Planning a move to Spain as a disabled person

Terms used

• Padrón — The padrón is the municipal register of residents. Registering your address there is needed for many local and regional services.
• Convenio especial — The convenio especial is a paid scheme that gives public health cover to people who do not qualify through work or contributions.
• Centro base — The centro base is the regional office that assesses and recognises disability.
• Centro de salud — The centro de salud is your local public health centre, where your family doctor works.
• IMSERSO — IMSERSO is the national body for social services and disability, which lists the competent regional bodies.

Key rules

• Apply after arrival: Disability recognition cannot be done from abroad, so you need legal residence and the padrón first.
• Foreign certificate: Your home-country disability certificate is supporting evidence, not a Spanish certificate.
• Pension gap: The non-contributory pension needs a minimum period of residence, so expect a wait after you arrive.
• Prescriptions: Foreign prescriptions are not usually accepted, so bring a supply for the first months.
• Region: Waiting times and requirements differ by region, so ask your regional social services before choosing.

What you can do before you move, and what has to wait

You cannot get Spanish disability recognition from abroad. The assessment includes an in-person examination, and you apply to the social services body of the region where you live and are registered. So you need legal residence and the padrón first. Use the time before the move to prepare, and apply as soon as you are registered.

Some regions also ask for a minimum period of registration before they accept an application. Ask the regional body before you choose where to settle.

Your foreign disability certificate is not automatically the same as a Spanish one. Keep it as supporting evidence.

How your residence status affects what you get

• Everyone in Spain, including people without legal residence, is protected against discrimination. Emergency care and care for children are also open to everyone.
• The disability certificate and most concessions need legal residence in Spain.
• EU citizens with registered residence generally have equal access. Non-EU residents with a valid permit also qualify.
• Without legal residence, you generally cannot get the certificate or the non-contributory pension.
• The non-contributory disability pension also needs a minimum period of residence in the years before you apply. This can leave a gap after you arrive, when you have recognition but no pension yet. Ask the Seguridad Social, IMSERSO or your regional social services what period applies to you, and budget for that gap.

Keep your care going from the first day

Sort out health coverage before anything else. If you work or contribute, you get public cover through the Seguridad Social. If not, you may be able to use the convenio especial or a private insurance policy. EU citizens can use the European Health Insurance Card for temporary stays.

Bring:

• A full medical report, ideally translated into Spanish.
• A list of your medications by generic name.
• Recent test results.

Spanish pharmacies do not usually accept foreign prescriptions. Ask your home doctor for a supply to cover the first months. Check that each drug is sold in Spain, because brand names differ.

Once registered, ask for a family doctor (médico de cabecera) at your local centro de salud. They can issue Spanish prescriptions. Until then, a private doctor or private insurance can bridge the gap.

Choose your region with recognition in mind

Waiting times for recognition differ widely between regions and change over time. Delays of several months are common. Regions such as the Basque Country, Navarre, Madrid and Catalonia are often described as having stronger services. Do not choose on reputation alone. Ask the regional social services department for its current waiting time before you commit.

Find your assessment office

Search your region's social services website (consejería de servicios sociales or derechos sociales) for "reconocimiento del grado de discapacidad". Most regions let you apply online through their sede electrónica. To find the office for your address, ask at the local ayuntamiento or social services centre for your centro base, or call 060 or your regional information line.

Plan the order

1. Arrange health coverage and bring your medical papers and prescriptions.
2. Get legal residence and register on the padrón.
3. Register with a family doctor.
4. Apply for recognition as early as your region allows.
5. Ask about pension residence periods so you know when other help starts.

The documents list, the pre-move checklist and the questions below cover the detail.

Documents you need

• Proof of legal residence in Spain, such as your registration certificate (EU citizens) or residence permit (non-EU citizens), needed for the disability certificate and most concessions.

• Padrón certificate from your town hall, showing you are registered at your address. Some regions also ask for a minimum period of registration.

• Full medical report, ideally translated into Spanish, from your home doctor, with your medications by generic name and recent test results.

• Your foreign disability certificate, kept as supporting evidence. It is not automatically equal to a Spanish one.

Each region sets its own requirements, so check with your regional social services body before applying.

Pre-move checklist for disabled people moving to Spain

Before you move

• Ask your doctors for a full medical report covering your diagnosis, treatment and recent test results, and have it translated into Spanish if you can.

• Collect psychological or psychiatric reports if your condition is mental or intellectual.

• Keep your foreign disability certificate with your medical reports, because they support your Spanish assessment.

• Plan to apply for the Spanish assessment once you are a resident and registered on the padrón (the municipal register), since the examination is done in person.

• Ask your regional social services body which extra documents it wants, such as social or school reports, and what registration period it asks for.

• Prepare a signed authorisation if someone will apply on your behalf.

• Arrange your health coverage first: public cover through the Seguridad Social if you work or contribute, the convenio especial, or a private policy.

• Bring your European Health Insurance Card if you are an EU citizen staying temporarily.

• Write a list of your medications by generic name and check that each one is sold in Spain, since brand names differ.

• Book a private doctor or keep private insurance to bridge the gap until you have a family doctor.

• Check the customs rules for bringing your mobility aids and medical equipment if you arrive from outside the EU.

• Check that your devices, such as a CPAP machine, work on Spanish power (230V, Type C/F plugs), and buy adapters or transformers if needed.

• Ask a specialist for a prescription if you want to claim replacement aids through the health system's orthoprosthetic catalogue, and ask your regional social services about grants for technical aids.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start the disability recognition before I move to Spain?

In general no, because you normally need legal residence and registration on the padrón (the municipal register) before you can apply. The assessment includes an in-person examination, so it cannot be done from abroad.

Do I need a minimum period of residence to get a non-contributory disability pension?

Yes, the non-contributory pension requires legal residence plus a minimum period of residence in Spain in the years before you apply. Ask the Seguridad Social, IMSERSO or your regional social services for the exact number of years. Irregular migrants generally cannot get it.

Which region in Spain has the fastest disability recognition?

No region has a reliable single answer, because waiting times change over time.

How do I find my local disability assessment office?

Ask at your local ayuntamiento or social services centre for the centro base that covers your address. You can also call 060 or your regional information line. Your region's social services website lists the office and online application options under reconocimiento del grado de discapacidad.

Will my Spanish doctor accept my prescriptions from home?

No, foreign prescriptions are not usually accepted at Spanish pharmacies. Ask your home doctor for a supply for the first months. Once registered, a family doctor (médico de cabecera) at your local centro de salud can issue Spanish prescriptions, and brand names may differ, so check each drug is sold in Spain.