Quick Answer
- What it is:
- Social Security & Health Card — a healthcare procedure in Spain.
- Deadline:
- No strict deadline
- Steps:
- 4 steps
- Cost:
- Free
- Documents:
- 5 required
- Legal basis:
- LGSS Art. 7
Important Deadlines
Apply for Tarjeta Sanitaria as soon as you have empadronamiento + SS number
Required Documents
- ✓NIE or passport
- ✓Empadronamiento certificate
- ✓Social Security number (número de afiliación)
- ✓Employment contract (for employees)
- ✓Alta de autónomo (for self-employed)
Step-by-Step Guide
Get your Social Security number (número de afiliación) at the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social.
Pro tip: If employed, your employer can request this for you. For self-employed (autónomo): do it yourself at sede.seg-social.gob.es.
With your SS number + empadronamiento, apply for the Tarjeta Sanitaria Individual (TSI) at your local Centro de Salud.
Pro tip: The TSI gives you access to free public healthcare at your assigned Centro de Salud and hospital.
Get assigned a médico de cabecera (family doctor) at your Centro de Salud.
Pro tip: All appointments go through your médico de cabecera first. They refer you to specialists.
For prescriptions, you pay a co-payment (copago) of 0-60% depending on income.
Pro tip: Retirees pay 10% (capped at EUR 8-18/month). Workers pay 40-60%. Unemployed on benefits: 0%.
Fees
Legal Basis
Also Known As
This procedure is commonly searched under these names:
Official Resources
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