Spain's health service is among the best in Europe
Your EHIC card entitles you to receive the same treatment as Spanish nationals whilst in Spain
Local and national private health companies will usually give you a list of doctors
Around one in five Britons are considering retiring in Spain.
The World Health Organisation says that Murcia is one of the five healthiest places in the world to live
The Mar Menor
The Virgen de la Arrixaca hospital in Murcia
You can get private health insurance in Spain.
Good dentists are never far away in Spain
In Spain, non-prescription drugs are sold only in a farmacia. Farmacia de guardia are open 24 hours a day
Spain's healthcare is among the best in Europe. The excellent state SALUD system is one of the best in Europe, far outperforming Britain's NHS and is complemented by a first-class private sector available through Spanish and international medical insurance companies.
If you're under the retirement age and on a short visit to Spain from the UK, EU or some non-EU European countries, you're entitled to free or reduced cost emergency medical treatment. This will be equivalent to the treatment Spanish nationals receive, though it may vary from what is offered in your country or residence.
Before treatment you will need to produce a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, known in Spain as a Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea) which has replaced the former E111 form.
This only covers you for medical emergencies within the state sector and does not include repatriation due to illness, so you will need private medical insurance.
The EHIC card is available and valid in all European Community countries, as well as Switzerland and the European Economic Area (Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway). Apply for the EHIC card in your country of residence prior to departure. In the UK, EHIC forms are available free of charge from post offices and travel agents. For further information or to download an application form, log on to:
www.dh.gov.uk/travellers
If you're a pensioner resident in the EU or European Economic Area (see above) you're entitled to receive, subject to certain criteria, the same free or low-cost state emergency medical treatment as Spanish pensioners, provided that you are in possession of an E121 form, issued in your country of residence. In the UK, the E121 can be obtained from The Department for Work and Pensions. Contact them on 0191 218 7777 or visit:
www.dwp.gov.uk
If you're an EU citizen who has reached retirement age you should apply for a form E121 from the UK Pensions Service before you go to live in Spain. Once you arrive you must register the form at the local social security office and they will issue you with a social security card which must be produced when you go for treatment either at your local surgery or hospital. Until you have your card (and it may take some time to arrive), you should be able to show that you have applied for a card and want to be treated under EEA rules.
For residents who don't work and have not reached retirement age, you may still be able to get free or low cost state healthcare for a limited period of time, depending on your circumstances. If you've been paying social security contributions in the UK up to the point of departure, you should apply for form E106 from the Pensions Service in the UK. They will send you a claim pack and let you know whether you're entitled to this limited cover. Ask if you can include any family members in your claim. If they decide you're entitled to claim, they'll send you form E106 which you must then complete and register with the social security authorities in Spain. Until you register you won't be entitled to free healthcare, so make sure you've got health insurance cover as a back-up.
Once you start working in Spain and paying social security contributions through the normal channels, you're no longer entitled to use your E106 or your European Health Insurance Card. For full information about your healthcare rights in Spain, you can download the Pensions Service leaflet SA29 entitled 'Your Social Security Insurance Benefit and Healthcare Rights in the European Economic Area' and the SA29 form from the Department for Work and Pensions website:
SA29 LeafletSA29 Form
In a life-threatening emergency Spanish state hospitals are required to provide vital primary care treatment irrespective of the patient's ability to pay. Non-European visitors should always be covered by appropriate medical insurance - usually private - and in many cases will not be able to obtain the necessary visa without proof that such cover exists.
If you are resident in Spain, you'll have to pay monthly Social Security (Seguridad Social) contributions to qualify for state healthcare. If you are an employee, part of the cost will be borne by your employer and the state. If you are self-employed, you will be responsible for making the payments yourself (the same applies to those neither working or not yet of pensionable age).
Southern Spain has several major hospitals serving the state and private sector. Many doctors and nurses are fluent in English and there are volunteer translators on hand to help.
There are state-operated medical centres (ambulatorios) in every town and village, offering a wide range of medical services. Unfortunately, these GPs tend to speak only Spanish and are often booked up for days in advance.
You may prefer to visit one of the many private GPs, family practitioners and paediatricians in the area. Many allow you to drop in without an appointment, with some open 24 hours a day.
The British Consulate in Malaga can provide you with a list of doctors from the UK in practice on the Costa del Sol, and there are many other English-speaking GPs from Spain, Scandanavia and Germany.
There are many private dental clinics in the area, but only a few state dental practices.
Chemists or pharmacies are called farmacica in Spanish and they usually have a green or red cross outside. They're open Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 1.30pm and 4.30 to 8.00pm. Details of the nearest 24-hour pharmacy (farmacia de guardia) will be displayed on all pharmacy doors.
Non-prescription drugs are only sold in pharmacies in Spain, you won't find them in supermarkets or anywhere else.
