Spain Long-Stay Visa
Medical Certificate
for Spain Visa
UK citizens applying for a Spanish long-stay visa must submit a Certificate of Good Health from an FCDO-registered GP. We issue yours online — accepted by Spanish consulates.
FCDO-Registered GP
24–48 hr turnaround
IHR 2005 Compliant
100% online
The Spanish MedicalCertificate of Good Health
A formal letter from a licensed doctor confirming one specific matter: that you do not suffer from any disease that could have serious public health consequences under the World Health Organization's International Health Regulations 2005.
It is not a health check, a fitness assessment, or a report on your general medical condition. Spain is establishing whether an applicant presents a public health risk, and the IHR 2005 framework covers diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, yellow fever, plague and poliomyelitis.
This distinction is important. A general statement of good health does not satisfy the requirement — the certificate must explicitly reference the International Health Regulations of 2005, which is how the consulate confirms it has been issued to the correct standard.
The Spanish Consulate General in London sets out the required wording directly: the certificate must confirm that the applicant does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with the International Health Regulations of 2005. Our certificates carry that wording on official letterhead, with the doctor's signature, stamp and GMC number.
Applicants whorequire one
Spain requires the certificate for long-stay national visas covering any stay beyond 90 days. Short-stay Schengen visits do not require it.
Non-Lucrative Visa
The most common route, for applicants with sufficient means to live in Spain without working — frequently retirees and the financially independent.
Digital Nomad Visa
For remote workers employed by, or contracting with, companies based outside Spain.
Student Visa
For study or exchange programmes running longer than 90 days.
Work & Family Reunification
For employment and self-employment routes, and for applicants joining a family member already resident in Spain.
What Spain requires,and what we ask of you
What the consulate requires
- The IHR 2005 declaration, citing the International Health Regulations of 2005 by name
- Issue on official letterhead from the doctor or medical centre
- The signature and stamp of the issuing doctor
- The doctor's GMC number, for independent verification
- Issue within 90 days of the visa application, and dated accordingly
- Issue within the United Kingdom or Spain — the Consulate General in London accepts certificates from these jurisdictions only
- Apostille legalisation and sworn Spanish translation where issued outside Spain
- No medical tests: the declaration is drawn from a review of your medical history
What we ask you to provide
Photo identification
Passport or UK driving licence. The name on your identification must match your visa application exactly.
Your completed health questionnaire
Medical history, current and past conditions, and any history of infectious disease. It takes approximately one minute.
Current medications
Names and doses of anything taken regularly. Ongoing medication does not prevent a certificate being issued.
Recent symptoms or infections
Particularly any persistent cough, fever or unexplained weight loss, which the GP may wish to explore further.
We issue the exact wordingthe Consulate specifies
This is the question we are asked most often, so here is the direct answer. The Consulate General of Spain in London publishes the precise form of words the certificate must carry, and our certificates carry that wording exactly — in English, and in Spanish where required.
The Consulate additionally requires that the certificate be issued by a registered medical practitioner no earlier than three months before the date of application.
Required wording · English
Also carried on every certificate
- Issue on official clinic letterhead, with our address and contact details
- Your full name exactly as it appears in your passport, with date of birth and passport number
- The signing doctor's full name and GMC registration number
- The doctor's signature and official stamp
- The date of issue, from which the validity period runs
The Consulate's published guidance setting out the required wording, the three-month issue window, and the apostille and sworn translation requirements.
View the Consulate guidanceA bilingual medical certificate template published by the Spanish consular network, showing the English and Spanish wording side by side.
View the official templateA specimen of the certificate we issue. Personal details are redacted.
Your Spain certificate inthree simple steps
Everything is handled online, and your signed certificate is posted the same day.
Submit your details online
Gather the documents listed above and complete our secure online form.
Consult our GP online
A GMC and FCDO-registered GP prepares your certificate to the exact wording required.
Receive it by post
Sent free by Royal Mail 1st Class, to your address or straight to our apostille partner.
Spainquestions answered
Do I need any blood tests or an X-ray for Spain?
No. Spain assesses the certificate from your medical history, not from screening. There are no blood tests, no chest X-ray and no clinic visit involved — only the online questionnaire reviewed by our GP.
Can my own NHS GP write this instead?
Your GP can write a letter, but apostille legalisation requires a signature from a doctor registered with the FCDO — a separate registration from the GMC that most NHS practices do not hold. Our doctors hold both, so your certificate can be legalised and submitted without difficulty.
Will an existing condition or regular medication affect it?
In almost all cases, no. The certificate confirms you are free from diseases with serious public health repercussions under IHR 2005 — it is not a general fitness assessment. Ongoing conditions and regular medication are common among our patients.
Does the certificate need an apostille and a Spanish translation?
Yes, where the certificate is issued outside Spain. The Consulate requires apostille legalisation and a sworn Spanish translation. Both are arranged through our partner, The Apostille Service, at rates negotiated for our patients.
How long is it valid, and when should I order?
The Consulate expects the certificate to be issued no earlier than three months before your application. Allow four to six weeks before your appointment so there is comfortable time for apostille and translation while staying inside that window.
Which Spanish visas need one?
Long-stay national visas covering any stay beyond 90 days — including the Non-Lucrative Visa, Digital Nomad Visa, Student Visa, work routes and Family Reunification. Short-stay Schengen visits do not require it.
Can you issue certificates for my whole family?
Yes. Each person needs their own certificate, since each requires an individual GP review. Order one per applicant, including children.
I am applying through a consulate outside London. Is the certificate the same?
The wording is consistent across the Spanish consular network. If your consulate has supplied its own template, send it to us when you order and our doctor will complete that version.
Ready to move to Spain?
Get your Certificate of Good Health — issued by an FCDO-
registered GP, accepted by Spanish consulates, delivered in 24–48
hours.
FCDO-Registered · IHR 2005 · OFII Form Included · Same-Day PDF