Healthcare for EU/EEA/Swiss Visitors

What if I need a doctor when I am travelling abroad? With your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) EU visitors can receive any healthcare, medically necessary health treatment, under the same conditions and at the same cost as for people insured in the country you are visiting.

The EHIC is valid in any EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland as well as in the United Kingdom (GHIC).

You can get the EHIC for free. Make sure you apply for it with your national health care provider well in advance of your departure.

Stays <90 Days

EU/EEA nationals can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/GHIC) for temporary stays in Spain. For long-term residence, they must register locally, contribute to social security (if working), and obtain the Spanish health card.

Access to Public Healthcare:

Tourists from European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) countries can access public healthcare with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card covers emergencies and necessary treatments during their temporary stay.

Emergency Care:

In case of emergencies, all visitors can receive medical care in public hospitals. However, without the EHIC or insurance, costs can be high.

Important – the EHIC:

• is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
• does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment,
• does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.

Stays > 90 days

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is generally valid for temporary stays only.

Key points:

• The card itself is valid for a period (e.g., 2 to 4 years), but its use is limited to “temporary” visits, such as tourism, short-term work, or study.
• There is no strict 90-day limit for the EHIC if the stay is considered temporary.
• However, the Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC), which you might use if you don’t have the card, is often only valid for 90 days.

If your stay ceases to be temporary (e.g., you move permanently, or stay for an extended period), you are usually required to register with the healthcare system of the country you are in.

• Apply for residency: You must register with the local authorities and get a residency certificate if your stay exceeds three months. 
• Obtain public healthcare: You must register for Spanish public healthcare by getting a Social Security number. This is done by visiting a local National Social Security Institute office with your residency certificate. 

In summary: You might be able to use it for more than 90 days if the stay is officially considered temporary (like an extended study placement), but for long trips, you should always confirm with your home country’s social security institution and consider travel insurance.

How to use the card

Show your GHIC or EHIC when you visit any state hospital or doctor. You cannot use either card for private healthcare.

What your card covers
You can use your card to get state healthcare that cannot reasonably wait until you come back to the UK (sometimes called “medically necessary healthcare”).

Examples for specific cases

Before you consult a doctor or go to a hospital, make sure that they are part of the public healthcare system, meaning they will accept your European Health Insurance Card.

Doctors
State-provided healthcare is free of charge.

Dentists
Dental treatment is generally not available under the state system.

Hospital treatment
You will need a referral from a doctor for any hospital treatment, except in an emergency.
Only public hospitals offer treatment free of charge.

Getting prescriptions
You can use a UK prescription to get medicines, including special food required for medical reasons, in Spain.
Prescription medicines are not free in Spain. With a GHIC or EHIC you get a reduced rate, but you’ll still pay:
• 50% of the prescription price
• 10% of the prescription price if you have a UK State Pension – you may need to show proof that you’re a pensioner to pay this rate

Travelling with a health condition
Bring any documents about your health condition or what medication you’re taking.
If you need to have treatment while you’re in Spain, you may need to pre-arrange it. For example, if you need oxygen treatment or dialysis.
You cannot take some products prescribed for health conditions with you into the EU.
Speak to your doctor in the UK for advice before you travel.

Oxygen therapy
You can get oxygen therapy with a GHIC or EHIC, but you need to arrange this before you travel.
You must send a written request to the Spanish health authority in the area you plan to visit at least one month before you travel.

Bringing medicine with you
You need a letter to prove your medicine is prescribed to you if it contains a ‘controlled drug’. You may need to show this at the border when you’re entering or leaving the UK and Spain.

Travelling to have planned treatment
You cannot use a GHIC or EHIC for non-urgent planned treatment – for example, if you’re going abroad to give birth.

Travelling to Other Country?

How can you use your European Health Insurance Card? Find all medical costs and contacts, country by country.