Getting a public or subsidised care home place

Terms used

• PIA — The PIA is your individual care programme, which sets the care service that suits you, such as residential care.
• Baremo — The baremo is the points scale a region uses to rank applicants for places.
• Plaza concertada — A plaza concertada is a place in a private home that the regional administration pays part of.
• Copago — The copago is the share of the cost you pay yourself, at a public rate.
• Empadronamiento — Empadronamiento is registering your home address with your town hall.
• TIE — The TIE is the residence card issued to non-EU nationals living in Spain.
• Padrón — The padrón is your town hall's register of residents, and its certificate proves where you live.

Key rules

• Route in: You need a dependency grade and a care programme naming residential care before any public or concertada place is offered.
• Residence: You need legal residence in Spain for five years, two of them immediately before applying.
• Scoring: Each region sets its own points scale, so the same case can rank differently in different regions.
• Concertada cost: You pay a public-rate copago and the region pays the rest.

The short version

You cannot apply to a public care home directly. You first need a recognised dependency grade and an individual care programme (PIA) that names residential care as the right service. Only then does your region offer a public or concertada place. Expect a long wait at each stage.

How to apply

1. Apply for a dependency assessment. Go to your regional social-services office. Bring the documents listed below.
2. Get a grade. Public places usually need grade II or III, and sometimes grade I.
3. Get your PIA. It sets which service suits you. It must assign residential care.

The timeline below shows the stages in order.

How places are scored

Each region uses its own scoring scale (baremo) to rank people. Madrid, Catalonia and Andalucía each publish their own. Scales generally weigh:

• your dependency grade
• your family situation, such as living alone or having no carers
• your income and assets
• your age
• time spent on the waiting list
• in some regions, how long you have lived locally

The points differ from region to region. Ask your regional social-services office for the current scale, or look for your region's dependency decree.

Plaza concertada

A plaza concertada is a place in a private home that your region pays part of. You pay a public-rate contribution (copago) and the administration pays the rest. The region sets the price, not the home.

Access is usually through the same dependency route: once your PIA names residential care, the region offers a concertada or public place. In some regions you can also request a concertada place directly at the home or through a registry. Ask your social-services office whether yours allows this.

If you are a foreigner

You need legal residence in Spain for five years, two of them immediately before applying. This applies to non-EU nationals like everyone else. Children under 5 only need to live in Spain. Spanish emigrants who return are covered by a different State regime.

Some regions add conditions, such as being registered at a town address (empadronamiento). People without legal residence generally cannot get these benefits. A few regions give urgent or minimal protection, so ask the regional office.

If you are a non-EU national, your documents usually include your residence card (TIE) and a padrón certificate, as shown in the documents list below.

How long you will wait

Waits are long. Nationally, the time from application to decision has recently averaged roughly 300 to 400 days. It is under 150 days in some regions and over 500 in others. After your PIA is set, a public home place can take months or even years more. Concertada places depend on what your region has free.

Apply as early as you can. Do not wait until care is urgent. If you need care sooner, ask the social-services office about temporary or emergency options.

Timeline and deadlines

• Submit your dependency application: as early as possible, because the wait starts only once you apply

• Wait for a public home place once your care programme names residential care: a further few months or years after the programme is set

• Wait for a concertada place: depends on how many places your region has available

Documents you need

• Residence card (TIE), if you are a non-EU national, as proof of legal residence

• Passport, valid and in your name

• Padrón certificate from your town hall, showing where you are registered to live (empadronamiento)

• Medical reports describing the condition that causes the need for care

Checklist

• Confirm you have a recognised dependency grade, usually grade II or III and sometimes grade I

• Check that your individual care programme (PIA) assigns residential care as the right service

• Look up your region's scoring scale, which weighs dependency grade, living alone or lack of carers, income and assets, age and time on the waiting list

• Check that your legal residence meets the dependency residence rule explained in this article

• If you are a non-EU national, gather your residence card (TIE), passport, padrón certificate and medical reports

Frequently asked questions

What is a plaza concertada?

A plaza concertada is a place in a private residencia that your region pays for, so you only pay a public-rate contribution (copago). The region pays the rest and fixes the price, not the home. You usually get one after your care programme assigns residential care and the region offers you a place.

Can I ask a care home directly for a plaza concertada?

In some regions, yes: you can request a concertada place directly at the home or through a regional registry. In other regions you can only get one through the public dependency system. Ask your regional social-services office which route applies.

How long will I wait for a public care home place?

The average time from application to decision is roughly 300 to 400 days nationally. It is under 150 days in some regions and over 500 in others. A public home place can then take further months or years after your care programme is set.

Do I need to be registered in the town to get a place?

Often yes, because some regions add registered local residence (empadronamiento) as a condition or give it points. Get a padrón certificate from your town hall and ask the regional office whether it counts in your region.

Can I get a place if I live in Spain without legal residence?

Generally no, because irregular migrants cannot usually obtain dependency benefits. Some regions offer urgent or minimal protection, so ask the regional social-services office what exists for your case.