Trip to Spain – what is worth remembering?

Spain is a country that is a very popular holiday destination, and no wonder. Beautiful weather, paradise beaches and unique architecture make spending your holidays there a pleasure. However, before leaving for Spain, you should remember a few important things. What? More on that below!

What documents do you need when going to Spain?

Spain is part of the European Union, so you do not need a visa or passport - just an ID card. In addition, it is worth taking care of your safety during your stay. After all, you never know when you will need to see a doctor, and getting help can involve significant costs. To avoid them, you can use two options - the EHIC card and travel insurance .

EHIC card – what is it?

EHIC, i.e. the European Health Insurance Card, is a document entitling citizens of countries associated with the European Union and EFTA to receive free medical care while staying abroad. The amount of help you can receive in a given country depends on the rules in force there . If Spanish citizens have access to a given medical service for free, you will also be entitled to it if you have an EHIC card.

How to get an EHIC before traveling to Spain?

Before you go on holiday to Spain, you should go to the nearest National Health Fund branch and fill out an application for an EHIC card. You will then receive it immediately. However, it is worth remembering that during the holiday season the queues are longer, so in such cases you can use other options - postal delivery or the Internet. The latter is a convenient way to quickly get your EHIC card in your hands - you can complete the online application using the ePUAP electronic inbox or via IKP, i.e. the Internet Patient Account. Remember that to obtain an EHIC, you must have insurance .

What does the EHIC card provide in Spain? What do you have to pay for?

While staying in Spain, the EHIC will provide you with access to free basic medical assistance . The doctor decides whether a given service will be considered necessary and will be subject to reimbursement. The patient's health condition and the planned length of stay are taken into account. In the event of a threat to life or health, you gain the right to necessary treatment.

However, it is worth knowing that there are situations in which you will have to pay for medical services. The EHIC is valid only in public health care facilities and hospitals . If you need faster and more specialized help, e.g. dental treatment, you have to cover the costs out of your own pocket.

You also have to pay for medicines - in the case of reimbursed medicines, the tourist must cover from 40 to 60% of their price. However, medical transport to Poland is 100% paid . Its costs can be very high.

How to use the EHIC in Spain?

If you need to see a doctor while on holiday in Spain, you must go to the nearest public health service facility. You must take your ID card or passport and EHIC card with you. You can apply to:

• emergency departments (Servicio de Urgencias),
• clinic (Consultorio, Ambulatorio),
• health centers (Centro de Salud),
• hospitals.

For treatment to be covered by reimbursed services, you must use the above facilities during opening hours for patients admitted under public health care. In other cases, you will be treated as a private patient. You can read more about it here: https://ekuz.com.pl/ekuz-w-hiszpanii/ .

Tourist policy in Spain – why is it worth it?

Purchasing travel insurance is a very good idea for holidays abroad. First of all, it will guarantee coverage of treatment costs - it is worth paying attention to the amount of the guaranteed sum. It should be high enough to cover expenses for health care and other issues in this area. Additionally, the policy should include:

• Costs of medical transport to the country - it is very expensive and if you do not have insurance, you will have to cover these costs from your own pocket. So make sure your policy offers high levels of protection.

• Assistance – provides basic, free help in the event of an accident or misfortune. It offers comprehensive support, organizing the arrival of a loved one to the injured person, as well as interpreter and legal support.

• Accident insurance – guarantees reimbursement of costs in the event of suffering permanent health damage as a result of an accident or death.

• Third party liability insurance – civil liability insurance that covers the costs of damage resulting from an accident in the event of unintentional action.

The policy may also include luggage insurance, providing compensation in the event of damage or theft. Importantly, it provides a wider scope of protection than the EHIC and allows you to avoid very high costs of possible treatment or hospital stay .