# European Health Card



## MadameEspana (Jul 19, 2009)

Hi to all fellow expats. I am an English lady living now in Spain permanently. I hold the Spanish Residence Card and am a retired pensioner and under the Spanish Healthcare System which is wonderful I might add. 

I would like to visit the UK to visit friends and family and have been told there is a card I can apply for that will give me reciprocal medical care should I require it when I am away from Spain. I cannot find out where to obtain this card or how long it would be valid for. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

MadameEspana said:


> Hi to all fellow expats. I am an English lady living now in Spain permanently. I hold the Spanish Residence Card and am a retired pensioner and under the Spanish Healthcare System which is wonderful I might add.
> 
> I would like to visit the UK to visit friends and family and have been told there is a card I can apply for that will give me reciprocal medical care should I require it when I am away from Spain. I cannot find out where to obtain this card or how long it would be valid for. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!


Hi there,

I think it's a Europian Health card. My friend got hers at the Social Security office. Hang on in there. Someone is bound to know exactly where you get it.

Glad you are liking it here and settling in.

Chica. x


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hi There MadamEspaña,
(Good name by the way)
As Chica said, you need to go to you local _Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social _office and get a _Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea_. There are different types of Seguridad Social offices so make sure you go to the one named above.
Hope you get it without too much hassle. Be prepared for a possible long wait in the offices!


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Hi There MadamEspaña,
> (Good name by the way)
> As Chica said, you need to go to you local _Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social _office and get a _Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea_. There are different types of Seguridad Social offices so make sure you go to the one named above.
> Hope you get it without too much hassle. Be prepared for a possible long wait in the offices!


Thanks PW. Never good at remembering the names of these offices...lol


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Chica said:


> Thanks PW. Never good at remembering the names of these offices...lol


I cheated and asked my husband!:tongue1:


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I cheated and asked my husband!:tongue1:


Hahahah...good for you.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Chica said:


> Hahahah...good for you.


Yes, husbands come in useful - sometimes
:focus:


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## MadameEspana (Jul 19, 2009)

Chica said:


> Thanks PW. Never good at remembering the names of these offices...lol


Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I will look into this next week/


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## MadameEspana (Jul 19, 2009)

Chica said:


> Thanks PW. Never good at remembering the names of these offices...lol


Thanks for your suggestion, I like your name too by the way. Will look into these offices sometime next week. Hope I can sort it. :clap2:


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

MadameEspana said:


> Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I will look into this next week/


Please let us know how you get on and if the info was correct!!
Thanks!


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## MadameEspana (Jul 19, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Please let us know how you get on and if the info was correct!!
> Thanks!


Will get back to you once I sort everything out. thanks again!!


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

MadameEspana said:


> Hi to all fellow expats. I am an English lady living now in Spain permanently. I hold the Spanish Residence Card and am a retired pensioner and under the Spanish Healthcare System which is wonderful I might add.
> 
> I would like to visit the UK to visit friends and family and have been told there is a card I can apply for that will give me reciprocal medical care should I require it when I am away from Spain. I cannot find out where to obtain this card or how long it would be valid for. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!


Hi,
I got one of these cards last year. As has already been mentioned you go to the social security office. Also make sure you take your social security health card and, I cant remember, but probably all ID that you have too. They should give you the card straight away. (I couldnt believe it when it happened to me, its the quickest thing I have ever done in Spain.) It lasts for a year, but double check exactly what it covers, because I have a feeling it may not cover exactly everything. (eg. may cover cost of emergency treatment, but not any kind of hospital stay) I seem to remember someone saying that it is still advisable to take out travel insurance that will cover you too.
Hope this helps.
Caz.


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## MadameEspana (Jul 19, 2009)

Caz.I said:


> Hi,
> I got one of these cards last year. As has already been mentioned you go to the social security office. Also make sure you take your social security health card and, I cant remember, but probably all ID that you have too. They should give you the card straight away. (I couldnt believe it when it happened to me, its the quickest thing I have ever done in Spain.) It lasts for a year, but double check exactly what it covers, because I have a feeling it may not cover exactly everything. (eg. may cover cost of emergency treatment, but not any kind of hospital stay) I seem to remember someone saying that it is still advisable to take out travel insurance that will cover you too.
> Hope this helps.
> Caz.


So kind of you to give me the information. I heard it was valid for only a year. Wonder why? Shall be going down to this office when it gets a bit cooler. Won't be travelling just yet so want to do it just before we go so that it is valid as long as possible. Good that you get is straight away. Now that's incredible for Spain hey???
Thanks once again Caz


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

Now that's incredible for Spain hey???

...you will find that patience really is a virtue here...lol!! Your paper concertina will be bulging  but you do get used to it. Tranquilo, tranquilo...lol


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