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Home > Healthcare
Medical care in Spain
 Health is an important consideration and it's a good idea to learn about the
Spanish and Catalan health systems so that if you have an emergency or need
to visit a doctor you know how to go about it.
The situation varies according to whether you are an EU citizen,
and whether you are in Spain on a temporary or permanent basis,
and I can only write about what applies to EU citizens.
First of all, before you leave your home country you need to apply
for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This is very easy
to do and enables you to reduced cost and sometimes free health
care in all the European Union countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein
and Norway, but only if you are on holiday or staying for the short-term.
For those people coming from the UK, the EHIC replaces Form E111.
Form E111 is no longer valid.
Applying for the EHIC is very easy, apply
for European Health Insurance Card online here.
You can also apply by post – collect the application form
from a post office; or telephone 0845 606 2030 (UK).
Healthcare in Spain for short-term stays and holidays
To see a doctor in Barcelona (and Catalonia) you should go to
your nearest CAP Centre d'Atenció Primaria. The CAP
is a public surgery and you can find your nearest one by visiting
their website: www.gencat.net
The website is in Catalan I'm afraid, but they do have a very
good website in English, although to find a CAP surgery
you will need to use the Catalan site above. The website in English
is: www10.gencat.net
Provided you have your European Health Insurance Card you will
be able to see a doctor at one of the CAP surgeries. The surgeries
are open from 8.30am to 8.30pm and there is a 24
hour help line: 902 111 444.
Healthcare for long-term residents in Barcelona
The Catalan Public Health system is called CatSalut Servei
Català de
la Salut and just as in the UK you need to register with a doctor
before you can use their services.
In order to register with a doctor you need to have a Spanish social security number and be registered
at your local Ayuntamiento (town hall) first (see details on how
to register at your local Ayuntamiento here).
Your registration paper (empadronamiento) must be less than three months old. As always, you will need some form of
photo identification such as your passport and a photocopy of that document.
To
register with the social services I recommend that you either use
a gestor or ask a friend to help because if you don't speak Spanish
it can be complicated. The main social security office is opposite Estació de França.
Once you have all the necessary documentation go to your local
CAP and register with a doctor. You will be given a provisional
identification document document identificatiu
provisional and
a permanent health card targeta sanitària individual TSI
will be sent to you by post. This TSI is valid
throughout Spain.
If you need more specialised treatment, the CAP doctor will refer
you to other specialist departments, and if you require emergency
treatment at a hospital you will also be covered by your targeta
sanitària
individual. Or, you can of course, phone the health
emergency number: 061.
If you are a pensioner retiring to Spain, you will be eligible
for a TSI and free prescriptions. If you are self-employed autónomo,
you have to make monthly payments to the social security system
in order to qualify. If you are employed in Spain, part of your
wages are deducted to cover national health care.
If you need emergency medical care you will always receive it,
but if you have failed to register with the necessary authorities
you may end up receiving a bill for your treatment, so it's something
well worth organising.
Let me know what you think about this page. Please rate
it! Thanks.
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