Getting your first Spanish prescription after arriving

Terms used

• Médico de familia — The médico de familia is your public-system family doctor (GP), who handles routine care and prescriptions.
• CIP — The CIP is the personal identification code on your public health card.
• Urgencias — Urgencias is the urgent care department at a hospital or health centre.
• Punto de Atención Continuada — A Punto de Atención Continuada is an out-of-hours urgent care point linked to a health centre.

Key rules

• Non-EU prescriptions: A prescription from outside the EU is not normally accepted by Spanish pharmacies, so you need a new one from a doctor in Spain.
• Public prescription: Routine public prescriptions need your health card and an assigned family doctor.
• Private route: A private doctor's prescription works at Spanish pharmacies but you pay in full.
• Bring a supply: Carry enough medicine for the first months, with your prescription and a doctor's report.

The short answer

You will not get a public prescription until your health card is issued and a family doctor is assigned. Until then, cover yourself with a private prescription, a supply you brought with you, or urgent care if you need it. Plan this before you fly, not after you run out.

A prescription from outside the EU is not normally accepted by Spanish pharmacies. You need a new prescription from a doctor in Spain, public or private.

Why you can't get a public prescription yet

Public prescriptions are linked to your health card (CIP) and to your assigned family doctor (médico de familia). Without the card, you can't get routine ones. Some regions issue a provisional registration or a temporary document that allows normal access. Ask your regional health service whether yours does.

Getting the card can take days to weeks. After that, a first appointment for a non-urgent matter typically takes several days to two weeks. In understaffed regions or cities it can take longer. Check the current wait with your regional health service.

How to cover the gap

The decision block below compares the options. Here is what to know about each.

• Bring a supply. Carry enough medicine for the first few months, in its original packaging. Bring your prescription and a doctor's report too. This is the simplest option.
• See a private doctor or use a private telemedicine consultation. You get a private prescription that works at any Spanish pharmacy. You pay in full.
• Use urgent care. Urgencias or a Punto de Atención Continuada at a health centre or hospital is for real urgencies. The doctor there may issue a prescription or a provisional document. Do not use it as a routine way to renew medicine.
• Ask a pharmacy. Pharmacies sell most over-the-counter medicines without a prescription. They can't give you antibiotics or most long-term treatment drugs. Some pharmacists may give an emergency supply of a chronic medicine, but that is their decision and you can't rely on it.
• EU prescriptions. If your prescription comes from another EU country, a Spanish pharmacy can dispense it under cross-border rules. You pay the full cost.

What to expect from your Spanish doctor

Your Spanish doctor will usually continue a well-documented treatment. They will normally review it first. They may change the dose, switch to an equivalent medicine sold in Spain, or refer you to a specialist.

• Prescriptions are written by active ingredient, so the brand may change.
• Some foreign drugs are not sold in Spain or not publicly funded.
• Controlled medicines, such as strong opioids, some ADHD drugs and benzodiazepines, are tightly controlled. They often need a specialist to confirm them.

A foreign prescription can't be used for public funding, so the doctor issues a new one.

Prepare before the appointment

Bring the papers in the checklist below, especially a report in Spanish or English naming your diagnosis and the active ingredient of each medicine. Book your first appointment as soon as you have the card, and ask for more medicine before you run low.

Choosing between options

How do you get your medicine before your first GP appointment?

• Urgent care: You need care soon or have an emergency; it is free if you have a right to care, and the doctor may issue a prescription.

• Private doctor or telemedicine: You want a valid prescription quickly and can pay in full at the pharmacy.

• Pharmacy without a prescription: You need an over-the-counter medicine, or a pharmacist may give an emergency supply of a chronic medicine.

• Bring a supply from abroad: You have a few months of personal supply, with your prescription and medical report.

• Wait for your Spanish GP: You have enough medicine to last; the GP will review your treatment and issue a new prescription, as foreign ones do not count for public funding.

If your medicine will run out before the first GP appointment, use urgent care or a private doctor; otherwise bridge with your own supply.

Timeline and deadlines

• Get your health card issued and a GP assigned: days to weeks after you register

• Book your first GP appointment for a non-urgent matter: usually several days to two weeks after the card is issued; around 9 days on average

• Allow extra time for the first appointment in understaffed regions or cities: can be longer than two weeks

Papers to gather for getting your first Spanish prescription

What to bring so a GP can continue your treatment in one visit

• Bring a recent medical report from your treating doctor, ideally with your diagnosis and treatment history.

• Bring your current prescription or a medication list that gives the active ingredient name, the dose and how often you take it, not only brand names.

• Bring recent test results.

• Bring your vaccination records if they relate to your treatment.

• Get key documents translated into Spanish or English if they are in another language.

• Bring your health card (tarjeta sanitaria) and your proof of address registration (empadronamiento).

• Bring your passport or NIE (foreigner ID number) as identity.

• Bring your European Health Insurance Card or S1 form if you are covered that way.

• Ask the GP to issue a new Spanish prescription, as a foreign one is not valid for public funding.

• If you take a strong opioid, an ADHD drug or a benzodiazepine, expect the GP to ask for specialist confirmation first.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to see a GP after getting my health card?

A first non-urgent GP appointment usually comes several days to two weeks after your card is issued and a GP is assigned. Average waits are around 9 days, lower in Navarra and the Basque Country and higher in Madrid and Andalucía.

Can I get a public prescription before my health card arrives?

Generally no, because public prescriptions are tied to your health card and assigned GP. If you need urgent care, the doctor there may issue a prescription or a provisional document.

Will my Spanish GP keep prescribing the medicine I took abroad?

Usually yes for a well-documented treatment, but the GP will review it first.

Can the pharmacy give me medicine without a prescription while I wait?

Yes for most over-the-counter medicines, but not for antibiotics or most long-term treatment drugs. For a chronic medicine, a pharmacist may sometimes give an emergency supply, though that is their decision. Bring your old packaging or prescription to help.