and antibodies tests together costs €160 whit results in 24 to 72 hours.. Test results are available in English upon request.
Creu Blanca
Appointment tel. 932 52 25 22 | Email: inform@creublanca.es | Website
Four locations offer COVID-19 testing:
- Clínica Creu Blanca, C/ Reina Elisenda 17, 08034 Barcelona | tel. 932 52 25 22
- Diagnosis Médica, C/ Còrsega 345, 08037 Barcelona | tel. 932 17 17 00
- Creu Blanca Tarradellas, Avga. Josep Tarradellas 104-106, 08029 Barcelona | tel. 934 19 23 23
- Creu Blanca Pelai, C/ Pelai 40, 08001 Barcelona | tel. 934 12 12 12
The PCR test is €100, The anti body test is € 40 and the rapid antigen test of € 50. For an additional €60 the center will provide after-hours testing. The Creu Blanca does not require a prescription to make an appointment, and test results are available in English upon request.
Two of the centers, the Clínica Creu Blanca and Diagnosis Médica, also offer a follow-up “checkup pack” for €450, designed for people who have been previously hospitalized for COVID-19 or who have shown symptoms while in quarantine at home. The pack includes a complete medical examination, blood and urine analysis, a CT scan to rule out any possible lung damage, an electrocardiogram, echo-cardiogram to check for any possible cardiac damage and a final assessment.
Centre Mèdic Travessera
Travessera de Gràcia 285 bis, 08025 Barcelona | tel. 934 08 91 05 | Email: info@cmtravessera.com | Website
CM Travessera is a private clinic specializing in sports and aeronautic medicine, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, and provides medical certificates. Both the rapid antibodies test and a rapid antigen test are available (results within 15 minutes), as well as a laboratory PCR test and laboratory antibodies test (results within 24 to 48 hours). The rapid antibodies test costs €45, whereas the rapid antigen test costs €39. The laboratory test for antibodies costs €60. The PCR test costs €115 when performed using a nasal swab, or €120 when using a saliva sample. PCR tests without an appointment are €130, and home PCR tests are €130.
CM Travessera only requires an appointment if you are showing symptoms of being ill—asymptomatic patients may simply show up and ask to be tested. The center also specifies that a medical prescription is not required to visit the clinic.
Centre Mèdic Teknon
C/ Vilana 12, 08022 Barcelona | tel. 932 90 62 00 | Contact Form | Website
Teknon Medical Center is a part of the Quirónsalud Hospital Group. It specializes in surgery but also offers general health, cardiology, oncology and dental care, and is one of the leading hospitals in the private health sector in Spain. It offers a laboratory PCR test for €125 with results in 24 hours, serological tests for €60 with results in 24 hours and antigen tests for €60 with results in minutes. A medical prescription is not required, and test results are available in English upon request.
Originally published October 2021, Updated with new info in April 2021 and July 23, 2021.