Using an EHIC or GHIC Card in Spain
Last updated: May 2026 · Independent, English-language guidance
If you are visiting Spain, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or the UK's Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) can give you access to state-provided healthcare while you are there. These cards are genuinely useful for holidays, short trips and other temporary stays — but they are widely misunderstood. They are not a substitute for travel insurance, they do not cover private treatment, and crucially they do nothing for people who are moving to Spain to live. This page explains what an EHIC or GHIC does and does not cover in Spain, and why anyone applying for residency or a visa still needs full private health insurance.
EHIC and GHIC: what they are
The EHIC is a reciprocal-healthcare card used across the EU and EEA: it lets a resident of one member state get state healthcare during a temporary stay in another. After Brexit, the UK introduced the GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) for most UK residents, which works in much the same way for visits to Spain and other EU countries. Some UK residents still hold a valid EHIC. For practical purposes in Spain, an EHIC and a GHIC behave almost identically — both give visitors access to the public system on the same basis as a local, during a short stay only.
The key word throughout is temporary. These cards are built around the idea that your home country still covers you and you are only in Spain for a while. The moment your situation becomes long-term — you move, register as a resident, or apply for a visa — the card stops being the right tool, and a residency-based arrangement takes over. For a fuller picture of how state and private cover compare, see public vs private healthcare in Spain.
What an EHIC or GHIC covers in Spain
Within a temporary stay, the card gives you access to medically necessary state-provided healthcare, charged on the same terms as a Spanish resident using the public system (the Sistema Nacional de Salud). In practice that typically means care that cannot reasonably wait until you return home, such as:
- Emergency treatment after an accident or sudden illness;
- Treatment needed for a flare-up of an existing condition while you are in Spain;
- Routine maternity care if you give birth unexpectedly during a visit;
- Care for chronic conditions that requires monitoring, such as dialysis or oxygen therapy, where you have arranged it in advance.
Because Spaniards pay nothing or very little for most public treatment, EHIC/GHIC holders are usually treated free of charge in public facilities. The card does not work in private hospitals or clinics — only in the public network and with state-affiliated providers.
What an EHIC or GHIC does not cover
This is where most misunderstandings arise. An EHIC or GHIC is narrower than people expect, and it is not insurance. It does not cover:
| Situation | Covered by EHIC / GHIC? |
|---|---|
| Necessary state care on a short visit | Yes |
| Private hospitals, clinics and specialists | No |
| Repatriation or being flown home | No |
| Living in Spain as a resident | No |
| A residency visa application | No |
| Treatment arranged purely to be done abroad | No |
It will not pay to fly you home in an emergency, it will not cover the cost of treatment in a private hospital, and it offers nothing once you are no longer a visitor. That is why, even for holidays, travel insurance is still recommended alongside the card. And it is why it cannot be used as the medical cover for a residency permit.
Why an EHIC or GHIC is not enough for a Spanish visa
For most non-EU residency permits — the Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, the Student Visa and others — Spanish immigration generally requires full private health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments and no caps on core care. An EHIC or GHIC fails this on every count: it is a temporary-visit card, not a Spanish private policy, it covers only the public system, and it is explicitly not for residents. Consulates will not accept it in place of a compliant visa health insurance policy.
Requirements do vary by consulate and nationality and can change, so always confirm the current rules for your case — but in practice, no consulate treats a reciprocal-healthcare card as visa-grade cover. The full conditions are set out on our visa health insurance requirements page, and the cover you do need is usually a no-copayment (sin copago) plan.
Why residents still need full cover
Once you live in Spain, your access to healthcare comes from your residency status, not from a visitor's card. Depending on your circumstances that might be public cover through work and social security, the convenio especial pay-in scheme, an S1 form if you are a UK state pensioner, or private health insurance. EU and EEA citizens registering as residents have their own rules — see health insurance for EU residency in Spain. Many residents take private cover regardless, for shorter waits, more choice and English-speaking care.
S1 form
Public cover for UK pensioners in Spain
EU residency
Cover rules for EU/EEA citizens
Private cover
How private health insurance works
How to use an EHIC or GHIC in Spain
If you are visiting Spain as a tourist, carry the card with you and present it (with photo ID) at a public health centre or hospital. You may be asked to show that the treatment is necessary rather than planned. Keep any paperwork in case you need to claim back charges later. And because the card has clear limits, pair it with travel insurance that includes repatriation and private treatment. For people moving to Spain rather than visiting, the card is the wrong starting point — look instead at health insurance for expats or, if you are retiring, cover for retirees.
Need residency-grade cover instead?
If you are moving to Spain or applying for a visa, we can help you find full private health insurance that fits. English-speaking support, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an EHIC or GHIC for residency in Spain?
No. Both cards are designed for temporary visits, not for living in Spain. Once you become resident, or once you apply for a residency visa, they no longer apply and you generally need private cover or qualifying access to the public system. See residency health insurance.
Will an EHIC or GHIC be accepted for a Spanish visa application?
Generally no. Most consulates require full private health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments, rather than a temporary-visit card. Requirements vary by consulate and can change, so confirm the current rules — see the visa requirements.
What does an EHIC or GHIC actually cover in Spain?
Medically necessary state healthcare during a temporary stay, on the same terms as a Spanish resident using the public system. That can include treatment for an accident, a sudden illness or the management of a pre-existing condition that needs care while you are there.
Does an EHIC or GHIC cover private treatment or repatriation?
No. The cards only give access to the public system, not private clinics or hospitals, and they do not cover repatriation or the cost of flying you home. A separate travel or private policy is usually recommended alongside the card.
Is the UK GHIC the same as the old EHIC?
They work in a very similar way for visits to EU countries including Spain. The GHIC replaced the EHIC for most UK residents after Brexit, though some people still hold a valid EHIC. Both give access to necessary state healthcare during temporary stays; neither covers residency.
I have a card. Do I still need private health insurance to live in Spain?
If you are becoming resident or applying for a visa, yes. The card does not cover long-term residence and is not accepted for most permits. You will normally need full private cover, or qualifying public access through work, the convenio especial or an S1 form.
Can pensioners use an S1 instead of an EHIC once they move to Spain?
Often, yes. UK state pensioners who move to Spain may register an S1 form to access the Spanish public system as residents, which is different from the temporary-visit cover a card provides. Eligibility rules vary and can change, so check the official guidance.
Should I keep my EHIC or GHIC if I have private insurance in Spain?
If you travel back to your home country or elsewhere in Europe, a valid card can still be useful for short visits. For living in Spain, though, it is your residency-based cover — private or public — that matters, not the card.