Healthcare for expat children in Spain

Spain’s healthcare system is one of the best in the world, with both public and private options available for expats and their families.

If you’re planning to emigrate to Spain with your family, or even considering starting a family once you’re settled down, Spain’s excellent healthcare services are regularly ranked in the top ten worldwide. The service is especially famous for its maternity treatment, and all children resident in the country are offered free healthcare services in public hospitals as long as they’re registered with the Spanish social services system. At least until the Brexit transition period ends in 2020, expats and their children with EU health cards should also be covered.

Many expat families in Spain choose private health insurance in order to ensure prompt treatment for their children as well as multilingual services and fast access to diagnosis, specialist advice and treatment. Basically, Spanish healthcare offered to children includes paediatric and dental care up to 15 years of age, free vaccinations, special long-term care for children with mental or physical disabilities, free physical and dental health education and free emergency services. Registration with a local doctor is mandatory, with some offering both private and state services.

Under the Spanish system, dental treatments and annual checkups are provided for kids between the ages of seven and 15, with emergency treatment offered to children of all ages. Various regions offer slightly different services, and youngsters with physical or mental disabilities can receive free care until they’re 18 years old. Unlike in many other European countries, mental healthcare is a standard Spanish service although levels of cover can vary between regions. Child psychologists and psychiatrists are available in all regions via both the public and private healthcare systems.