Where to acquire the European Health Insurance Card

People often choose to travel in their free time. Just as we are known for our tourism offer for visitors, Spaniards are also travelling more and more, and the main destinations are European countries
 

One of the things we value most when travelling is the ease of belonging to the European Union, which, among other things, avoids currency exchange and cross-border transit, with all the bureaucratic hassles that this entails, visa applications, use of passports, etc. 

Another of the benefits of Spain belonging to a select club of member states of the European Union is the ability to apply for the European Health Insurance Card.
 

Countries where you can use the European Health Insurance Card

One thing that could ruin our holidays is any mishap that affects our health, so it is essential that whenever we travel, wherever our destination, we have proper health coverage in place. If our destination is within the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden or the United Kingdom) or within the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway), or if we travel to Switzerland, we can apply for a European Health Insurance Card. 
 

The European Health Insurance Card gives us the same coverage as any insured person in our country of destination on our temporary trips. Therefore, if you need treatment, you can visit a doctor just like any other resident of the country you're in, with the same rights and obligations. 
 

How to request the European Health Insurance Card

There are various methods for acquiring the European Health Insurance Card. We can request it online using the Social Security E-Office, or in person by going to any Social Security Assistance and Information Centre. 
 

The card will arrive in no longer than 10 days, to the address indicated during the application process, or, failing that, to the address that appears in Social Security databases. 

The validity of the document is shown on the card, and it cannot be used for any specific treatment in a country that is not your country of residence, nor as a form of health cover if you change residence from one country of the European Union to another.