Tarjeta sanitaria in Catalonia: how to get your health card

What is the tarjeta sanitaria in Catalonia?

In Catalonia, the health card is called the targeta sanitària individual, TSI for short. It is a document of the Servei Català de la Salut (CatSalut) that identifies you and gives access to the centres and services of the public health system [1][4]. Each card has its own CIP code (código de identificación personal) [1].

Catalan law (Llei 9/2017) guarantees healthcare to all residents of Catalonia, but to receive it at the public system’s expense you must confirm your status through the INSS or obtain a level of cover from CatSalut on other grounds [3]. The card is issued after that. The name “tarjeta sanitaria” is the Spanish form; in Catalonia and in documents you will more often see TSI and “targeta sanitària”.

Who is entitled to a tarjeta sanitaria: three situations

There is one general condition: padrón in a municipality of Catalonia [1]. After that, the procedure depends on your Seguridad Social situation:

The INSS is the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social, the body that recognises entitlement to care throughout Spain [1]. CatSalut describes it as follows: the INSS recognises entitlement to care for workers, pensioners, recipients of Seguridad Social benefits and their beneficiaries, that is, children, spouses and partners [1]. The general rule is in Ley 16/2003, Article 3: foreigners with lawful and habitual residence who do not have to prove cover by other means are entitled [6]. More on what alta means: alta in RETA and Seguridad Social.

How to get a tarjeta sanitaria in Catalonia: step by step

1. Register your padrón. Without registration in a municipality of Catalonia, the physical TSI will not be issued. How it works in Barcelona: empadronamiento in Barcelona [1].
2. Confirm your entitlement to care. If you work or receive a pension or benefit, you are already entitled. The INSS registers family members as beneficiaries: online with a digital certificate, online without one, or in person by appointment [1].
3. Apply for the TSI. Either online on the CatSalut website or in person at the CAP for your address or at a CAP of your choice [1].
4. Wait for the check. After the form is submitted, CatSalut checks the data with other authorities: padrón and alta with the INSS. If the answer is positive, a temporary confirmation with your CIP arrives by email, and it gives access to centres and services until you receive the physical card. If an additional check is needed, the application stays as pendiente and is resolved in the following days [1].
5. Receive the card. For an in-person application, CatSalut sends it to your home address free of charge [1].

What documents do you need for the TSI?

When applying at a CAP, CatSalut asks for [1]:

• an identity document: DNI, NIE or passport;
• a certificat d'empadronament issued less than three months ago. If your ayuntamiento allows the data to be checked online, you do not need to bring the paper; if not, the original is required;
• if someone else applies on your behalf, documents proving representation: a birth certificate, a copy of the libro de familia or another document.

The online form can be filled in without visiting a CAP, but the physical TSI is issued only if the main condition is met: padrón [5]. How to obtain a registration certificate: registration certificate in Barcelona. By submitting the application, you authorise CatSalut to request data from other bodies [1].

What to do if you have no Seguridad Social: convenio especial and other options

CatSalut names two main routes outside the INSS [2].

The convenio especial (special agreement, Real Decreto 576/2013) is intended for people who are neither asegurado nor beneficiario and have no access to any public health system [2][7]. The conditions according to the BOE [7]:

• residence in Spain for at least one continuous year immediately before the application;
• padrón in a municipality of the region where you apply for the agreement, at the time of application;
• no access to public health protection on any other ground, including under Seguridad Social agreements between Spain and other countries.

The contribution is €60 a month for those who sign before 65 and €157 from 65; the amounts may be revised, and a region may raise the fee if it adds services [7]. CatSalut accepts applications at the unitats d'atenció al ciutadà of the health regions by appointment, the decision is notified within up to 30 days, and the entitlement applies from the date of signing once the first monthly fee has been paid [2]. The CatSalut page on the agreement was updated in 2017, so check the conditions before applying [2].

Special cases under Ley 16/2003 as currently worded and Article 4 of Real Decreto 180/2026 of 11 March 2026, which regulates these groups: foreign minors, pregnant women, applicants for international protection, victims of human trafficking and others [6][10]. The same RD 180/2026 repealed the additional provisions of Real Decreto 1192/2012 on these cases [10].

If you are not registered or recognised as a resident, but you have had padrón for at least three consecutive months and your household income is below the basic inclusion income, you can request access through a CAP [2]. These grounds exist for people without a residence permit. If you have a permit but no alta in the Seguridad Social, CatSalut’s approach depends on the basis of your stay: find this out before you apply.

Specifics for citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine

Nationality alone does not change the procedure: CatSalut looks at padrón and at whether you have a recognised entitlement to care (alta in the Seguridad Social, a pension, beneficiary status) or access on special grounds [1][3]. The page on obtaining the TSI has no separate lists of countries.

There is one exception for citizens of Ukraine. CatSalut has a separate procedure for applicants for and holders of temporary protection (Orden PCM/169/2022): the application for this status must be filed in person at a Policía Nacional station or at another place designated by the state. For the TSI, the temporary protection decision or the document proving the application was filed is submitted at the CAP. Once access is recognised, CatSalut issues a TSI with the “cobertura sanitaria general” level, valid throughout Spain [8]. More on the status: temporary protection for Ukrainians.

We have not found in official sources how CatSalut handles a DNV holder (digital nomad visa) who works for a foreign company and is not registered (alta) with the Seguridad Social in Spain. On insurance, see insurance for the DNV, and on the number, NUSS.

How long does it take and what to do while the card is on its way?

CatSalut does not state an official time limit for issuing the physical card. If the check is successful, a temporary confirmation with your CIP arrives by email: until you have the card, it gives access to the centres and services of the public system [1]. The digital TSI is created automatically when a CIP is assigned, even if you do not yet have the plastic card; you can see it in La Meva Salut and La Meva Cartera, and it is accepted at pharmacies and centres in Catalonia, and outside Catalonia where suitable readers are available [4]. CatSalut still advises carrying the physical card as well, because readers are being introduced gradually [4].

How to book an appointment with a family doctor once you have the card: booking a doctor in Catalonia. Whom to call in an emergency: numbers 112 and 061.

Duplicate card, change of address, returning to Catalonia

A duplicate is requested at the CAP if the card is lost, stolen or damaged or if the magnetic stripe stops working; the old card then becomes invalid, because the document is single and personal [5]. Errors in the data are reported at the CAP or by calling 061; if the error affects the CIP (surname, sex, date of birth), CatSalut sends a new card free of charge [5]. When you move, you need to inform the CAP or call 061: your address changes, and your CAP, doctor and paediatrician may change too, but no new card is issued because of the move [5].

If you previously had a TSI in Catalonia, left and came back, you apply again as if for the first time [1].

Common mistakes

• Applying without padrón. This is the basic requirement for everyone, and without it the physical card will not be issued [1].
• An out-of-date certificat d'empadronament. At the CAP it must have been issued less than three months ago [1].
• Applying for the TSI before the entitlement is recognised. For family members, beneficiary status is first registered with the INSS [1].
• Expecting private insurance to replace the TSI. If you work, you still need the TSI: a sick note for temporary incapacity can only be issued by a doctor of the public system [9].
• Confusion with the NUSS. The Seguridad Social number and the TSI are different documents, and one does not replace the other.
• Not changing your CAP after moving. Give your new address to the CAP or call 061 [5].

When you need an individual review

The procedure depends on your ground of stay, your employment status and your family. A separate question arises if you have a residence permit without the right to work and must have private insurance, if you work for a foreign employer without alta in Spain, or if your family members arrived after you. In these cases it is better to check the plan with a gestor or a lawyer before applying, so as not to lose time on a refusal. This article does not replace a consultation.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team helps you put together the TSI file: check whether your padrón and entitlement to care are sufficient, prepare the application and the list of documents, and explain where to go in Barcelona. The outcome is decided by CatSalut, and response times do not depend on us. The first 15 minutes of a consultation are free: book a review. On family matters: family and reunification, with the order of steps in the family route card; a general overview of residence grounds is on the Residence permit in Barcelona page.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.