In many cases, Expats moving to Spain are required to have Private Medical Insurance - and to show proof of it when applying for a NIE or a TIE. However, Spain also has a Public Healthcare System for all its tax-paying citizens - So how does that work for Expats who are just arriving in the country? Depending on your nationality, reason for moving to Spain and tax paying status, you may or may not be eligible for it.
With all of these nuances, understanding how the Healthcare system works in Spain, will naturally be one of your top priorities when moving. So, is Healthcare free? Do you really need Private Insurance? And how much does it cost? Let’s get into it.
3a. Visiting a Doctor in Spain as an Expat
3b. Buying Medication in Spain as an Expat
3c. Medical Emergencies in Spain as an Expat
Spain has a public Healthcare system which is funded by the Government, meaning (most) of the services related to Health can be obtained for “free” (although technically, they are not free as you do pay for them indirectly through taxes - But essentially, you will not need to pay for utilising certain services, such as attending a doctor’s consultation).
Spain’s public healthcare system (SNS) covers most healthcare services, including general medicine, family practice, pediatrics, nursing, physical therapy and others. Expats who are eligible, can register for SNS after obtaining their NIE (or TIE); and from that point onwards, they can go to any Public Medical Facility for emergencies. They can also book an appointment for free with a General Practitioner, who can then refer them to a Specialist Doctor if needed. You will also have the ability to avail from emergency healthcare, as well as medical prescriptions at a discounted rate at Pharmacies (with a prescription from a Public Doctor). It’s important to note that public health doesn’t cover dental and eye care, and it only partially covers medical prescriptions.
This entire system is managed by the Spanish Social Security (Seguridad Social), who requires residents to discount part of their salary for Social Security Tax. This money goes on to fund Spain’s Healthcare System (Sistema Nacional de Salud - SNS), which every tax-paying resident, and their family, can utilise. To access the SNS’s network of doctors and services, you have to register for it after arriving in the country - But don’t worry, in this blog we will explain how to do it.
Sign Up to Matutto to access a step-by-step Guide to activate your National Healthcare Access in Spain
Only some expats have the right to access Public Healthcare in Spain. Normally, this is the case for tax-paying Expats who directly contribute to the Social Security System with tax payments. However, there can be some nuances to this depending on your nationality, Visa Type (if you need one) and reason for moving to Spain.
You can follow this easy rule of thumb to check if you have the right to access Spain’s Universal Healthcare system:
✅ If when you applied for your NIE (or Visa, if you’re not an EU Citizen), they did NOT ask you for proof of Healthcare Coverage, you probably have the right to access Public Healthcare in Spain.
If you’re not sure how to check the requirements for your NIE, you can sign up to Matutto for free to learn more. Or better understand what is a NIE here.
❌ If when you applied for your NIE or Visa, they asked for proof of Health Coverage, you may not be eligible for Public Healthcare and may need to purchase Private Health Insurance for your stay in Spain.
You can also directly check your right to Social Security Services in Spain directly from their website here. We have a step-by-step Guide available in English that indicates exactly how to fill in the request fields. You can access it by creating an account on Matutto.
Generally, you can also present your EU Health Card as proof of Coverage in Spain, which would automatically give you access to the Public Health System in Spain. If you’re not an EU Citizen, you should also check if there’s any Healthcare Coverage programs between your home country and Spain, as some have an agreement that would also provide you with access to the SNS.
Otherwise, you’ll need to purchase a private Health Insurance that covers you during your time in Spain. If this is your case, don’t worry, because we have partnered with Feather, one of the best Health Insurances for Expats in the country, and you can use our discount code MATUTTO! to get € 15 OFF.
Now, if you have found that you do have the right to access Public Healthcare in Spain, you can’t just show up to a clinic and request an appointment. There’s a number of steps you need to get through to register in the Public Healthcare System before you can avail from the services. Here’s how you do it:
Once you’ve registered at your local Health Centre, you will be able to book an appointment without charge with a Spanish GP (General Practitioner). They typically see patients from Monday to Saturday and they are allocated as your Doctor by the Health Centre. These types of consultations are very brief (normally under 10 minutes), but enough for the Doctor to diagnose you and issue you medication prescriptions, or to refer you to some medical exams (also without payment). In some cases they may refer you to a Specialist Doctor within the National Health System, but these appointments can take months. If you were to go to a private Doctor, the waiting times would be much shorter, but you’d probably have to pay between €45 and €90 per consultation, if you don’t have Private Health Insurance.
Medication bought with a prescription issued to you by a Government Doctor can be bought in any pharmacy in Spain. You will have to pay for the drugs with your own money, but the price will be reduced between 40% and 60% in most cases. Spain is one of the countries where medicine tends to be more affordable when prescribed by a Doctor, because of Government support. NOTE: Make sure to take your NIE/TIE with you, both to the appointment and to the pharmacy to ensure you can get your prescription drugs.
The Medical Emergency number in Spain is 112, similarly to other EU countries. Operators will reply in Spanish but you can request to speak in English and speak to the local authority depending on your needs. Emergencies in Spain have fairly fast response times, particularly in big cities where an Ambulance can get to you in 15 minutes. In rural areas it can take longer and you may even have to drive yourself to the Hospital. Both public and private health centres have Emergency areas, but it’s advisable to go to your local public one as you will most likely already be registered and it makes the process faster and smoother. If you need to be hospitalized in the case of an emergency, this is also free under the Public Health System.
Spain’s Public Healthcare System is ranked 17th out of 44 countries in Europe according to Statista. However, 26% of the Spanish population also gets private Health Insurance. The reasons why people contract private Healthcare are mainly to be able to access faster services, and get seen in private clinics and hospitals. While public healthcare in Spain generally works very well, some highly demanded services can have weeks, sometimes months of wait until you can secure an appointment.
In addition, depending on the type of Visa you’re getting to move to Spain, you may need to prove you have a specific type of Private Medical Insurance as part of your application. For this, we partnered with Feather, a Health Insurance built for Expats moving to Spain. Not only you can get the coverage you need but you can also receive all the documentation you may need to prove your Healthcare Insurance in Spain, which you may need to provide during your Visa or NIE Appointments,
You can use our discount code MATUTTO! to get €15 OFF on Feather.
Depending on where you’re from and the type of Visa you’re applying for when moving to Spain, there is a chance you’ll be required to provide proof of Private Health Insurance. This is typically the case for the Student Visa, Golden Visa, Digital Nomad Visa and even Non-Lucrative Visa, but most commonly, it’ll be asked of you when you apply for your TIE.
The best thing you can do is to get a Private Insurance that meets the legal requirements - don’t make the mistake of just buying the cheapest insurance policy you find online. We recommend you to check out Feather (and use our €15 discount code - MATUTTO!), as they not only are very affordable, but also have a great coverage policy. In addition, they will provide you with a signed and stamp document which you can use in your Visa application.