If you are resident in Spain, have a Spanish social security number and you are actively paying your contributions into the Spanish Social Security system, you can apply for the Spanish equivalent of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which is the Tarjeta Sanitario Europea (TSE).
If you are travelling back to the UK, or to any other European country, on holiday, on business or to visit family and friends and require medical assistance, presentation of this will entitle you to receive medical assistance, free of charge.
For our British citizens planning on moving to Spain or are already living in Spain will need to either have an S1 form or Private health insurance. Brexit has caused huge problems as the UK is no longer part of the EU. You will therefore need some form of health care i.e private or state.
All residents in Spain need to register to access healthcare.
Once registered for healthcare, basic state services are free, but there are some things that patients need to pay for. For example, you usually have to pay something towards prescriptions – either a reduced price or the full price.
UK nationals usually access the Spanish national health system in one of these ways:
through entitlement to healthcare if they’re employed or self-employed and make social security contributions in Spain
registering a UK-issued S1 form with the social security office (see ‘UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Spain’ below)
through entitlement to healthcare as a permanent resident if they’ve lived in Spain for 5 years
paying directly into the public health insurance scheme (Convenio Especial)
using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for temporary stays when studying, or as a posted (detached) worker
Healthcare if you live and work in Spain
You must register as resident or apply for the appropriate visa if you want to stay in Spain for more than 3 months. See the guidance on Living in Spain for more information about visa and residency requirements in Spain.
You must show proof of healthcare cover:
before you can register as a resident
when you apply for a visa
This will usually be through social security contributions as an employee, private insurance or paying voluntary contributions (the ‘Convenio Especial’).
If you’re working or self-employed in Spain, you’re entitled to state healthcare on the same basis as a Spanish worker. Your dependants are also entitled (see ‘If you’re a dependant of someone living or working in Spain’ below).
Register at your local health centre with your social security number. You can get a social security number from your local National Social Security Institute (TGSS) office in Spain.
Your dependants need to register separately with the INSS.
You may be entitled to a Spanish EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.
If you are not working and not entitled to an S1 form
If you’ve been a resident in Spain for 5 years or more, you can apply for permanent residency. This will give you access to state healthcare on the same basis as a Spanish citizen.
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