Google Expands Telemedicine Advertising in Spain: What the New LegitScript Requirement Means

Telemedicine providers operating in Spain now have a new pathway to advertise prescription-drug services through Google—but there are important certification and advertising restrictions businesses need to understand before launching campaigns.

In July 2026, Google announced an update to its Healthcare and Medicines advertising policy for Spain. Under the new policy, telemedicine providers may promote prescription-drug services if they are certified through LegitScript’s Healthcare Merchant Certification Program. Advertisers must also obtain Google’s healthcare certification.

LegitScript announced that the change became effective on August 5, 2026, marking the first time LegitScript certification became part of Google’s advertising approval pathway for telemedicine providers in Spain.

For telehealth companies looking to expand their digital advertising presence in Europe, this is an important development.

What Does Google’s New Spain Policy Allow?

The policy allows qualifying telemedicine providers to advertise services related to prescription medications in Spain.

However, there is an important distinction:

Google specifically states that telemedicine advertisers in Spain:

• Must be certified through LegitScript’s Healthcare Merchant Certification Program.
• Must also obtain healthcare certification from Google.
• May promote prescription-drug services.
• May not promote prescription drugs in their advertisements.
• May not promote prescription drugs on their advertising landing pages.

This means certification should not be interpreted as permission to build Google ads around individual prescription products.

A clinic may be eligible to promote its telemedicine service while still needing to carefully evaluate the language, imagery and medication references appearing in its advertising funnel.

LegitScript Certification Goes Beyond the Advertisement

Preparing for LegitScript certification is not simply a matter of removing drug names from an advertisement.

LegitScript’s Healthcare Certification standards evaluate the healthcare business itself, including whether it is properly licensed for the jurisdictions it serves, complies with applicable healthcare laws, works with appropriate medical and pharmacy partners, accurately represents its services, and advertises transparently.

LegitScript also requires healthcare applicants to identify the jurisdictions where services are offered. For telemedicine businesses, this may include documentation relating to provider licensing, pharmacy relationships and compliance with telemedicine requirements in each applicable jurisdiction.

For a telehealth company entering Spain, the website therefore needs to tell a consistent story about how the business actually operates.

That includes questions such as:

• Where are services available?
• Who provides the medical care?
• How does the patient access a medical consultation?
• What entities are involved in prescribing and dispensing?
• Are required healthcare partners properly licensed?
• Is the website transparent about the business and its services?
• Does the advertising accurately reflect what happens after a patient enters the site?

These details can be just as important as the advertisement itself.

Your Landing Page Matters

One of the most important parts of Google's Spain policy is the landing-page restriction.

A healthcare advertiser should not assume that an advertisement is compliant simply because the ad copy itself does not name a medication.

Google explains that it evaluates prescription-drug services using factors that can include the advertiser's ads, website or app, products and services, and the content users encounter after clicking an advertisement. Google also states that it applies its prescription-drug-services policy cautiously when landing pages link to or refer to content facilitating online prescribing or dispensing.

This makes website structure especially important for telemedicine providers.

A landing page should generally focus on the healthcare service, patient process and availability of clinical care rather than functioning as a promotional page for a particular prescription medication.

Why This Matters Beyond Spain

Spain is part of a broader shift in digital healthcare advertising.

Google already recognizes LegitScript certification for certain telemedicine advertising in several markets, including the United Kingdom, and its country-specific healthcare policies continue to evolve.

For healthcare companies operating internationally, this means there may not be one universal advertising strategy that works across every country.

A website that is appropriate for one market may require changes before being advertised in another.

Preparing a Spanish Telemedicine Website for Certification

Companies planning to advertise telemedicine services in Spain should review the website before submitting certification applications or launching campaigns.

Particular attention should be given to:

• Medical provider transparency.
• Service-area disclosures.
• Pharmacy and healthcare-partner information where applicable.
• Patient access to providers.
• Privacy and healthcare disclosures.
• Accurate descriptions of the patient journey.
• Prescription-drug references.
• Claims about treatment outcomes.
• Advertising landing pages.
• Consistency between the website, application and actual business model.

LegitScript’s standards emphasize legal compliance, transparency and truthful advertising throughout the certification period—not just during the initial application.

The Takeaway

Google’s 2026 policy change creates a significant new advertising opportunity for legitimate telemedicine providers in Spain.

But the pathway has clear conditions.

For telemedicine providers promoting prescription-drug services, LegitScript certification and Google healthcare certification are part of the approval process, and prescription drugs still cannot be promoted in Google ads or their landing pages.

Businesses entering the Spanish market should therefore treat website compliance, certification and advertising strategy as connected parts of the same process.

A compliant telemedicine website should make it easy to understand who provides the service, where care is available, how patients receive care and how the business operates—without crossing the line into prohibited prescription-drug promotion.

Google Ads, Update to Healthcare and Medicines Policy (July 2026).

Google Ads, Healthcare and Medicines Advertising Policy — Spain.

LegitScript, LegitScript Healthcare Merchant Certification Now Recognized by Google for Telemedicine Providers in Spain, July 23, 2026.

LegitScript, Healthcare Certification Primer.

This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.