https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will reach the Spanish island of Tenerife "within three days", with the evacuation of passengers to start from May 11th, the government said on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260507/hantavirus-ship-passengers-to-be-evacuated-to-spains-canaries-on-may-11th Thu, 07 May 2026 08:39:39 +0200 hantavirus-ship-passengers-to-be-evacuated-to-spains-canaries-on-may-11th Three people from a cruise ship hit with a deadly outbreak of a rare hantavirus were evacuated by air ambulance Wednesday and more than 100 passengers and crew will land in Tenerife by the weekend, despite opposition from the Canary government. https://www.thelocal.es/20260506/hantavirus-ship-heads-to-spains-canaries-despite-local-opposition Wed, 06 May 2026 15:32:11 +0200 hantavirus-ship-heads-to-spains-canaries-despite-local-opposition Following the United Kingdom's new anti-smoking law which prohibits anyone born after 2008 from purchasing tobacco for life, there have been calls for Spain's Health Ministry to implement a similar ban. https://www.thelocal.es/20260430/could-spain-follow-uk-in-banning-smoking-for-new-generations Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:06:58 +0200 could-spain-follow-uk-in-banning-smoking-for-new-generations French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Andorra to "move forwards" on decriminalising abortion during a visit to the principality, which maintains one of Europe's last total bans on abortion. https://www.thelocal.es/20260428/macron-urges-andorra-to-move-forwards-on-decriminalising-abortion Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:49:08 +0200 macron-urges-andorra-to-move-forwards-on-decriminalising-abortion A study on homeopathic treatments by Spain's Ministry of Health has concluded that the treatments are no more effective than a placebo. https://www.thelocal.es/20260427/spanish-health-ministry-study-calls-homeopathy-no-better-than-placebo Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:39:34 +0200 spanish-health-ministry-study-calls-homeopathy-no-better-than-placebo Spaniards often go to ‘urgencias’ (the ER) even when it’s not a serious medical emergency. So when is it really acceptable to turn up at A&E and when do you need to book an appointment first? https://www.thelocal.es/20260424/when-is-it-ok-to-go-to-the-er-in-spain-and-when-is-it-not Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:41:14 +0200 when-is-it-ok-to-go-to-the-er-in-spain-and-when-is-it-not Experts are warning the general population in Spain that pollen levels are expected to be much higher this year after abundant rainfall these past few months. Here's everything you need to know about hay fever in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20220531/pollen-allergies-in-spain-what-you-need-to-know Tue, 31 May 2022 16:29:18 +0200 pollen-allergies-in-spain-what-you-need-to-know If you've worked in the UK and are planning on retiring to Spain on the non-lucrative visa, you might not need private health insurance to qualify. Here's what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.es/20260408/how-a-uk-pensioners-s1-form-works-for-spains-non-lucrative-visa Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:21:27 +0200 how-a-uk-pensioners-s1-form-works-for-spains-non-lucrative-visa If you're thinking of applying for Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa or NLV you must have private health insurance, but not all policies will be accepted. Here's what type of insurance qualifies. https://www.thelocal.es/20260324/what-kind-of-health-insurance-qualifies-for-spains-non-lucrative-visa Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:45:25 +0100 what-kind-of-health-insurance-qualifies-for-spains-non-lucrative-visa Spain's health minister slammed US "interference" on Thursday after an official urged an investigation into the euthanasia of a paraplegic woman whose long legal battle with her father captured attention. https://www.thelocal.es/20260403/spains-health-minister-blasts-us-interference-over-controversial-euthanasia-case Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:25:35 +0200 spains-health-minister-blasts-us-interference-over-controversial-euthanasia-case Spain's euthanasia legislation has been controversial since it was first introduced, with legal challenges and opposition in medical circles. How it actually works involves a long, structured and purposefully drawn out process. https://www.thelocal.es/20230925/how-euthanasia-works-in-spain Mon, 25 Sep 2023 11:09:14 +0200 how-euthanasia-works-in-spain A 25-year-old woman who has been paraplegic since a failed suicide attempt underwent euthanasia in Spain on Thursday in a case that has divided Spanish society. https://www.thelocal.es/20260327/noelia-the-euthanasia-battle-that-has-gripped-spain Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:26:48 +0100 noelia-the-euthanasia-battle-that-has-gripped-spain If you're planning on applying for Spain's non-lucrative visa (NLV), you will need to provide a medical certificate, but what exactly is it and how do you get one? https://www.thelocal.es/20260326/what-is-the-medical-certificate-you-need-to-apply-for-spains-nlv Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:57:35 +0100 what-is-the-medical-certificate-you-need-to-apply-for-spains-nlv Life expectancy data reveals that people are living longer in Europe on average, but major differences in gender and geography remain. https://www.thelocal.es/20260315/where-in-europe-are-people-likely-to-live-longer Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:20:07 +0100 where-in-europe-are-people-likely-to-live-longer A royal decree widening access to healthcare in Spain will also align co-payment systems, expanding access to discounted and free prosthetics and wheelchairs for around 7 million people in the country. https://www.thelocal.es/20260312/the-new-rules-for-discounted-or-free-prosthetics-and-wheelchairs-in-spain Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:34:25 +0100 the-new-rules-for-discounted-or-free-prosthetics-and-wheelchairs-in-spain Spain on Tuesday announced it will guarantee free healthcare for more foreigners in the country. Who gets access to the public system now? What documents will they have to show? And does it include cover for Brits and EU citizens? https://www.thelocal.es/20260311/qa-who-gets-access-to-spains-public-healthcare-under-new-rules Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:08:03 +0100 qa-who-gets-access-to-spains-public-healthcare-under-new-rules Spain's left-wing government announced Tuesday it will expand free healthcare to undocumented migrants and other people not officially covered by the public system, clarifying doubts over who has access to state-funded health cover. https://www.thelocal.es/20260310/spain-to-expand-healthcare-access-to-undocumented-migrants Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:39:50 +0100 spain-to-expand-healthcare-access-to-undocumented-migrants Is it compulsory to vaccinate your children in Spain or can Spanish authorities force parents in certain situations? https://www.thelocal.es/20260309/is-it-mandatory-to-vaccinate-your-children-in-spain Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:39:48 +0100 is-it-mandatory-to-vaccinate-your-children-in-spain Environmental pollution is linked to several mental health disorders in Europe, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned, arguing that enforcing legislation would result in Europeans being both less depressed and less anxious. https://www.thelocal.es/20260305/pollution-exposure-in-europe-linked-to-mental-health-problems Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:10:55 +0100 pollution-exposure-in-europe-linked-to-mental-health-problems Spain's Consumer Affairs Ministry has announced that it will implement rules to ban the sale of energy drinks to people under the age of 16. https://www.thelocal.es/20260226/spain-to-ban-sale-of-energy-drinks-to-under-16s Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:07:39 +0100 spain-to-ban-sale-of-energy-drinks-to-under-16s