Are you an expat thinking about having your baby in Spain? You may feel it daunting to givebirth in a foreign country, but Spain has an excellent and world-renowned healthcaresystem with highlytrained medical personnel. As an expat, you have the option to go to a public or private hospital.
European citizens with EHICcards (the European Health Insurance Card) arecovered for allmedically necessary treatment relatedtopregnancy, including childbirth听-听as long as giving birth is not the mainreason for staying in Spain. If you plan to give birth in Spain while currently residing in anotherEUcountry, it is highly recommended to contact your local healthauthoritybefore moving, as prior authorisation (such as an S2 form) may be required.
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Giving birth within the national healthcare system
If you are a legal resident in Spain paying your monthly social security contributions, you are entitled to public healthcare. If you opt to have your baby in a Spanish public hospital, one will typically be assigned to you. However, if you go into labour when you're away from the area, you can go into any public hospital.
During your pregnancy, you will get ultrasounds and medical check-ups.
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Giving birth with private healthcare
If you have private healthcare, you may prefer to pay for a private hospital. In this situation, you can choose the hospital you want to be under. You will receive regular check-ups and ultrasounds and can expect shorter wait times for results and appointments. You will have your own room or a suite in the private hospital, unlike the public system, where you will most likely share a room.
If you do not speak Spanish, you should hire a translator who can accompany you to the hospital for check-ups and when the baby is born.
Good to know:
Home pregnancy kits are available over the counter in Spanish pharmacies.
Registering your newborn baby
In most cases, hospitals or clinics will takecare of registering the birth within 72 hours. However, if this is not done, parents have ten days to declare the birth at the local Civil Registry Office (Oficina del Registro Civil). This can be extended to 30 days if there is a good cause. Registration includes:
The name of your baby
The date, time and location of the birth
Gender of your baby
The parents when the relationship is legally recognised
The time of registration
When you register your newborn, you mustbring with you:
Documents confirming youridentity and nationality听
Statements confirming the name of the newborn
A medical certificatesignedelectronically by a doctor
Translatedmarriagecertificate or family book
If a child is born outside of marriage:
Both parents will need to attend the registry office and provide:
The medical delivery report provided by the hospital
The NIE documents of both the mother and the father
Details of the mother's marital status. If the mother was previously married, the legal presumption of paternity needs to be removed by presenting a marriage certificate and the divorce decree. In the case of a separation, two witnesses must accompany the mother to the registry office.
Good to know:
Spain is a very bureaucratic country so make sure you're fully prepared with all the documents you will need. If the baby is yet to be born, have your marriage certificate translated in advance so you are not rushing around after the birth.
There are several types of birth certificates in Spain issued by the Registrar of the Civil Registry. They include:
Certificado extracto 鈥 a summary of the birthrecord available in multiplelanguages
Certificado literal 鈥 contains all the relevantinformation related to the birth and the identity of the newborn
An international or multilingual birth certificate
An electronic certificate
Good to know:
Here are a few pregnancy-related Spanish words used during and after pregnancy:
Dar a luz - to give birth. The literal and flowery translation is 'to give a light.'
Contracciones - contractions
滨苍诲耻肠肠颈贸苍 al parto - labour induction
Ecografia - ultrasound
Fecha probable del parto听-听estimated due date
Fecha del parto - actual date of birth
Paritorio -听labour/delivery room
Useful links:
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We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
Paul, a former BBC writer and producer specializing in science and news programs, has lived in Spain as an expat for over 15 years and works as a freelance writer. In his spare time, Paul likes to read, swim and take long walks along the coast.