Medical Certificate for Spanish Residency
The medical certificate confirms to the consulate that the applicant does not have a disease posing a public health risk under the 2005 International Health Regulations. It is required for nearly every national visa processed through a consulate, and applicants routinely trip up on the exact wording, the validity window, or the translation.
Contents
- What it is and why it is required
- The required wording
- Who issues it and in what form
- Apostille and translation
- Validity period
What it is and why it is required
The medical certificate is a standard document in the national visa (category D) file. Its purpose is not a general health assessment: it exists to formally confirm the absence of diseases the 2005 International Health Regulations (Reglamento Sanitario Internacional) classify as public health threats — quarantinable and highly dangerous infections such as smallpox, cholera, severe acute respiratory syndrome, viral haemorrhagic fevers and similar. A routine “fit and healthy” check-up does not satisfy this requirement unless the certificate carries the exact required wording.
The required wording
Consulates and the Immigration Unit only accept a certificate with the precise legal phrasing. In substance it is a statement that the applicant does not suffer from drug dependency, a mental disorder, or any disease posing a risk to public health under the 2005 International Health Regulations. The doctor must use this exact wording (in Spanish, or precisely translated), not a general conclusion about health status phrased in their own words. Because of this, most applicants use a ready-made template that the doctor simply fills in and signs, rather than a free-form write-up.
Who issues it and in what form
Any practicing doctor in the applicant’s place of residence can issue the certificate — a specialist is not required, a general practitioner is usually enough. Many consulates publish their own template on their services page; where one exists, use it rather than a generic form. The certificate should show, at minimum: the doctor’s full name, their licence number (colegiado number, if issued in Spain), the date of examination, and a signature and stamp. The issue date matters for the validity window, so avoid a long gap between the appointment and filing.
Apostille and translation
The rule here turns on where and in what language the document was issued.
- Issued in Spain, in Spanish — used as is, no apostille or translation needed.
- Issued abroad, not in Spanish — you need a certified translation into Spanish, and in most cases the original also needs an apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or consular legalisation (for other countries). The order is mandatory: apostille the original first, then translate — the translation must cover the apostille text too.
Apostille requirements for medical certificates are not applied with equal strictness everywhere — some consulates accept a certificate without an apostille if its content and wording match their template. Check the instructions of the specific consulate you are filing with before paying for an apostille.
Validity period
Practice generally points to 90 days (3 months) between the issue date and the filing date. This is not a figure fixed in law but a settled practice, which individual consulates sometimes refine in their own instructions. A sensible approach is to get the certificate as close as possible to your filing appointment rather than well ahead of time.
Common mistakes with the medical certificate
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Wrong wording. The doctor writes “the patient is healthy” or a similar general conclusion instead of the mandatory phrase about the absence of diseases posing a public health risk under the 2005 International Health Regulations. Consulates reject certificates like this.
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Missing apostille or translation. A certificate issued abroad in the local language, without an apostille and without a sworn translation — a standard reason for a file to be returned.
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Wrong order: translation before apostille. The apostille goes on the original before translation. Doing it the other way round means redoing the translation.
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Certificate expired by filing time. More than three months pass between getting the certificate and the filing appointment, and the consulate asks for a fresh one.
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No licence number or stamp from the doctor. A certificate that otherwise looks complete but lacks the doctor’s credentials can be rejected as not matching the required template.
Frequently asked questions
What wording must the medical certificate contain?
A specific legal formula is required, not just a doctor's conclusion that you are healthy: the certificate must literally state that the applicant does not suffer from drug dependency, a mental disorder, or any disease posing a risk to public health under the 2005 International Health Regulations. Consulates do not accept a certificate phrased in the doctor's own words.
Does the medical certificate need an apostille?
It depends on where and in what language it was issued. If it is issued outside Spain and not in Spanish, you need an apostille (or consular legalisation for countries outside the Hague Convention) plus a sworn translation into Spanish. If a doctor in Spain issues it directly in Spanish, no apostille or translation is needed.
How long is the certificate valid?
In practice, no older than 90 days (3 months) as of the date you submit your file at the consulate. Some consulates set their own window in their instructions, so plan the medical appointment close to your filing date rather than getting it well in advance.
Should I get the certificate in my home country or after arriving in Spain?
For the national visa, which is issued before travel, you get the certificate from any practicing doctor in your country of residence at the time of filing. After you move and get your TIE, a new certificate for residency is usually not required unless a specific procedure calls for one.
Which residency types require a medical certificate?
Nearly all national visas processed through a consulate: the non-lucrative visa, digital nomad visa, work visa, entrepreneur visa, student visa, family reunification. Status changes and renewals filed from within Spain more often skip it — but check the specific procedure.