Last checked: 5 October 2026
The short answer: The SIP is the Comunitat Valenciana’s public health card. You get one if you’re insured through work, a Spanish pension or unemployment benefit, or as a dependent of someone who is, and you’re on the padrón. You request it in person at your local health centre, which also becomes your GP practice. Children under 18 are covered whatever their parents’ status.
Key facts
- The SIP (Sistema de Información Poblacional) is the card that gets you seen at public health centres and hospitals in the Comunitat Valenciana.
- You qualify as asegurado if you work and pay Social Security, receive a Spanish pension, or receive unemployment benefit. Spouses, partners and children can qualify as beneficiarios.
- You also need to be registered on the padrón.
- You request the card at a SIP desk inside a centro de salud or public hospital, not at a government office.
- The Conselleria de Sanidad’s address search tells you which health centre serves your street.
- Since March 2026, the free GVA+Salut app carries a virtual SIP card, and every pharmacy in the region can dispense prescriptions from a QR code on your phone. (Valencia News)
- Children under 18 have full public healthcare on the same terms as Spanish children, regardless of residence status.
Spanish public healthcare has a good reputation, and in Valencia your way into it is a small plastic card with three letters on it. Getting the SIP itself is usually simple. The confusing part is working out whether you qualify in the first place, because that depends on how you came here, not just where you live.
Who gets a SIP, and who doesn’t
Since 2018, public healthcare in Spain is framed around residence, but you still have to be formally recognised as insured or as a dependent. Working is the most common route. Most people on the non-lucrative visa, living on foreign income, don’t qualify automatically, which is why that visa requires private insurance.
| Your situation | How you’re covered |
|---|---|
| Employed or self-employed, paying Social Security | SIP as asegurado |
| Receiving a Spanish pension or unemployment benefit | SIP as asegurado |
| Spouse, partner or child of someone above | SIP as beneficiario |
| Non-lucrative visa, foreign income only | Private insurance (required by the visa) |
| Legally resident 1+ year, no other coverage | Option: convenio especial, a monthly fee to the public system |
| Child under 18, any status | Full public healthcare |
| Only a European Health Insurance Card | No SIP on that basis |
How to get your SIP, step by step
- Register on the padrón at your address first.
- Find your health centre with the Conselleria’s address search. No login needed.
- Go to the SIP desk at that centre with your ID and padrón certificate. You, or someone you authorise, can make the request.
- You’re assigned a GP (médico de cabecera) at that centre. You’ll book appointments there from then on.
- Download GVA+Salut (App Store / Google Play). Log in with your SIP number and an SMS code, or with Cl@ve.
What the GVA+Salut app does
- A virtual SIP card, so you don’t need the plastic one with you
- Prescriptions collected at any pharmacy in the region with a QR code
- Booking, checking and cancelling appointments at your health centre
- Your medical reports and imaging, such as X-rays and scans
If you’re not automatically covered
Private insurance. For the non-lucrative visa, the policy must be full coverage with no co-payments or waiting periods (sin copagos ni carencias), from an insurer authorised in Spain. Each family member needs their own cover, or a family plan that meets the same standard.
Convenio especial. After one continuous year of legal residence, you can pay a monthly fee for public coverage without working. It isn’t widely advertised. Ask at your health centre’s SIP desk.
FAQ
How do I get a SIP card in Valencia as a foreigner? Register on the padrón, find your health centre with the Conselleria’s address search, and request the card at its SIP desk. You must be insured through work, a Spanish pension or benefit, or as a dependent.
Can I get a SIP card on the non-lucrative visa? Not automatically, because you don’t pay into Social Security. You need private insurance. After a year of legal residence, the convenio especial becomes an option.
Are my children covered if I’m on private insurance? Yes. Under-18s have full public healthcare regardless of their own or their parents’ status. Register them locally.
How do I choose a GP in Valencia? Your GP is assigned through the health centre that serves your address. You get one when you request your SIP.
Is there a digital SIP card? Yes. Since March 2026 the GVA+Salut app includes a virtual SIP card, and pharmacies across the region read prescriptions from a QR code in the app.
What number do I call in an emergency? 112, free from any phone, 24/7. Operators regularly handle calls in English. Our guide to Spain’s police forces explains the other numbers.
Related guides
- New in Valencia: Guides for Settling In
- Empadronamiento in Valencia, Step by Step
- NIE vs TIE: What They Are and How to Get a Cita
If you qualify, get the SIP sorted before you need a doctor, not the week you do. If you don’t, make sure your private policy is the kind the visa office accepts, and put a reminder in your calendar for your one-year mark, when the convenio especial opens up.
