🇻🇦 Vatican City Healthcare Guide
No hospital of its own — emergencies are handled by Italian 118 ambulances, which transport patients to nearby Roman hospitals like Santo Spirito and Gemelli.
Quick facts
- Emergency number: 112
- Ambulance: 118
- Healthcare system: limited
- Average GP visit: $30 USD
- EHIC/GHIC accepted: Yes
- Language barrier: medium
Healthcare overview
As the world's smallest country, Vatican City has no hospital and no general health system. A small first-aid post (Direzione di Sanità ed Igiene) staffed by Italian SUMAI doctors operates near the Santa Marta gate, primarily for residents, the Swiss Guard, and pilgrims who fall ill on site.
Anything beyond minor first aid is handled by Italian emergency services, which can enter the Vatican freely. The closest hospitals are Ospedale Santo Spirito (5 minutes), Ospedale San Camillo (10 minutes), and Policlinico Gemelli (15 minutes — the Pope's hospital). For travellers, the practical reality is that you're using Italy's healthcare system the moment you have a real medical need.
Vaccinations
Recommended
- Routine vaccines up to date
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Italian and EU prescriptions are dispensed at the Vatican Pharmacy (Farmacia Vaticana), one of the busiest pharmacies in the world. Non-EU travellers can buy over-the-counter medications freely; prescription drugs require a doctor's letter or a valid Italian/EU prescription.
The Vatican Pharmacy carries medications not always available in Italy due to slightly different drug approval rules — useful for residents but not normally relevant to short-stay travellers.
Italian brand names dominate: paracetamol is Tachipirina, ibuprofen is Brufen or Moment, omeprazole is Antra. Pharmacy staff at the Farmacia Vaticana speak multiple languages including English.
Access to the Vatican Pharmacy normally requires a Vatican access card or an Italian prescription. Most travellers should use any Italian farmacia in nearby Rome instead — there's one a few minutes' walk from St Peter's.