What is the S1 form?
The S1 form allows UK State pensioners who are residents in Spain to receive UK-funded State Healthcare in Spain. If you gained residency before the end of December 2020 and are under the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, you will also receive primary care, emergency treatment, and hospital care when visiting the UK (find further clarification after the instructions on how to apply and register the S1 form in this guide).
How do I request the S1 form?
The application form for the S1 form is provided by the Overseas Healthcare Services from the NHS. The form, as well as more information, can be requested by phone at:
NHS Overseas Healthcare Services
Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 3pm
You can also request your S1 form online. You will need to write your request to the following email nhsbsa.ohsregistrations@nhs.net
We have checked with the relevant authorities and you will be asked for the following;
Your National Insurance number
The date that you moved to Spain
The date you will reach State retuirement Age.
How do I register my S1 form with the Spanish authorities?
You can register your S1 form electronically at the INSS website without needing a digital certificate or a digital signature.
Before starting, make sure you have the following documents saved in your computer:
Scanned S1 Form.
Completed application form. You can download it here.
Certificate of residence/TIE, or favourable resolution from Extranjería.
Passport.
Census Certificate/ Padrón (Certificate proving register at the local Town Hall).
If applying for a dependant, proof of relationship.
Even if you send your documents online, the INSS might require you to book an appointment if they need further information, which you can do here.
Registration process
You can access the INSS registration website through this link. If you already have the application form completed and saved on your computer, press “Enviar solicitud”. If you haven’t completed the application form yet, you can download it by pressing “Descargar Formulario”.
After pressing “Enviar Solicitud”, you will need to confirm your personal details with the system. First, you will need to provide an email address (1). If you are applying as a representative of someone else, tick the dedicated box confirming it so (2). After writing down your email address, you will need to click on“Confirmar Correo” (3).
The INSS will send a code to the email address. Write or copy the code into the box that will appear below.
Once you have confirmed your email address, you will be asked to write down your personal details. On the following boxes, you will need to write your name and surname, the type of ID number you have (NIE or DNI), your ID number and the expiry date of your residency document.
Then, you will need to upload three images into the system. First, you will have to take a self-portrait holding your ID document. You can click “Hacer Foto'' to activate the camera from your device and take the photo right on the spot. If you cannot take photographs from your device, click the “Haz clic aquí” option and follow the instructions (you will need to scan a QR code with your phone) to validate this step. Below you will also need to upload both sides of your TIE separately (one side per box). Once all images are uploaded, press “Continuar” (4).
If you still do not have your TIE or NIE number, tick the box shown in the following image and upload scans of your passport instead of the NIE.
After pressing “Continuar”, you will be directed to the next stage of your application. In the first text box you can write any additional information or circumstances you consider relevant for your application if any. Then you will need to specify the province, city and postal code of your address. Once you are done with this, press “Continuar”.
The next step consists of uploading into the system all the required documents for your application. The first box (big one) is dedicated solely to the Spanish S1 application form (not your S1 form). If you have already completed the application form, upload the document by clicking “Adjuntar”. If you haven’t yet completed that form, you can download it by using the link provided: “lo puedes descargar aquí”. Keep in mind that the session will expire in 30 minutes after entering the website, so we advise having all documents prepared beforehand.
Once you have uploaded the Spanish application form, you can use the section found below called “Añadir otros documentos” to upload the rest of your documents. You will have to upload the following documents:
Your S1 form.
Your residency favourable resolution issued by Extranjería (in case the police haven’t issued your TIE yet)
Proof of relationship to the dependant, if applicable.
Empadronamiento.
After uploading your documents, you will need to give consent to the INSS to communicate with you via mobile phone, email and the other contact details previously provided. You can do so by ticking the box “Sí, doy mi consentimiento”. This consent will only affect issues regarding Social Security matters. To finalise the process, tick the “I’m not a robot” box and then click “Firmar Solicitud”.
After pressing “Firmar Solicitud”, you will receive a code to the email address provided to the INSS. You will need to write down that code in the box that will appear below.
Finally, you will need to draw your signature manually with your cursor in the box that will appear below. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you can erase it and draw it again by clicking “Borrar” if you make a mistake. Finally, press “Continuar” to send in your application.
Resolution
After sending in your application, you can consult its progress or upload additional documents by clicking “Ya he presentado una solicitud y quiero conocer su estado y/o aportar más documentación” on the main site of the S1 registration.
The INSS will contact you when the application is resolved, and might request you to book an appointment with an INSS office in case they need further information.
The Provisional Replacement Certificate
This certificate can be used if you need health care in the following circumstances:
If you are an S1 form holder, who has applied for residency (or are currently waiting for an appointment) but have not registered your S1 at the INSS because you are waiting for your residency paperwork to be completed. For this reason you have not registered at a health centre either.
If you are in this situation, and you need to access necessary medical care, you can call the Overseas Healthcare Service - OHS (+44 191 218 1999) and ask for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) to cover any immediate treatment you need. The OHS may require some additional information in order to issue you with a PRC, such as the name of the hospital or health centre. The Provisional Replacement Certificate should be presented at your local health centre or A&E department at the hospital at the point at which you access treatment.
If I get an S1 form, can I still access NHS healthcare when visiting the UK?
If you became a resident under the Withdrawal Agreement (you lived in Spain before the end of 2020) you do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes S1 form holders living in the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway or Lichtenstein, on or before 31 December 2020. Take a copy of your S1 form with you when you visit the UK. You may be asked to present this if you need to access treatment. If you no longer hold a copy, you can call Overseas Healthcare Services (0191 218 1999) and request a copy.
If you are not under the Withdrawal Agreement, and because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare. You should take out appropriate travel insurance when visiting the UK, as you would when visiting any other country. Any treatment you may have to pay for will be charged at 150% of the national NHS rate.
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