How to obtain a Spanish health card
A SIP card is a personal and non-transferable card that allows you to access the Spanish Healthcare System. Once you have your SIP card you will be entitled to receive the same health service benefits as Spanish nationals.
Whether you are in Spain already or planning to come here, arranging the SIP card should be a priority and we are here to help.
The documents you will need to apply for the SIP health card will depend on your current status. The following are all entitled to get a SIP Health Card without charge:
Pensioner and Spanish Resident: Passport, Residency, Padron and S1 Form
Employed or self-employed*: Passport, Residency or NIE Number, Padron and Vida Laboral (working certificate)
* Working in Spain you don’t have to be a resident to get your SIP card. You pay into the health system monthly, in a similar way to National Insurance in the UK
Resident prior to 16 April 2012: Passport, Residency, Padron and certificate stating you are not eligible to receive free healthcare treatment in the UK.
If you are someone who:
- has been Spanish resident more than a year;
- has taken early retirement;
- has never worked in Spain;
- is currently not receiving a State pension; or
- doesn’t have a spouse who meets the SIP card requirements
you will need to pay a small monthly fee to apply for the SIP health card.
Paying into the system if you don’t work in an EU country and don’t have a Form S1.
You will need to pay a monthly fee monthly into a scheme known as Convenio especial. The contributions are age dependant. Currently if you are under 65 you will pay 60 Euros per month and 157 Euros per month if you are 65 years of age. The documents you will need to produce for the application will be: Passport, Residency Certificate and Padron. Note: you will have had to be resident in Spain for more than a year to apply.
Help to obtain your Spanish SIP card.
As you can see getting the SIP Health Card is different depending on your status. We can talk through with you that element, so you can be sure you’re applying with the right one. Even then the application means a trip to the Social Security office and a meeting with officials in Spanish.
Here at Expat Services we can remove all of the administrative burden and challenges of the language barrier by managing the application on your behalf. We will talk you through it first so you are reassured about what is involved, we will quote you a fixed fee for the work and then we begin. To start with, express your interest by sending us an email or complete the form below.