Pareja de Hecho residency: What do I need to do to be eligible for medical coverage in Spain?

Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi

Question

I have my pareja de hecho and residency now. What do I need to do now in order to be eligible for medical coverage in Spain?I am originally Australian and living in Cadiz, if that makes any difference.

Answers

These are the answers of some Facebook group members:

“I’m going through the process at the moment. To get my ‘tarjeta sanitaria’ i needed to apply to add my details onto my partners existing card. Which can be done online. They came back to me and despite having my pareja de hecho and NIE etc all sorted I needed to get a no impediment to marriage certificate from the Aus embassy to formally register the relationship here in Spain. Still waiting for the final approval, but have given them the docs they’ve requested.”

“Hi, I’m not 100% sure – but I always thought that residency gives you automatically a medical coverage. Do you have SS number? It depends on your partner’s income. If it’s not sufficient, you need to get private coverage.”

“I think you have to pay into it. Monthly charge of around €60 rising sharply to €157 if you’re over 65”

Useful links:

• Visit our recommended immigration & tax experts here.
• Make sure to visit Spainguru’s Resources page.
• Join Spainguru’s Facebook group with more than 13.000 members
• Join Spainguru’s NLV whatsapp group
• Get quotes for the best Health insurances to apply for a NLV

Shaheen Samavati

Shaheen Samavati is a pivotal figure at SpainGuru, where she brings her profound understanding of Spanish immigration to the forefront. Her journey in Spain began when she arrived in Madrid to pursue her studies at IE Business School. Over the years, Shaheen has not only immersed herself in the Spanish culture but has also become a trusted resource for expats. Through her active participation in the "American Expats in Spain" Facebook group and her role as a content manager for Spotahome.com, she has consistently provided invaluable insights to the expat community.

See Full Bio