Who it is for

Persons entitled to medical assistance and their dependent beneficiaries who meet the requirements of Spanish law and EU Social Security Regulations.

What you can do

• Obtain the Provisional Substitute Certificate (CPS) for the party entitled to medical assistance and their beneficiaries.
• Print the certificate at home.

What you need to do it

• Enter to request the European Health Card.
• Click on: Download the Provisional Substitute Certificate.
• Indicate the period of validity of the certificate (maximum 90 days)
• Ensure you have the software required to download/print the certificate (PDF file)

Please note

Countries where the CPS is valid: Germany, Austria, Belgium,Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The CPS is a personal and non-transferable document that certifies that the holder is entitled to receive any health services they may require, for medical reasons, during a temporary stay in the territory of one of the States indicated above, taking into account the nature of the services and the scheduled duration of the visit, in accordance with the legislation of the country visited, regardless of whether this is for tourism, professional activity or study.

The CPS is not valid when the purpose of the trip is to receive medical treatment. In this case the National Social Security Institute (INSS) or the Social Marine Institute (ISM), must issue the corresponding form, on receipt of a favourable report from the Health Service; nor is it valid if you become a resident of another member state.

The CPS offers the same coverage as the EHIC. In certain cases, you will have to pay a fixed amount or percentage of the healthcare expenses, in line with the conditions applicable to residents in the State to which you are travelling. These sums are not recoverable.

For more information, go to the website http://ec.europa.eu/social.

The CPS is valid for the period indicated on the document (it is issued for a maximum of 90 days from the start date) and its use, during the valid period, is subject to the holder continuing to meet the requirements for entitlement to said document. Otherwise, expenses incurred may be recovered as undue benefits, in accordance with article 76 of Regulation (CE) 883/04.

The following are unable to obtain the CPS via this Internet service:

• Individuals from outside the EU, who must submit their current residence permit.
• Those receiving unemployment benefits or subsidies.
• Those who must submit specific documentation to export their right to healthcare.

In these cases, visit any CAISS (Social Security Information and Assistance Centre) of the INSS (National Social Security Institute) requesting an appointment, or the Regional or Local Offices of the ISM (Social Marine Institute) for those parties affiliated with the Special Scheme for Seafarers.

Before travelling to any of the above countries, make sure that the period of validity of the CPS includes the planned return date.

Next steps

The certificate obtained is a .pdf file, of which printed copies can be obtained and which contains the CEA code (Electronic Code of Authenticity) with which you can check its authenticity by going to the Documentation Integrity Verification Service.