All important facts about the SIP card in Spain!

All people who have the SIP card in Spain have free access to medical care from the Spanish public healthcare system.

It is therefore a very important and sought-after card in Spain.

If you are also interested in or have questions about the SIP card and want to know how to get health card for Spain, then you will certainly find the answers in the following guide.

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What is the SIP card?

The SIP card is the individual health insurance card (“Tarjeta Sanitaria Individual – TSI for short) in Spain. In many Spanish regions it is simply known as a health card.

It is a document that identifies you as a user of the public health system in Spain.

This card contains in a standardised way

• the basic identification data of the cardholder,
• the right you have in relation to the supply of medicines and
• the healthcare organisation responsible for the medical care

The SIP is personal and therefore non-transferable.

All persons with public health insurance coverage who reside in the autonomous community (‘comunidad autónoma’) must have their own health card (regardless of age, including children from birth).

The name SIP comes from ‘Sistema de Información Poblacional’, which is the central administrative register of the Ministry of Health in the Autonomous Region of Valencia and serves as a support for the administration of the individual health card SIP.

What are the benefits of a SIP card?

• The SIP card allows access to the public health benefits provided by the National Health System (‘Sistema Nacional de Salud’ – SNS) and the autonomous communities.

• Identification of the patient in health centres and hospitals

• Identification in pharmacies when picking up prescribed medication.

• Prescriptions are stored electronically on the card. You will not receive a prescription form from the doctor.

Who is eligible for SIP card in Spain?

Eligible persons include, above all, those who are insured or co-insured in the Spanish healthcare system. Furthermore, EU pensioners who are resident in Spain and receive a pension from another EU country using the S1 form.

You are considered an insured person (‘asegurado’) in Spain if you are in one of the following situations:

• You are covered by social security as an employee or self-employed person and contribute to the Spanish social security system (‘Seguridad Social’)
• Pensioner of the Spanish social security system
• Recipient of periodic social security benefits in Spain, including unemployment benefit and unemployment subsidy (‘prestacion y subsidio de desempleo’)
• You are an EU citizen resident in Spain through registration in the Central Register of Foreigners (‘Registro Central de Extranjeros’) and have no other compulsory health insurance cover.

The National Social Security Institute (‘Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social’ – INSS for short) determines whether you are entitled to healthcare from public funds of the Spanish health system.

This means that before you apply for a Spanish health card, you first need to have this right recognised by the INSS. See my specialised article How to access Spanish healthcare as a pensioner correctly?

Who issues the health card?

The Ministry of Health (‘Consejería de Sanidad’) of the respective autonomous communities in which you have your place of resident.

There are currently several models in circulation. For example, there are health cards with or without a photo and with a chip or magnetic strip.

However, all health cards are valid throughout the Spanish healthcare system.

How do I apply for the SIP card?

There are two ways to apply:

1. in person at a health centre (‘centro de salud’) closest to your home.

2. electronically online, if it is possible and you have a digital certification (‘certificado digital’)

What are the requirements to apply for it?

The basic conditions for applying for the SIP card in Spain are

• Place of residence in the autonomous community where you are applying for it

• Recognition of the right to healthcare by the INSS

• Residency in Spain

What documents do I need to submit (required documents)?

If you are applying for the health card in Spain for the first time, you will generally need the following documents:

1. Passport/ID card

2. Certificate of registration with the municipality (‘empadronamiento’), not older than 3 months. In some municipalities, you can authorise the authorities to retrieve the data from the municipality’s registration register.

3. Registration certificate for EU citizens (‘certificado de registro de ciudadano de la unión’) or Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (TIE)

4. Proof of the right to healthcare in Spain (‘Documento acreditativo del derecho a la asistencia sanitaria’) issued by the ‘Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS)’

5. and sometimes an official passport photo (32x 26 mm) if the card of the autonomous region requires a photo (e.g. on the Balearic Islands)

How do I receive my health card?

Depending on the autonomous region

• the SIP card will be sent to you by post to your home address or

• you must collect it in person from the health centre (‘centro de salud’) when it is ready or

• it will be issued to you on the spot (in the case of larger health centres)

When you submit your application, you will be assigned a general practitioner/family doctor (‘médico de familia’) and a nurse (‘enferma’).

When you receive the health card, check whether there is any incorrect data on the card or errors were made when it was issued. If so, you will need to apply for a new one.

How much does SIP cost?

The health insurance card is issued and renewed free of charge.

How long does a SIP card last in Spain

In general, the validity of the health card is indefinite.

However, it can also be issued for a limited period. In some autonomous communities, the validity of the SIP card is limited to four years. The expiry date is stated on the front of the card or you can check it online.

In the case of foreigners, the validity of the card is linked to the validity of the residence permit. If you are an EU citizen, the validity of the SIP card depends on the validity of the registration certificate (‘Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión Europea’).

If you are a pensioner with a pension from another EU country and you have acquired the right to healthcare using the S1 form, this right generally expires after a certain period of time. You must then submit a current S1 form to the INSS in order to regain access to healthcare.

If you do not have access to the public health system or if you also want to take out the right private health insurance for you in Spain, I can recommend ASSSA’s private health insurance for international clients:

Where can I check my data?

You can usually check the data of your health card and the cost sharing for medication online on the website of the autonomous community:

• Your card data: expiry date and status of the card, national insurance number. personal code

• Cost sharing for medication allocated by the INSS: percentage and code

How to update SIP card?

You can change your home address or other personal details (ID, NIE, telephone, etc.) at the health centre or online.

You will need a ‘certificado digital’ to do this online.

Does a change of address lead to a new card being issued?

No. The change of domicile may lead to a change of health centre and assigned professionals (doctors and nurses).

If, after updating your home address, you do not wish to change doctor or nurse, you can exercise your right to choose your doctor.

Do I have to apply for a new card every time my employment situation in Spain changes?

No. Not even if your National Insurance Number (NASS) has changed.

My health card has been destroyed, stolen or lost, what now?

You must apply for a duplicate at the ‘centro de salud’ or online (with ‘certificado digital’).

All you need is an identity document and, if you have changed your address, a current ‘empadronamiento’. Sometimes also the registration certificate.

Can I get a temporary SIP card in Spain?

Note from practical experience

It is also possible to obtain a so-called temporary SIP card . At least I know of one specific case from the ‘Comunidad Valencia’.

In this case, the following documents had to be presented:

• identity card
• German health insurance card
• S1 form

They also asked for the NIE and the home address, but no written confirmation was requested.

This temporary SIP card is valid up to 6 months and can be extended.

However, the question arises as to whether access to healthcare services is restricted with this type of health card and how the costs of medication and other services are shared.

On the basis of a personal notification, the temporary SIP card in the Valencia Region is only available for medical consultations with the assigned general practitioner (GP). Other consultations, e.g. with a specialist or in hospital, are only covered in emergencies.

Final tip: If you are travelling through Spain, you should always carry the Spanish health card with you in order to have access to public health benefits.

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