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Trips to European Union countries. European Health Insurance Card

With the European Health Insurance Card, you have the right to receive any healthcare that may be required, from a medical point of view, during a temporary stay in the indicated States when your visit is for tourism, professional or educational reasons, but not when the purpose of the trip is to receive medical treatment.

According to the law and the Regulation on Administrative Mutualism, the mutual society member holding a membership document can request the European Health Insurance Card for him and his beneficiaries. Whether requested through the internet or carrying out the formalities in person, the mutual society member will obtain it immediately from:

MUFACE's e-Office. It can be obtained in two ways following this procedure:

By means of a digital certificate or Electronic ID Card (DNI electrónico).
By means of an username and password, for which registration must have been carried out beforehand.

Hand delivered, when requested at the MUFACE branch in person. The membership document must be presented. The mutual society member can authorise any of his beneficiaries or a third party of legal age to present the application or applications on his behalf. The authorisation must be made in writing and accompanied by a copy of the National ID document of the authorised person.
By any of the means set forth in Article 16.4 of Public Administration and General Administrative Procedures Law 39/2015 of 1 October. In this case, the Provisional Replacement Certificate (CPS) will be delivered to the address specified by the mutual society member.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is the document that proves an individual's right to receive any healthcare that may be required, from a medical point of view, in the territory of another Member State and four European countries specified below.

There are 28 EU Member States, according to europa.eu, which is the website on the basic information about the European Union. These 28 countries are Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, The United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and Spain.

As previously mentioned, we also have to add another 4 countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Outside of Europe, mutual society members will require the Certificate of healthcare cover abroad.

The European Health Insurance Card covers temporary stays abroad for tourism, professional or educational reasons, but not when the purpose of the trip is to receive medical treatment.

With the EHIC and its Provisional Replacement Certificate, the holder can access public healthcare under the same conditions and scope as citizens in the destination country.

The physician in the destination country or the medical centre can request, in addition to the EHIC or CPS, the National ID Card or passport certifying the holder's identity.

The card is personal and non-transferable. This means that if the holder and beneficiaries travel abroad, each person must carry their own European Health Insurance Card.

As each country has its own healthcare system, the European Health Insurance Card cannot include all the provisions offered by the Spanish Health System, and even some of these provisions can entail an expense for the user, who will have to pay it directly.

There are two systems: The holder can advance payment for healthcare (reimbursement schemes) or partial payment (copayment schemes). Therefore, the holder must inform himself about the terms and conditions of receiving public healthcare in the country of destination before travelling.

The holder can request MUFACE to refund the amount paid in accordance with its own regulations.

The validity of the European Health Insurance Card is of two years. During this time, the mutual society member will have medical assistance in European countries.

Temporary trips outside the EU due to professional or educational reasons: Certificate of healthcare cover abroad

The mutual society member or his beneficiaries will require the Certificate of healthcare cover abroad, the purpose of which is to certify to any public or private entity that the holder or his beneficiaries have coverage for healthcare expenses in temporary trips abroad, with a maximum duration of two months from the beginning of the trip. The reimbursement, where applicable, of any expense must be requested by the holder at his MUFACE Branch, as set forth in the current regulation.

How can I obtain a Certificate of healthcare cover abroad?

MUFACE e-Office. It can be obtained in two ways following this procedure:

By means of a digital certificate or Electronic ID Card (DNI electrónico).
By means of an username and password, for which registration must have been carried out beforehand.

From any MUFACE Branch exclusively

The maximum coverage period in trips for private reasons is of two months from the beginning of the trip, and in trips for professional reasons it is for the period of time of the professional stay abroad.

Last but not least, if you travel abroad, whether temporarily or for a longer period of time, you must be informed properly about the need to be vaccinated according to the destination country. All this information can be obtained from the website of the Ministerio de Sanidad.