Travelling and shipping to Spain with medical equipment

Key rules

• Cabin batteries: Batteries of 100 Wh or less need no approval in the cabin, and 100–160 Wh batteries need airline approval.
• Airline notice: Powered respiratory equipment such as an oxygen concentrator needs advance notice, so contact the airline before booking.
• Doctor's letter: Carry a doctor's letter or prescription for your devices and medicines.
• Import VAT: Devices shipped from outside the EU pay import VAT from the first euro.

Tell the airline first, and carry a doctor's letter

Most small devices need no approval, but powered breathing equipment usually does. Ask your airline before you book. Insulin pumps and glucose sensors normally need no approval. CPAP machines and especially portable oxygen concentrators generally need advance notice, often 48 hours to 7 days before departure.

For powered respiratory equipment, expect the airline to ask for:

• its medical form (often the standard MEDIF or the airline's own);
• a doctor's statement;
• confirmation that your oxygen concentrator is on its approved list, with enough battery for the whole flight plus a margin.

Medical devices normally do not count against your cabin baggage allowance. Each airline sets its own notice period and forms, so check before you book. The letter template below gives you a starting point for the airline and for customs.

If you have reduced mobility, ask the airline for free assistance at the airport. Ideally ask 48 hours ahead.

Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries up to 100 Wh can go in your cabin bag without approval. Batteries of 100–160 Wh need airline approval, and airlines usually allow two spares per passenger. Anything over 160 Wh is generally not allowed, except for approved mobility aids.

• Keep spare batteries in your cabin bag only, never in checked luggage, with the terminals protected against short circuits.
• A battery installed in a medical device can go in the hold or the cabin. The cabin is better.
• Power banks count as spare batteries. Airlines apply stricter limits to them, and some restrict their use on board.

Airport security in Spain

You may carry medical devices and supplies through security. Declare them at the checkpoint and show your doctor's letter or prescription. Staff may X-ray your devices or hand-check them if you ask. Screening practice varies a little between airports.

If you wear an insulin pump or glucose sensor, ask for a manual pat-down instead of the body scanner, because the scanner may damage the device.

Liquids you need for medical use are exempt from the 100 ml limit, but expect extra checks.

Insulin and cooled medicines

Keep them in your cabin bag, never in the hold, where they can freeze. Use an insulated pouch with gel packs or an evaporative cooling wallet, and keep ice away from direct contact with the medicine. Gel packs get through security if they are frozen solid or if you declare them as medically needed. Keep medicines in their original labelled packaging. Arrange a fridge at your destination in Spain.

Customs: what you carry

Personal medical devices for your own use come into Spain without duty or special permits, and customs generally does not check them. If you arrive from another EU country, there are no customs formalities.

If you come from outside the EU, you may bring a supply of medicine for personal use, usually up to three months, with a prescription or doctor's letter.

Customs: what you ship

If you ship a device from outside the EU, the carrier or a customs agent normally handles the paperwork. The documents are listed below. As a private person you can usually use your NIE or passport number where a business would use a customs number.

Import VAT (IVA) applies from the first euro, with no exemption for low-value parcels. It is charged on the customs value plus duty and shipping.

• Many medical devices and aids for people with disabilities pay the reduced 10% rate. Some items for the personal use of disabled people pay 4%.
• Other devices pay the general 21% rate.
• Customs duty depends on the tariff classification and is often 0% for medical and orthopaedic goods.
• The device should carry CE marking. Non-CE devices may be blocked.
• The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla have different indirect taxes.

Confirm the tariff code and VAT rate for your device with the Agencia Tributaria or a customs agent before you ship.

Shipping all your belongings when you move

If you are moving from outside the EU, you can import your personal belongings, including devices, duty-free. You must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and import within 12 months of moving. You need an inventory and proof that you changed residence. You cannot sell the goods for 12 months. Confirm how this applies to you with Aduanas before you ship.

Choosing between options

How should you carry or ship your device and its battery?

• Carry it with airline approval: Your battery is 100–160 Wh, so ask the airline first; usually only two spares are allowed.

• Ask about a mobility-aid exception: Your battery is over 160 Wh, which is generally not allowed unless it powers an approved mobility aid.

• Ship it from outside the EU: You do not want to carry it; expect import VAT at 10%, 4% or 21% depending on the device, and duty that is often 0%.

Check the battery rating in Wh first: 100 Wh or less goes in the cabin freely, 100–160 Wh needs approval, and anything larger or too awkward to carry is better shipped or discussed with the airline.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask the airline whether your equipment needs approval and which forms it wants: before you book

• Request free assistance at the airport through the airline if you have reduced mobility: ideally 48 hours before departure

• Keep the imported belongings and do not sell them: for 12 months after import

Documents you need

• Prescription or doctor's letter for medicines you carry for personal use, up to about three months' supply when travelling from outside the EU.

• Commercial invoice for a shipped device, or a pro-forma invoice if it is not a sale, showing description, value and the tariff (HS) code.

• Transport document for the shipment, such as an air waybill, issued by the carrier.

• Customs import declaration (DUA), lodged by the carrier or a customs agent.

• Your NIE or passport number, which a private individual can usually use instead of the business customs number (EORI).

• Inventory of your belongings and proof that you changed residence, if you ship under the new-resident duty-free relief.

• CE conformity documents and the EU declaration of conformity, if the import is commercial.

Checklist

• Ask your airline whether your device needs advance notice, and send the medical form and doctor's statement if it does.

• Check that every lithium battery is within the cabin limits: 100 Wh or less needs no approval, and 100–160 Wh needs airline approval.

• Arrange a fridge at your destination in Spain for cooled medicines.

• Confirm with Aduanas, the customs service of the Agencia Tributaria, how the new-resident relief applies before you ship belongings.

• Ask the carrier or a customs agent for the tariff code and VAT rate of your device before you ship it.

• Check that your shipped device has CE marking.

Letter template for airlines and customs about your medical device

Ask your clinician to copy this wording onto their letterhead. The letter should be in English or Spanish, or come with a translation, and be stamped. Airline and customs staff can then read it quickly. Take a printed copy and keep a photo on your phone.

Letter in English

[Clinic letterhead]

Date: [date]

To whom it may concern (airline, border and customs staff):

I am [clinician's full name], [specialty], registration number [number]. I am treating [patient's full name], born on [date of birth], passport or ID number [number].

The patient has [diagnosis] and needs the following medical device: [device name], make [make], model [model].

The device is medically necessary and is needed [permanently / for the long term]. It is for the patient's personal use only and must stay with the patient during travel, including in the cabin.

[Only for battery-powered devices: The device uses a [battery type] battery with a capacity of [capacity].]

For questions, please contact me at [phone] or [email].

Signed: [signature] [Clinician's full name] [Stamp]

Letter in Spanish

[Membrete de la clínica]

Fecha: [fecha]

A quien corresponda (personal de la aerolínea, fronteras y aduanas):

Soy [nombre completo del profesional], [especialidad], número de colegiado [número]. Atiendo a [nombre completo del paciente], nacido/a el [fecha de nacimiento], con pasaporte o documento de identidad n.º [número].

El paciente tiene [diagnóstico] y necesita el siguiente producto sanitario: [nombre del dispositivo], marca [marca], modelo [modelo].

El dispositivo es médicamente necesario y se precisa [de forma permanente / a largo plazo]. Es de uso personal exclusivo del paciente y debe permanecer con él durante el viaje, también en cabina.

[Solo para dispositivos con batería: El dispositivo funciona con una batería de tipo [tipo] y capacidad [capacidad].]

Para cualquier consulta, pueden contactar conmigo en [teléfono] o [correo electrónico].

Firma: [firma] [Nombre completo del profesional] [Sello]

Before you print it

• Check that the name and passport number match your travel documents exactly.
• Make sure the make and model match the label on the device.
• Make sure the letter is signed, dated and stamped.
• Delete the battery line if your device has no battery.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to tell the airline about my insulin pump or glucose sensor?

No, insulin pumps and glucose sensors usually need no airline approval, because they are passive or battery powered. Powered respiratory equipment is different: a CPAP machine or portable oxygen concentrator generally needs advance notice.

How early should I tell the airline about a portable oxygen concentrator?

Tell the airline 48 hours to 7 days before departure, and do it before you book if you can. Expect to supply a medical form and a doctor's statement. The airline will also check that your model is on its approved list and that your battery lasts the flight plus a margin.

Can I take insulin in my hand luggage through Spanish airport security?

Yes, you can take insulin through security in your cabin bag, as medical liquids are exempt from the 100 ml rule, but declare it at the checkpoint. Keep it in its labelled packaging and carry a doctor's letter or prescription. Never put it in the hold, where it can freeze.

Will I pay VAT if I ship my medical device to Spain from outside the EU?

Yes, import VAT applies from the first euro on devices shipped from outside the EU. Many medical devices pay the reduced 10% rate, some items for disabled people's personal use pay 4%, and others pay the general 21%.