Eye Emergency in Barcelona: 24-Hour Eye Care, English Speakers, Costs

For an eye emergency in Barcelona you can go to a hospital emergency department or to a private clinic that runs a 24-hour eye emergency service, and three clinics say they take patients without an appointment. One of them says an English-speaking ophthalmologist is available, but none publishes its prices. If you have a chemical in your eye, rinse it with clean water straight away, and treat sudden vision loss, a dark curtain across your sight or severe eye pain as urgent. This guide lists the clinics' published details, which symptoms are urgent, what to do first, whether you can be seen in English, and how billing and insurance work. It is general information, not medical advice. If you think it is an emergency, call 112.

Where can I get emergency eye care in Barcelona at any hour?

Three private clinics advertise round-the-clock eye emergency services in Barcelona, and hospital emergency departments are the alternative. All of the details below come from the clinics' own pages, which are promotional, so phone before you travel.

• VERTE Ophthalmology, Via Augusta 61: describes a 24/7 eye emergency department, 365 days a year, with walk-ins welcome and no referral needed. The phone is 934 155 637. The page was updated on 5 March 2026, but the clinic's footer lists hours of 8:00 to 21:00 for this site, so confirm by phone that the emergency service is running.
• Institut Català de Retina (ICR), Carrer de Ganduxer 117: says its emergency service is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with consulting rooms used only for emergencies and a surgeon permanently on call. The emergency phone is +34 93 418 72 27.
• Admira Visión at Clínica Sagrada Família, Carrer de Torras i Pujalt 1: says it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with an ophthalmologist and surgical team on site and no appointment needed. The emergency phone is 936 029 456.

Other clinics and public hospitals also treat eye emergencies, and we could not confirm every provider's hours. For anything life-threatening, call 112. Our guide to seeing a doctor as a visitor explains 112, the 061 health line and urgent care centres.

Which eye symptoms count as an emergency?

Treat a chemical in the eye, a penetrating or high-speed injury, sudden changes in sight and severe pain as emergencies. The NHS says to go to A&E or call 999 if a strong chemical such as oven cleaner or bleach is in the eye, if a sharp object has pierced it, if something hit it at high speed, if your sight changes, or if you have severe eye pain, a headache, light sensitivity, nausea, blood or pus, or cannot open or move the eye.

For the back of the eye, the NHS page on retinal detachment says to get help urgently from NHS 111 for sudden floaters, flashes of light, a dark curtain or shadow, or sudden blurred vision. That page was due for review in August 2026. The Barcelona clinics sort problems by urgency too: Admira Visión says to attend immediately for vision loss, eye pain, trauma or a foreign body, and within one to two days for double vision, floaters and flashes, light sensitivity or blurred vision, and Oftalis, a clinic in Girona rather than Barcelona, gives similar advice. The NHS wording on new flashes and floaters sounds more urgent than the clinics' one-to-two-day window, so when in doubt, phone and describe your symptoms.

What should I do first if I get a chemical in my eye?

Rinse straight away with plenty of clean water and get to emergency care. The NHS, in guidance reviewed on 12 March 2026, says to use clean, lukewarm water, hold the eye open and run water gently over the eyeball for at least 20 minutes, and to keep rinsing while you wait for help and take the chemical's container with you. It also says not to drive yourself, to ask someone to take you or call an ambulance, not to try to remove an object that has pierced the eye, and not to rub the eye.

Can I be seen in English?

Possibly, but check when you call. VERTE's emergency page says an English-speaking ophthalmologist and English-speaking staff are available and that medical reports can be provided in English to help with insurance claims. ICR's website is available in English, but its page does not say which languages the staff speak, and Admira Visión's emergency page is in Spanish and Catalan and does not say either. The city council's international welcome page says the 061 line has a translation and interpreting service, which can help you decide where to go.

How much does an eye emergency cost, and does insurance pay?

None of the three clinics publishes a price. VERTE says costs depend on the diagnosis, the tests needed and the treatment, and that it will explain procedures and prices before proceeding. It welcomes travel insurance and self-paying patients, says direct billing may be possible depending on your insurer, and says medical reports in English can help with claims. ICR and Admira Visión both say they have agreements with most major health insurers.

Those are all private clinics. The UK government says a GHIC or EHIC covers necessary state healthcare only and is not accepted at private hospitals, and that it is not an alternative to travel insurance. If you rely on a GHIC, ask 061 or a public hospital emergency department, and if you use a private clinic, ask the price and your insurer's rules before treatment unless it is a true emergency. Keep every report and receipt.

What if it is not an emergency?

For a routine sight test, a prescription or glasses, see our guide to eye tests in Barcelona. If you have had laser surgery and have a problem afterwards, phone the clinic that treated you first, and our LASIK guide explains what aftercare and complications cover to ask about. You can also browse English-speaking eye care providers in Barcelona below.

Looking for English-speaking eye care in Barcelona? Browse by area: All of Barcelona, or by area: Eixample, Poblenou, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Les Corts, Diagonal Mar & Vila Olímpica, Gràcia, El Born & Barri Gòtic and Sants.