Where to start: your local social services office (servicios sociales)

Terms used

• DNI — The DNI is the national identity card of Spanish citizens.
• Servicios sociales — Servicios sociales are the public social services offices that advise on care, support and benefits for people who need help.
• Padrón — The padrón is the town hall's list of residents. Being registered there proves where you live.
• Certificado de empadronamiento — The certificado de empadronamiento is an official certificate from your town hall showing that you are registered on the padrón.
• Dependencia — Dependencia is the public system of care support for people who need help with daily life.
• Cita previa — Cita previa is an appointment you must book in advance before an office will see you.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government's online identity system for filing procedures electronically.

Key rules

• First stop: Go to the servicios sociales centre of the town where you are registered on the padrón.
• Who decides: The regional social services department decides on the application, not the local office.
• Booking: Each town sets its own booking channel, so check your town hall's phone line or website.
• Documents: Bring identity, padrón and medical papers to the first visit.

Start at your town's servicios sociales

Your first stop is the servicios sociales centre of the town where you are registered on the padrón. In some regions, the social worker at your health centre can also take your first enquiry. Ask which applies where you live.

This office is the usual front door. It listens to your situation and explains the options. It also helps you with the application for care support (dependencia). The regional social services department then assesses the case and decides. The local office does not decide.

Book the first appointment

Book by phone, or through your town hall's website or its cita previa portal. Each town or group of towns runs its own service, so the booking channel differs from place to place. Some regions also offer online applications through their own portals. For that you normally need a digital certificate or Cl@ve.

If you cannot find the booking details, ask your town hall's main desk. The resource below shows where to find your region's office.

What to bring

Take your identity papers, your padrón certificate and your medical papers. In practice that means:

• Your passport or foreign-national ID, or your DNI if you are Spanish.
• A recent certificado de empadronamiento. A historical one, showing the years you have lived there, is often more useful.
• Your health card and a recent medical report from the GP or specialist. It should describe the diagnoses and the limits they cause in daily life.
• Any disability certificate you hold.
• Proof of income and assets, such as a tax return or pension statements, plus your bank account details.
• If someone acts for you, a signed authorisation and their ID.

The office may ask for more. The document list and checklist below give the full detail.

Where the application is filed

The application uses your region's own form. You can usually file it at the regional social services registry, at the municipal servicios sociales or town hall registry, or at any public registry. In some regions you can also file at the health centre's social worker. Names of offices and filing points differ by region, so ask the local office where to hand it in.

Documents to prepare for a long-term care support application

Documents to bring

• The application form from your region, which your servicios sociales office can give you.

• Your DNI or NIE, or your passport, plus the same ID for anyone applying on your behalf.

• A certificate of registration on the padrón (the town hall's list of residents) showing where you live. Ask for the historical version (certificado de empadronamiento histórico), which lists every address and date over the last five years.

• Proof of legal residence if you are a foreigner: your residence card (TIE), your EU registration certificate, or your visa and authorisation documents.

• Earlier padrón certificates from other towns, if you lived elsewhere during the last five years. Some regions accept other records, such as health card records, if the padrón is incomplete.

• A medical report on your health conditions from the public health system.

• A signed authorisation or proof of representation, if someone applies for you.

• Income information for the copago (your share of the cost). The administration often looks this up itself. If not, bring your latest tax return or pension certificates.

• A translation for any document not in Spanish or a co-official language. Foreign medical reports often need a sworn translation (traducción jurada), though many offices accept a simple translation. Ask your office which it wants.

• An apostille (a international stamp that validates a foreign public document) on foreign public documents if the office asks for it. Documents from EU countries are generally exempt. Spanish residence and registration documents need no translation or apostille.

Checklist

• Ask the office whether your region lets the health centre's social worker take your first enquiry.

• Bring your passport or foreign-national ID (NIE or TIE, or EU registration certificate), or your DNI if you are Spanish.

• Bring a recent certificado de empadronamiento, ideally a historical one showing the years you have lived there.

• Bring your health card and a recent medical report from your GP or specialist describing your diagnoses and limitations.

• Bring any disability certificate you hold.

• Bring a signed representation document and the representative's ID if someone acts for you.

• Ask the office which other documents it needs before you leave.

Check the booking channel and the documents needed with your town hall's servicios sociales, as they vary by town and region.

Find your region's care office, rules and waiting times

Where to look up your region's rules

• Your town hall's servicios sociales: Start here. Go to this first point of entry to get forms, the social report and help submitting your application. Your region is the one where you are registered on the padrón.

• Your regional social services department: Find your region's social services or dependency portal. It holds the forms and rules and lets you submit online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, then track your file. Examples: Andalucía (Agencia de Servicios Sociales y Dependencia), Cataluña (Departament de Drets Socials), Madrid (Consejería de Familia, Juventud y Asuntos Sociales), Comunidad Valenciana (Conselleria de Servicios Sociales), Galicia (Consellería de Política Social), Navarra (Agencia Navarra de Autonomía y Desarrollo de las Personas). In the País Vasco, the provincial councils (Diputaciones) handle it.

• IMSERSO (national care and social services body): Apply through IMSERSO if you live in Ceuta or Melilla. Its website also links to the regional bodies for every other region.

• 060 or your region's information line: Call for general guidance and to book an appointment.

• IMSERSO monthly statistics on the care system (SAAD): Check the monthly figures by region on applications, people with recognised rights, beneficiaries and people still waiting for benefits. Some data is also split by province.

• Observatorio de la Dependencia and the Ministry of Social Rights: Read the yearly Observatorio report for regional rankings and waiting times, and the Ministry's annual care system reports.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book the first servicios sociales appointment?

You normally book by phone or through your town hall's website or cita previa (appointment) portal. Each town or group of towns runs its own service, so the channel differs from place to place. In Madrid city, you can call 010.

Can I apply for Dependencia online instead of going to the office?

Yes, you can apply online through your region's website if you have a digital certificate or Cl@ve (the state's electronic ID).

What proof of income should I bring to the first appointment?

Bring your latest tax return and pension statements, plus your bank account details. These help work out your share of the cost. Staff may ask for further papers, so ask when you book.

Who decides on my application after the local office?

Your region's social services or dependency department assesses your case and decides. The local office is only the first contact and filing point.