Registering with a Doctor
The legally established 'Right to Healthcare' decrees that everyone has the right to healthcare, regardless of their social or economic situation. By law, all Spanish citizens and legal Spanish residents are guaranteed access to public healthcare. Proof of residency in Spain proves your entitlement to healthcare.
Although healthcare is a basic right for all, Spanish citizens should register with the Spanish social security system to receive care. In order to register you will have to go to the nearest Social Security office, listed in the telephone book and online. There are a number of offices available in every Spanish province. You will be asked to fill out the relevant forms; there are many different forms available, depending on your personal circumstances such as if you are Spanish, a foreigner, a pensioner. If you are working in Spain, your employer will register you automatically. If you need to register yourself, the documents that you will have to present include:
Your passport, or a photocopy
Proof of address / Certificate of residence
Certificate of your Spanish social security number, if you have one
Once you have been registered you will receive an identification document known as the Individual Health Card. This card is your passport to all the healthcare services on offer.
Foreigners residing legally in Spain, who also have a legal contract of employment, can register with the Spanish social security system immediately. In order to do so you need only visit the health centre nearest to your home with your employment contract and your passport. If you are an EU national you can access health services with proof of identity, such as your passport, and your European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC. If your situation does not match either of these scenarios, you can pay privately for medical care.
If you have chosen to purchase private medical insurance, the insurance company will provide you with a health insurance card, which you will have to show when you visit a doctor. There are many different types of private medical insurance available, each of which will offer different advantages and cover different diagnostic or therapeutic aspects.
For further information on private health insurance in Spain, see the Spanish article Funcionamiento de la sanidad privada.
