How Do I Get Health Cover in Spain?
Public health care in Spain is freely available and there are also excellent provisions for private medical insurance as well, anyone who can speak some Spanish will be able to obtain cards on their own or we can help with this service.
Public Health CareIf you are working
You can qualify for free health care in Spain if you or your employer pays your Social Security contributions. Social Security contributions will only cover 75% of the cost of most medication and you will therefore be required to pay the remainder.
If you are a touristIf you are a tourist or non-resident, a registered European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is sufficient for most emergency health situations in Spain.
Dental care, other than emergency tooth extraction, is not covered and Private hospitals or doctors will not accept the EHIC. The treatment UK residents receive on temporary visits to Spain is equivalent to that received by Spanish nationals, and may vary from that offered in the UK.
The EHIC can be obtained online at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers or by calling 0044 191 203 5555. It is issued free of charge.
Please note: Repatriation due to illness is not covered by reciprocal agreements and private insurance is strongly recommended to cover such costs or to provide a choice of clinics or doctors.
If you are retirement age you can request a E121 from Newcastle Pensions Service and with this form you can receive free health cover and prescriptions. In order to get permanent medical cover with an E121 form you do have to apply for residencia.
If you are in receipt of a UK State Pension or Long Term Incapacity Benefit and you decide to move to Spain permanently, you can request an E121 from the International Pension Centre (IPC) in Newcastle.
Once registered with the Spanish authorities, the E121 gives you the same medical cover in Spain as a Spanish national under the Spanish state-run health scheme. You should also be aware that:
- Treatment given privately and repatriation costs to the UK are not covered. You may therefore wish to consider whether you want to take out private health insurance
- Some social services may not be available.
In order to register your E121 you will need a certificate of residencia and a certificate of empadronamiento. Having obtained your certificates you must take them, along with both copies of your E121, to your local Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social (INSS) office who will retain both copies of your E121 and issue you with accreditation (Documento acreditivo del derecho a la asistencia sanitaria).
This should be taken to the local Health Care Centre in order to register with a GP. You will be issued with a plastic card at a later date (Tarjeta Sanitaria Individualizada Nacional – SIP card). This card can then be used to access healthcare under the Spanish state-run health scheme.
European Health Insurance Cards issued by the UK authorities to you and any dependant family member are no longer valid and should be returned immediately to:
EHIC Enquiries
PO Box 1114
Newcastle upon Tyne NE99 2TL, UK
Failure to do so, and any subsequent attempt to use a UK issued EHIC once you have moved to Spain, is deemed to be fraudulent and you will be asked to repay any costs the UK incurs on your behalf.
Once you register your E121 for any visits to other EU countries, including the UK, you and your dependant family members can be covered by applying for an EHIC from the authorities in Spain.
The NHS is a residence-based system. Therefore, once you have moved abroad you are no longer entitled to medical treatment in the UK under normal NHS rules. You must notify your former GP of the date you went to live in Spain so that you and members of your family (if applicable) are removed from the NHS register.
If you or a dependant member of your family covered by E121 arrangements needs NHS treatment for a condition that becomes medically necessary during a visit to the UK, you will need to produce an EHIC issued by the Spanish authorities.
Before you travel, always arrange travel insurance with health cover that is adequate for your destination. If you are unsure, talk to your insurer. The level of medical cover should be at least £1million for Europe. Take out a policy that has the benefit of a 24-hour emergency service. Serious accidents or illness will all be managed by the assistance company who will make any necessary arrangements, such as repatriation, and provide help and advice. No matter where you are going to travel, always check that your medical cover is adequate to meet whatever expenses you may incur. Always examine the conditions and exclusions of the policy and talk to your insurer if in any doubt.
Pre-existing conditions.Declare anything that you think might affect the cover, such as current or past medical conditions. Otherwise you may not be covered by your policy.
