Using the EHIC / GHIC Card in Spain

Last updated: 23 May 2026

The EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) and the UK's GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) let eligible visitors access state healthcare in Spain during temporary stays. They are genuinely useful for holidays and short trips — but they are not a substitute for residency cover, and they do not satisfy the health insurance requirement for a Spanish long-stay visa. This guide explains, neutrally, what the cards do and do not cover, and what you need instead if you are moving to Spain. For the wider picture, see our guide to the EHIC/GHIC and Spanish healthcare.

What the EHIC/GHIC covers

The card entitles you to medically necessary state treatment during a temporary stay, on the same basis as a Spanish resident — typically meaning treatment that cannot reasonably wait until you return home. That includes emergencies and care for ongoing conditions. It is designed for tourists and short-term visitors, and it operates within Spain's public system (the sistema sanitario público), so you would generally use state clinics and hospitals rather than private facilities.

Its limits

The card is not residency cover and does not make you a registered user of the Spanish health system. It typically will not cover private treatment, planned treatment you travel for, or repatriation, and it stops being appropriate once you are living in Spain rather than visiting. Crucially for movers, it does not satisfy the private health insurance requirement for a Spanish visa, which expects comprehensive cover with no co-payments — see our guides on public vs private healthcare in Spain and cover for non-residents.

Why it does not work for a visa

Spanish consulates require visa applicants to hold private health insurance broadly equivalent to public cover, with no co-payment (sin copago), no annual limit and a full year of validity, evidenced by a certificate. An EHIC/GHIC provides none of this — it is a visitor entitlement, not a policy, and cannot issue a visa certificate. Requirements vary by consulate and can change, so always confirm the current rule, but a card alone will not meet them. See visa health insurance requirements and the visa certificate guide.

What you need instead

If you are moving to Spain on a visa, you will normally need a private policy from an insurer authorised in Spain (regulated under the DGSFP), structured to meet visa rules. Once settled you may, depending on your status, also access the public system — but for the application itself, private cover is the route. Premiums are age-based and figures are indicative only; cover is subject to insurer acceptance and policy terms. To see suitable options, see visa health insurance or request a quote.