Health Insurance for Students in Spain: EHIC, Visas and Care

Health insurance for students in Spain depends on where you come from. EU, EEA and Swiss students usually use the EHIC from their home insurer. UK students use a Student GHIC. Students from outside the EU need health insurance with an insurer authorised in Spain for their study permit. Many add private or travel cover too.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

Do you need health insurance to study in Spain?

Yes, in almost every case. What counts as health cover depends on your passport and where you are insured:

• EU, EEA or Swiss student: the EHIC from your home country, plus whatever your university asks for.
• UK student: a UK Student GHIC, and usually travel insurance as well.
• Student from anywhere else: health insurance that meets the study permit rules.

Our comparison of health cover in Spain shows how these options fit together.

What does the EHIC cover for EU, EEA and Swiss students?

The European Commission says that if you go abroad for a while to study, you should apply for an EHIC before you leave. The card is free. It gives you medically necessary care in the public system, on the same terms and at the same cost as people insured in Spain.

• Covered: public GP and hospital care that cannot wait until you go home, including care for long-term conditions and pregnancy.
• Not covered: private clinics, mountain rescue, lost or stolen things, a flight home, or planned treatment.

If you register as a resident for a stay of more than three months, Spanish law asks EU students to have health insurance that covers all risks in Spain. Ask your foreigners' office (oficina de extranjería) or your university which proof of cover it accepts.

How does the UK Student GHIC work in Spain?

UK residents who study in the EU can apply for a free UK Student GHIC. GOV.UK says it gives you necessary care on the same basis as a Spanish citizen, either for free or at a reduced cost.

• You need a letter from your university or college. It must show your course, your study dates, where you study abroad and your UK address.
• The NHSBSA says the card covers you for the length of your course. If your course is extended, you can ask for a new end date.
• Non-UK nationals need proof of EU Settlement Scheme status or another accepted document.
• If you already have a valid UK Student EHIC, you can use it until it expires.

The NHS is clear that a GHIC does not replace travel and medical insurance. It does not cover private care, ski or mountain rescue, or being flown back to the UK.

Do I need health insurance for a student visa in Spain?

Yes. Spain's Ministry of Inclusion says students from outside the EU need health insurance with an insurer authorised to work in Spain. It must give benefits similar to Spain's basic public health package. The rule is in Royal Decree 1155/2024, and you need proof of it again when you renew.

The permit also asks for a medical certificate to show you have no disease that is a serious public health risk. You do not need it if you apply from inside Spain. Our guide to the medical certificate for a Spanish visa covers that part.

Consulates may add their own conditions on top of this. Check with yours before you buy a policy.

Do Erasmus students need extra health insurance in Spain?

The EHIC is the base for most Erasmus students from the EU. It does not cover everything, though. Many students also have insurance through their university or exchange programme. Read what it actually covers, and look for these points:

• GP visits, hospital stays and emergencies.
• Private clinics, if you would rather not use the public system.
• Mental health support and therapy.
• A flight home if you are seriously ill or injured.
• Sport, including skiing or diving if you plan to do them.
• Conditions you already have, and the medicines you need for them.
• Whether you pay first and claim back later. If so, keep every invoice and report.

How do you choose health insurance for studying or an exchange abroad?

Start with what the law or your university requires, then fill the gaps. Ask the insurer these questions in writing:

• Is it authorised to work in Spain? Non-EU students need this for the permit.
• Does cover start on your arrival date and last the whole course?
• Are there copayments, waiting periods or a cap on what it pays?
• Are pre-existing conditions covered?
• Can you see a doctor in English, and how do you book?

Our guide to expat health insurance and travel insurance explains the difference between the two.

Where do students go when they get ill in Spain?

Pick the door that fits the problem:

• Health centre (centro de salud): for everyday problems in the public system. Bring your EHIC or GHIC and your passport or ID.
• Your university: ask early on what health or wellbeing support it offers.
• Pharmacy (farmacia): pharmacists can advise on minor problems.
• Hospital emergency department (urgencias): for urgent problems at night or at weekends.
• 112: for any emergency. It is free from any phone.
• A private online GP: for urgent problems that are not emergencies, in English. You pay for the visit.

If you take regular medicine, bring enough and a list of it. A Spanish pharmacy should dispense a valid prescription from another EU country if it has all the required details and the medicine is sold here, though some still ask for a Spanish one. UK prescriptions are accepted only at the pharmacist's discretion, and NHS e-prescriptions cannot be used. US and other non-EU prescriptions are not valid. A prescription from a doctor licensed in Spain is the reliable route.

See our guide to emergency numbers in Spain for the other numbers.

How do students get sexual health and contraception care in Spain?

Your public health centre can help with contraception and sexual health. Emergency contraception is easy to find. The Andalusian health service says it is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, at full price, and given free in public health centres. It works best the sooner it is taken. Depending on the pill, the limit is 72 hours (levonorgestrel) or 120 hours (ulipristal) after sex. Ask the pharmacist which one you are given.

You can also talk through contraception or sexual health worries with a doctor by video.

Where can students get mental health support in Spain?

Moving abroad to study can be hard, and feeling low or anxious is common. Start with your university's support service or your health centre. If you have thoughts of suicide, call 024. Spain's Ministry of Health says this line is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, every day. If your life is in danger right now, call 112.

For anxiety that is not an emergency, you can also speak to a doctor by video in English.

Can I get a sick note or medical certificate for missing an exam?

It depends on what your university asks for. There are two different documents:

• Sick leave (baja médica): this is for workers. Under Royal Decree 625/2014, the public health service doctor who examined you issues it. For a work accident or occupational illness, the mutua's doctors may issue it instead. A private doctor cannot issue it.
• Medical certificate or note (justificante or informe): a document describing what the doctor assessed. Each university sets its own rules on what it accepts.

A certificate can only describe what the doctor assessed during the visit. It cannot confirm you were ill on an earlier day the doctor did not see. Read about certificates for school and university and our medical certificates service. A certificate is issued only if the assessment supports it.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time), in English or Spanish. In the visit he will:

• Ask about your symptoms and any medicines you take.
• Check for warning signs that need an in-person visit or 112.
• Agree a plan, and explain where to go in the public system if needed.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace a consultation with your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• EHIC, GHIC and S1 cover in Spain
• Health insurance for a Spanish residence visa
• Expat health insurance vs travel insurance
• Online doctor in Spain by profession and situation
• Medical certificate for a Spanish visa
• School and university medical certificates
• Online doctor in Spain