Medical certificates for nursery, school, camps and sports

Terms used

• Cartilla de vacunación — The cartilla de vacunación is your child's vaccination record, which schools and nurseries usually ask to copy.
• Tarjeta sanitaria — The tarjeta sanitaria is the health card that gives your child access to public healthcare.
• Informe médico — The informe médico is a medical report from the pediatrician about a specific need, such as an allergy or diet.
• Certificado médico de aptitud deportiva — The certificado médico de aptitud deportiva is a doctor's certificate saying your child is fit to do sport.

Key rules

• School enrolment: Public schools and nurseries generally do not require a medical certificate, but requirements vary by region and centre.
• Sport fitness certificate: Clubs, federations and camps often ask for it, and the public system usually does not issue it free.
• Free reports: Vaccination records and reports for your child's care or special educational needs are normally free.

Schools and nurseries rarely need a medical certificate

Public schools and nurseries generally do not ask for a medical certificate to enrol. They ask for a few simple papers instead. The exact list is set by your region's education department and by each centre, so ask the centre what it wants.

Typical requests:

• A copy of your child's vaccination record (cartilla de vacunación).
• A copy of your child's health card (tarjeta sanitaria).
• A form about allergies, chronic conditions and medication, which you fill in.

Some nurseries (escuelas infantiles) also want a general report saying your child is fit for community life and has no contagious disease.

If your child has a specific need, such as a food allergy, a special diet, diabetes or a disability, the school will ask for a medical report (informe médico) from the pediatrician.

Sports and camps are different

School sport inside the normal timetable needs no certificate.

Clubs, federations and summer camps often ask for a certificado médico de aptitud deportiva, which says your child is fit for sport. They usually also want a copy of the health card. Camps add a health form with allergies and medication. Joining a federated sport normally needs a medical check before you take part.

A licensed doctor issues the certificate. That can be a private sports medicine centre, your family doctor or your pediatrician.

What is free and what costs money

• Free: vaccination records, and reports for your child's own care. Reports the education authorities require for special needs, such as disability, school health plans or dietary needs, are normally free in the public system.
• Usually paid: certificates for non-medical purposes such as sport fitness, camps or clubs. Public pediatricians and family doctors often decline these or send you to a private provider. Private fees vary, so ask the price before you book.

Regions can set rules on fees differently, so ask your health centre what applies where you live.

How to get them

1. Ask the school, club or camp exactly which documents it needs, and whether it has its own form.
2. Ask your pediatrician for the vaccination record and any report for a special need.
3. For a sport fitness certificate, ask your pediatrician first. If they refuse, book a private provider.

The documents list and the questions below cover the details.

Documents you need

• Copy of your child's vaccination record (cartilla de vacunación), which nurseries and schools typically ask for at enrolment. It is free.

• Copy of your child's health card (tarjeta sanitaria), typically asked for by nurseries and schools, and by clubs and camps.

• Health form for allergies, chronic conditions and medication, filled in for the nursery, school or camp.

• Medical report (informe médico) from the pediatrician, only for specific needs such as food allergy, diet, diabetes or disability. The public system normally issues it free.

• General report that your child is fit for community life and has no contagious disease, which some nurseries (escuelas infantiles) ask for.

• Medical certificate of fitness for sport (certificado médico de aptitud deportiva), which clubs, federations and summer camps often ask for. A licensed doctor issues it, such as a private sports medicine centre, your family doctor or the pediatrician. Expect to pay a fee.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need a medical certificate for school sports?

No, school sports inside the curriculum do not need a medical certificate. Clubs, federations and summer camps are different and often ask for one. Federated sport requires a medical check before your child takes part.

Will our pediatrician sign a fitness certificate for a club or camp for free?

Not usually, because the public system does not normally issue free certificates for sport, camps or clubs. Many pediatricians and family doctors refuse them or send you to a private provider, who charges a fee that varies. Ask the club or camp first whether a private sports medicine centre is acceptable.

Which medical reports does the public system issue for free?

Reports for your child's own care are normally free, as are reports the education administration requires for special needs. Examples are reports for disability, school health plans or dietary needs. Vaccination records are also free.