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SPAIN has granted free healthcare to ‘anyone who is not a legal resident,’ the Ministry of Health has announced – sparking fears that the move could push already-strained hospitals to the limit.
Approved by the Spanish parliament on Tuesday, the decree promises free access to all public healthcare services ‘without prepayment or bureaucratic hurdles,’ according to official statements.
Until now, undocumented migrants could get treatment in Spain’s hospitals – but only after registering as residents. Children, pregnant women and emergency cases received treatment automatically, regardless of whether they had the proper paperwork.
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Under the new rules, however, applicants simply need to submit a ‘declaracion responsable‘ — a sworn statement declaring they live in Spain — which the ministry estimates will fast-track care for thousands of people living in the country without documentation.
Monica Garcia Gomez said, “We have permanently removed all administrative obstacles in healthcare.”
If you live in Spain you have the right to health care.
The announcement sparked fury from the opposition, with right-wing Vox branding the law a ‘collapse risk’ for Spain’s overstretched health system.
Are they trying to bring down our public health system? Ignacio Garriga was Vox’s vice-president and secretary general.
“We are not a NGO. We are not a charitable organization. He added, “We aren’t the world hospital.”
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The row comes as Spain’s public healthcare system is already creaking under mounting pressure.
Spain’s 2024 national health report – the latest available – showed that average waiting times for specialist appointments jumped from 65 days in 2014 to 105 days in 2024.
Professor Jose Ramon Repullo, a health planning and economics expert, told El Pais last week that Spain’s system was ‘bursting at the seams’ under the strain of long waiting lists.
“Visits to family doctors have dropped while emergency room visits have shot up — a sign that primary care is collapsing,” he warned.
This move coincides with sweeping changes in Spain’s immigration policy. Earlier this year, the government unveiled plans to regularise around 500,000 undocumented migrants currently living in the country.
READ MORE As soon as migrants arrive in Spain, they will have full access to the public health system.
Migrants who arrived before the end of 2025 and have no criminal record will now be able to apply for legal residency and work permits — giving them access to formal employment and public services.
Opposition parties have criticized the measure harshly. Alberto Nuñez Feijoo of the conservative Partido Popular warned the policy could ‘overwhelm our public services’, echoing widespread concerns about the strain on Spain’s already stretched hospitals and clinics.
Government officials, however, say the policy will strengthen the economy, with migration minister Elma Saiz insisting the measure is ‘compatible with economic growth and social cohesion.’
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