

If you are undergoing a procedure that is not covered by state healthcare, you will need to take out private health insurance or pay the full amount of your medical care costs. Private healthcare provisions run alongside the public system, with some healthcare centers ( centros de salud) offering both. To see any other specialist doctors, however, you must be referred by your family doctor.īe sure to keep it on you at all times, so you are able to present it whenever you use a public health service or purchase a prescription from a pharmacy. It allows you to register with an individual doctor or health center within your local healthcare district. You will receive the TSI card at your home address within two to three weeks. You can apply for a Spanish health card at your local primary healthcare center ( centre d’atenció primària – CAP).
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Both cards come free with your medical insurance.įollow these steps to sign up for health insurance in Spain

Legal residents can access public healthcare with an EHIC card or a Spanish health card ( tarjeta sanitaria individual – TSI). This is when private medical insurance comes in handy. However, if they need specialized medical care, they might face additional costs. Residents only need to pay a proportion of prescription charges as well as regular public health insurance payments. Most primary healthcare in Spain is free. That means that the healthcare system in Spain costs €122.8 billion per year (or €2,594 per inhabitant). Private healthcare adds another annual €32.5 billion (or €687 per inhabitant) to the total.

Around €12.8 billion of that is spent on drug prescriptions. Certain other socio-economic groups, such as students and pensioners, can make free use of the public healthcare system as well, even if they haven’t paid into the health insurance scheme.Īccording to 2022 data from the Ministry of Health, Spain spends €90.3 billion a year on public healthcare (or roughly €1,907 per inhabitant).

If an employee is registered for public healthcare, their spouse and dependent children also receive coverage. The Spanish healthcare system is funded by social security contributions from working residents. You can visit the Ministry of Health website for more information. Undocumented migrants can also access medical care but are required to pay at least 40% of the costs of the medication prescribed to them. Third-country citizens will need to have travel and healthcare insurance as part of their visa application. Nationals from the EU/EFTA (European Free Trade Association – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) can get free healthcare with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
