The Medical Certificate for Spanish Visas

The medical certificate is a document that is usually required for certain immigration authorisations, especially important when requested from a Spanish consulate abroad. We explain the specific cases in which it is usually requested, what it certifies, and what it is for.

In broad terms, this document consists of a medical certificate confirming that the person concerned has no disease that could have serious public health repercussions, in accordance with the International Health Regulations.

🧐 What Is It?

The International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR-2005) were adopted by the 58th World Health Assembly in May 2005 and came into force on 15 June 2007. The original text has been amended three times: 

• First amendment → 67th World Health Assembly in 2014 

• Second amendment → 75th World Health Assembly in 2022

• Third amendment → 77th World Health Assembly in 2024

The IHR-2005 constitutes the only binding international legislation on Public Health. The objective of the IHR-2005 is to prevent the international spread of diseases, protect against that spread, control it, and provide a public health response that is proportional and limited to the risks to public health, avoiding unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade. 

You can consult the text of the IHR-2005, updated as of 2024, in Spanish and English. 

🧑🏽‍⚕️ When Must the Medical Certificate Be Submitted?

It is important to emphasise that, since the approval of the new immigration regulation, approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024, of 19 November, which approves the Regulation of Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration, the medical certificate is only required when applying for a long-stay or residence visa, as indicated in article 35 part l) and art. 38 part i) of the mentioned law.

Specifically, it states: “That the foreign person provides a medical certificate to prove that they do not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with the provisions of the International Health Regulations of 2005.”

This means that this document only needs to be presented when the foreigner is in their country of origin and/or residence at a Spanish consulate, and requests: 

• a long-term authorisation for studies, student mobility, volunteer services or training activities (thus, long-stay visas lasting more than 90 days), or 

• a residence authorisation.

It has been confirmed that when applying for an authorisation from Spanish territory, the medical certificate does not need to be accredited in this regard, and several texts from information sheets confirm this: “The provision of the medical certificate proving that the foreign person does not suffer from any of the diseases that can have serious public health repercussions in accordance with the provisions of the International Health Regulations of 2005 is not required in cases where, in accordance with Immigration Regulations, they request their residence authorisation while in Spain.”

🏥 What Should It Contain?

The medical certificate must be requested in the country of origin or residence of the place where the applicant resides and where they will submit the visa application to the Spanish consular office.

Medical certificates must be issued by authorised medical centres or practitioners. Occasionally, Spanish consular offices themselves provide a list of contracted centres or referring doctors to process the certificate. However, if this is not the case, any registered doctor can issue it, as long as they use the official model provided by the consulate or include the exact wording required by regulations.

ℹ️ In the "Resources" section at the end of this blog, you will find a template that you can print and use to submit the certificate along with the rest of the documentation.

In this regard, it is essential that the certificate contains this exact phrase: "The applicant does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with the provisions of the International Health Regulations of 2005".

📆 How Long Is It Valid For?

Generally speaking, the medical certificate is valid for 90 days (3 months) from its date of issue. It is important to highlight that consular and immigration offices in Spain tend to apply this timeframe strictly to ensure that medical information is up to date. Therefore, even if the medical certificate indicates a longer validity, we recommend that it is not older than 3 months at the time of application.

📑 Does It Need to Be Legalised and Translated? 

As this is a private document, it does not need to be legalised. As for the translation, if the certificate is not issued in Spanish, there is also the possibility that it be issued in bilingual and multilingual format, and many Spanish consulates tend to accept it.

In any case, if this is not possible, it would then need to be translated by a sworn translator recognised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation. If there is no sworn translator recognised for your language, you may have the translation done at the Spanish embassy or consulate in the foreign country or at the foreign embassy or consulate in Spain.

If you want more information or have questions about the legalisation and translation of documents, you can check our blog post or informative page on our website that explains this topic in more detail.

⭐️ Traam can help you manage your immigration procedures, with guides and support from our legal team. Trust us with the management of your process for a smoother and quicker experience. With our experience, knowledge and support, you can ensure that there are no errors in your application.