Healthcare Without Papers: Spain Simplifies Access for Undocumented Migrants

Spain’s Council of Ministers has approved a royal decree regulating nationwide access to healthcare for undocumented migrants.

Drafted by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, the measure introduces a single procedure applicable across all of Spain’s autonomous communities.

Undocumented migrants already had access to medical care, but the new rules remove bureaucratic barriers and address cases where people without registration are unable to receive treatment—especially in primary care and hospital services. The decree also requires all autonomous communities to guarantee universal access, in order to prevent territorial inequality in how the right to healthcare is applied.

To access healthcare, applicants will only need to submit a declaration confirming they do not have health insurance, cannot rely on insurance from another country, and that there is no third party responsible for covering their treatment.

To prove residence in Spain, applicants will need a registration certificate or alternative evidence, such as school certificates, social services reports, utility or internet bills, consular registration certificates, and other documents.

After submitting the application, the person will receive a temporary document allowing immediate access to public healthcare while their case is processed. Authorities must issue a decision within three months. If no response is received within that period, the right to healthcare will be considered automatically confirmed.

Applications from vulnerable groups—children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and individuals under international protection—will be prioritised.

The decree also expands healthcare rights for Spaniards living abroad who return to Spain for short visits. Under the new rules, all Spaniards by birth and their family members will be able to use the public healthcare system during temporary stays in Spain.