If you move to Spain having in order your medical card is one of the most important things you must do. If you are in Spain and you want to access the Spanish Healthcare System for free, you will need to know how to register the S1 form.
There are different way to get the Spanish SIP Card, but the most common way for British in Alicante is registering the S1 form or the E-121 (Irish and Scandinavians).
If you don’t have an S1 form, you can read how to apply online on the gov.uk website. They will explain to you what Is the S1 Form and how to apply and use It.
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Register the S1 form to get the Spanish SIP card
When you move to the Valencia Community in Spain, you realize that you need to get the Spanish SIP card to have free health cover.
If you are a British citizen and you have an S1 form ( the S1 replaced the E121 so it is the same thing), you can register it and obtain “Documento Acreditativo de la Seguridad Social” this is your S1 Spanish equivalent.
Where do I have to register the S1 form or E121?
You must register your S1 at your local INSS office. To register it you must first to book an appointment on the official website of Social security.
We will explain to you the steps that you must follow to get your Spanish SIP card in Alicante Province.
1. Book an appointment in the Social Security Alicante
In the Vega Baja, the social security office is in Torrevieja, so if you live one of the next towns, you will need to go to the “Seguridad Social” in Torrevieja:
- Torrevieja
- Orihuela Costa
- Almoradí
- Pilar de la horadada
- Rojales
- Ciudad Quesada
- Guardamar
- San Miguel de Salinas
- Los Montesinos
If you are having problems to book an appointment on the website, or you need an urgent appointment to get your Spanish SIP card, please do not hesitate to contact us, we can book an appointment and make your SIP card in less than a week.
2. Paperwork needed to get the Medical Card
Once you book the appoitnem, you must be sure that you have all the parperwor in order. The documents that you will need the day of the appointment are:
- Valid Passport (Copy + Original)
- Residency Card (Copy + Original)
- Updated Padron “No more than 3 months old” (Copy + Original)
- S1 form (the 2 originals)
3. Spanish S1 form “Documento Acreditativo de la Seguridad Social”
If all the documentation is in order and correct, the social security office in Spain will give you the “Documento Acreditativo de la Seguridad social”, the equivalent yo your S1 or E121.
With this document, you must go to your nearest Medical centre and they will give you your Permanent SIP card. This card can’t have a date of expired.
If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us and get a free appointment or live your question in our comment section below.
Good Morning
I would like to make an appointment to register my s1 form which has been sent to me from the NHS in the UK.I live in Catalunia and already have a CatSalut card.As Iam not yet apensioner(Iam offically apensioner on my 66th birthday on Aug 25th) I think the UK have sent me this S1 form at this time to register for free prescriptions ect.Do I need to re-register using this S1 form?
Can you please advise?
Regards C A Couldwell.
Hola
We are both Irish, EU passport holders over 65 and live here in Albatera permanently since June
We have NIE, Padron, and residencia cards
We have UK state pensions
We have S1 forms
How do we register? Online makes no sense to EU passport holders but we do have valid S1’s
How do we get a social security number?
Hi
I just got the Residency Card today.
I have S1 original but they gave me just one copy.
How much time it takes now to get the SIP card?
My husband waited a long time in Torrevieja.
Hola!
With a copy of the S1, we can get the Permanent SIP card.
At the moment, in Torrevieja takes 4 – 6 weeks.
My father recently passed away and after being resident in Spain for 34 years with her own SIP card my mother has now apparently got to re-apply for her SIP card, we have all the paperwork and now an S1 form from the UK but are finding it impossible to get an appointment for her to do it in person as she is not internet savvy.
Can I help her to do it all online?
I have been a resident in Spain since 2015 and a pensioner since 2021 I am diabetic and have to pay a percentage of my drugs bill.
My husband although not diabetic pays nothing for any prescription he has.
Can you advise why this might be.
Hello,
It also depend on how much you receive as a pensioner.
You need to talk your doctor.