If you’re planning on applying for Spain’s non-lucrative visa (NLV), you will need to provide a medical certificate, but what exactly is it and how do you get one?
Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa or NLV is a visa which gives non-EU citizens residency in the country.
In order to be granted it, you need to provide proof of passive income, proof that you’re not working, that you have private health insurance and that you have a medical certificate, among other documents.
This medical certificate is also known as the medical certificate of good health and does exactly what it says it does – proves that you’re in good health when you move to Spain.
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What is this medical certificate?
According to various Spanish consulates abroad, the certificate needs to state that the applicant does not suffer from any disease that could cause serious repercussions for public health in accordance with the 2005 International Health Regulations.
The IHR 2005 is a global framework established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prevent and manage the international spread of infectious diseases.
According to Wilmer Health, a company which organises medical certificates, sworn translations, and document legalisation services, it must have specific wording or phrasing along the lines of:
“[YOUR NAME] does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with what is stipulated by the International Health Regulations of 2005.”
In fact, the example medical certificate provided by the Spanish consulate in Los Angeles in the United States says almost exactly that. Check to see if your local consulate has one that you can use too.
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The certificate must be issued by your doctor or local hospital on official letterhead paper.
Alternatively, your doctor can fill out a template provided by your consulate and give it an official stamp.
If using the template above, your doctor should print it out, sign it, date and stamp it and you must submit the original, rather than a copy.
If there is no official letterhead or stamp, the certificate may be rejected as it cannot be verified.
How do I get this certificate?
The best way to go about getting one is to go to your local doctor’s office in your home country and ask for one. You may have to make an appointment to do this, or the reception staff may be able to organise one for you and get your doctor to sign it.
If you haven’t been to the doctor in a while or your medical history hasn’t been updated, you may need to undergo a medical check-up first.
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If you don’t have a local doctor in your home country you can get a certificate from an online company such as Wilmer Health, mentioned above. For this you will have to fill out a questionnaire with all your medical history and possibly speak to a doctor if they have any questions for you.
This certificate must be issued a maximum of 90 days prior to submitting your visa application.
If it’s written in English or another language you will need to provide an official translation into Spanish.
According to the Spanish consulate in Los Angeles, if you use their template above, it already includes a Spanish translation and doesn’t require another one.
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