Chronic conditions and ongoing treatment

Overview

If you have an existing chronic condition, moving to Spain means transitioning your ongoing care into the Spanish system. Handled proactively, this transition is usually smooth — the main risk is a gap in continuity if it isn't planned ahead of time.

Requirements

• You need to be registered for public healthcare (or hold appropriate private insurance) to access ongoing specialist care

Step-by-step process

• Bring your existing medical records, translated where practical, including diagnosis history, current medications and recent test results
• Register for public healthcare and book an initial primary-care appointment, explaining your condition and ongoing treatment needs
• Your primary-care doctor refers you to the relevant specialist service to continue monitoring and treatment
• Set up a repeat prescription for any ongoing medication once your Spanish care team confirms your treatment plan

Required documents

• Existing medical records and diagnosis history, translated if not in Spanish
• A current list of medications and dosages
• Health card (tarjeta sanitaria)

Common mistakes

• Waiting until medication runs out before arranging Spanish healthcare registration, risking a treatment gap
• Not bringing sufficiently detailed medical records, requiring tests to be repeated unnecessarily in Spain

Practical tips

• If your condition requires specific medication, check whether the exact brand is available in Spain before you arrive — active ingredients are usually the same, but brand names often differ
• Bring enough of your current medication to cover the transition period while Spanish registration and prescriptions are being set up

How Tuchati can help

Tuchati can help you translate medical records, find the right specialist referral pathway, and avoid a treatment gap during the transition.