Health
The health card on Mallorca
How to obtain the IB-Salut health card: the order of the steps, appointment, documents, photo — and why the European Health Insurance Card is not enough once you work here.
The tarjeta sanitaria individual is your entry to the Balearic public health system. It assigns you a health centre and a family doctor; without it there is no routine care outside emergencies and no prescriptions at the reduced price.
The order matters
- 01Have your social security number (NUSS) — there is a separate article on that here.
- 02Your employer registers you with the Seguridad Social (the alta). That is when your entitlement begins.
- 03Register on the municipal padrón, if you have not already.
- 04Only then apply to IB-Salut for the card.
Appointment and documents
You apply at the admissions desk of your local health centre. Book by phone through INFOSALUT CONNECTA on 971 220 000, or online if you hold a digital certificate, electronic ID or Cl@ve.
- DNI, NIE or identity document.
- A recent colour photograph, 26 × 32 mm, to the same standard as an ID photo.
- If your address has changed: a current padrón registration certificate.
In several Mallorcan municipalities — among them Palma, Calvià, Alaró, Lloseta, Lloret de Vistalegre, Sineu and Valldemossa — the padrón document is not required, because the administration can look it up. Asking costs nothing; bringing it costs nothing either.
The virtual card
IB-Salut offers the tarjeta sanitaria virtual: the same card on your phone, with access to appointments and prescriptions. It replaces the plastic one day to day, but assumes you are already in the system — the first application still goes through the health centre.
What the European Health Insurance Card covers
What does the card cost?
Issuing it is part of public healthcare. Fees may apply for replacements after loss; IB-Salut publishes the current terms.
I have a fixed-term seasonal contract. Do I still get a card?
Yes. What matters is the social security registration, not the length of the contract.
Can I change health centre?
Yes, a change is possible; you are initially assigned the centre for your area. If you move within the island, report the new address.
What about my family?
Family members without their own employment can be covered as dependants of the insured person. That is a separate application to the Seguridad Social, made before the card.
Sources
- IB-Salut – Tarjeta sanitaria individual(official)
- IB-Salut – Tramitación, sustitución y renovación de la tarjeta sanitaria(official)
- Govern de les Illes Balears – Trámite: tarjeta sanitaria(official)
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Related
- Spanish social security number: applying for the NUSS
You get the number. Your employer does the registration. Mixing the two up means arriving on day one without it.
- Registering on the padrón in Mallorca
It is free and takes half an hour. Without it there is no health card. It is the errand everyone postpones.
- Working in Mallorca
Registration, social security number, minimum wage and the seasonal rhythm — the groundwork before you apply.