Travelling or going home while you are on sick leave

Key rules

• Abroad needs notice: Tell the INSS or your mutua before leaving Spain, and get approval where it is required.
• Unreported trips: Travelling abroad without telling them can cost you your sick pay.
• Inside Spain: No law bans it, but you must stay able to recover and attend checks.
• EU stays: You can keep Spanish sick pay in another EU country if you register there and send your certificates.

Can you travel while on sick leave?

Yes, within limits. Nothing bans travel inside Spain during your baja. But any trip must not slow your recovery, and you must be able to attend medical checks and inspections. Leaving Spain is stricter: tell the right body first, or your sick pay can be suspended.

Travelling inside Spain

Short trips are usually fine if your doctor would not object and you can come back for any appointment. Keep your appointments. Missing a medical check, working, or doing something that works against your recovery can lead to your sick pay being suspended or lost.

If a trip is long or involves heavy activity, ask your doctor first.

Going abroad

Tell your health service, or the INSS or your mutua (the insurer that pays your sick pay), before you leave. Where they require it, you need their approval first. They can refuse if the trip would hinder your recovery or their ability to check on you.

If you travel abroad without telling them, you can lose the benefit. Do not leave until you have an answer.

Staying in another EU country

If you are insured in Spain and move to or stay in another EU country, you can keep your cash sick pay from the Spanish institution. To make that work:

• Tell the Spanish institution that pays you.
• Register with the sickness institution in the country where you stay.
• Get an S1 form or an equivalent document, which covers your healthcare there.
• Send your medical certificates to the Spanish institution while you are away.
• Get INSS or mutua approval before you leave, where it is required.

The institution in the host country can carry out medical checks and report back to Spain, so expect to be examined there.

Outside the EU

These EU arrangements do not apply to the UK and other countries, which follow separate agreements. Before travelling outside the EU, ask the INSS or your mutua whether you can go and what happens to your pay. If they cannot confirm it, postpone the trip.

The decision guide, the document list and the questions below cover the options in more detail.

Choosing between options

Should you travel while on sick leave, and where?

• Stay in Spain: Your trip is within Spain, does not hinder your recovery, and you can attend every medical check and inspection.

• Go abroad within the EU: You are insured in Spain and tell the Spanish institution first, register with the host country's sickness institution, and hold an S1 or equivalent document.

• Go outside the EU or postpone the trip: Your destination is the UK or another non-EU country, or your doctor thinks the trip could slow your recovery. Ask the INSS or mutua first, or wait until your leave ends.

Any trip abroad needs prior notice and authorisation from your health service or the INSS or mutua, who can refuse it if it hinders recovery or control. Travelling abroad without notice can lead to losing your sick pay.

Documents you need

• S1 form or equivalent document, which gives you healthcare in the EU country where you stay.

• Medical certificates of your sick leave, sent to the Spanish institution that pays you while you are abroad.

• Approval from the INSS or your mutua to leave Spain, where it is required.

Frequently asked questions

Can I travel inside Spain while I am on sick leave?

Yes, you can travel inside Spain, as long as the trip does not slow your recovery and you can still attend medical checks and inspections. No law expressly bans it. If the trip leads you to miss an appointment, your sick pay can be suspended.

Do I keep my sick pay if I move to another EU country during sick leave?

Yes, if you are insured in Spain, you keep your cash sick pay from the Spanish institution when you move to or stay in another EU country, but you must tell it first. Register with the sickness institution of the host country too. Send your medical certificates, and get approval from the INSS or mutua before leaving where it is required.

What do I need for healthcare if I stay in another EU country on sick leave?

You need an S1 or an equivalent document to get healthcare in the other country. The host country's institution can carry out medical checks and report back to Spain. Moving to the UK or other non-EU countries follows separate agreements, so ask the INSS or your mutua first.