You are entitled to healthcare and are covered by the Spanish National Health Service if you are working or self-employed and making the corresponding Social Security contributions.
You can also register any legal dependants under your healthcare entitlement by providing the necessary documents to prove your relationship with your dependants, i.e. Spouse, children, Common-Law-Partner (registered at your local Town Hall as a ‘Pareja de Hecho’).
Necessary Documents
You will have to provide documents such as marriage certificates, birth certificates (full version) Family book (Libro de Familia) if your children were born in Spain. You may be asked to produce an official translation of the documents.
In addition to these documents you will have to present the original and a copy of your Passport, Foreigners Registration Certificate/Card and Empadronamiento Certificate. All dependants will be issued with a Social Security number if they haven’t already got one, although they register under the titleholder’s Social Security number while they are acting as dependants.
Are Pensioners Covered?
Pensioners are also covered by the Spanish National Health. If you are receiving a Spanish pension you are automatically entitled to Healthcare. If you are a UK pensioner and you wish to switch your healthcare coverage form the NHS to the Spanish system, you can do so by obtaining the S1 document from the UK Pension Department.
If you are already living in Tenerife at the time of applying for the S1, it can be posted to your Tenerife address. Once received, you will have to present the document, together with an Empadronamiento certificate, Passport and Foreigners Registration Certificate/Card at the Social Security Office in Granadilla. This works on an appointment system, you will not be seen to if you turn up on the day without one.
Pensioners who want to register dependants under their healthcare entitlement do not have to prove their relationship with the dependent. The Spanish authorities will accept the paperwork sent from the UK, however, they still need to bring Passport, Empadronamiento certificate and Foreigners Registration Certificate/Card. Once they have processed the S1 document, you will be given a copy back and a form confirming your entitlement, which you will need for registering with a doctor.
Get more details about your entitlement from Lindsay Schewalie.
