Healthcare in Alicante: SIP card, health centre and emergencies

Machine translation made with AI: it may contain errors. Please check the details in the official sources.

Emergencies: 112

For an emergency (accident, chest pain, loss of consciousness) call 112, the European emergency number, free of charge throughout Spain. Outside an emergency, do not use it for general enquiries.

How public healthcare is organised

Public healthcare in the Valencian Community is run by the Conselleria de Sanidad (regional Department of Health) and is organised into health departments. Alicante city and its surroundings are split between two of them:

Departamento de Salud Alicante – Hospital General (Alicante – Hospital General Health Department). According to its website, it covers part of Alicante city, San Vicente del Raspeig, Agost and Monforte del Cid, as well as Moralet, Verdegás, La Alcoraya and La Cañada. Its health centres in Alicante include, among others, Campoamor, Babel, Florida, Ciudad Jardín, Los Ángeles, San Blas, Parque Lo Morant and Benalúa. In San Vicente there are San Vicente I and San Vicente II.
Departamento de Salud Alicante – Sant Joan d'Alacant (Alicante – Sant Joan d'Alacant Health Department). According to its website, it is organised into nine basic health zones: in Alicante city, Calle Gerona, Santa Faz-Ayuntamiento, Hospital Provincial-Pla, Juan XXIII and Cabo Huertas (including Playa de San Juan, Vistahermosa and La Albufereta); outside the city, El Campello, Xixona, Mutxamel (with Busot and Bonalba) and Sant Joan d'Alacant.

In Alicante city, your department depends on the neighbourhood you live in. That is why the most reliable option is to use the official search tool (see below).

Reference hospitals

Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis (Alicante – Hospital General Department). According to the department's website: calle Pintor Baeza, 11, 03010 Alicante. Switchboard: 965 933 000.
Hospital Universitario Sant Joan d'Alacant (Alicante – Sant Joan Department). According to the department's website: Carretera de Valencia, s/n, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant. Switchboard: 965 169 400.

How to find your health centre

You are assigned a centre according to your home address. The Conselleria de Sanidad has an official search tool, Busca tu centro (Find your centre), which lets you search by address without identifying yourself. If you identify yourself with your SIP card, it shows your reference centres for primary and specialist care.

The addresses, telephone numbers and opening hours of each centre are on each department's website: Alicante – Hospital General and Alicante – Sant Joan.

Booking an appointment

You can book an appointment with your GP (medicina de familia) or nurse in several ways:

Online, through the primary care appointment service (cita previa de atención primaria), with your SIP number and date of birth. No digital certificate is needed.
With the GVA + Salut app.
By telephone, by calling your centre. The number is on the back of the SIP card, under «Cita».
In person, at the centre itself.

For questions about the procedure, the Generalitat's 012 telephone line is available.

Urgent care outside your centre's opening hours

When your health centre is closed, non-serious urgent care is provided at continuous care points (PAC or PAS). According to the departments' websites:

Alicante – Hospital General: in Alicante there are the PAS on calle Aaiún and the PAS Alicante Sur (calle Fernando Madroñal, 7-11). They are open Monday to Friday from 21:00 to 8:00, on Saturdays from 15:00, and 24 hours on Sundays and public holidays. San Vicente del Raspeig has its own PAC: working days from 21:00 to 8:00, Saturdays from 15:00 and 24 hours on public holidays.
Alicante – Sant Joan: the El Campello, Mutxamel and Cabo Huertas centres have a continuous care point Monday to Saturday from 15:00, and 24 hours on Sundays and public holidays. For Sant Joan d'Alacant, the continuous care point is at the Mutxamel Health Centre (telephone 965 937 466).

Opening hours may change. Check the current information on the department's website before you go. In an emergency, call 112.

The SIP card

The Valencian health card (SIP, Sistema de Información Poblacional, Population Information System) identifies you to the public system. You need it to book appointments and for most procedures.

How to apply: registration or reactivation in the SIP is done at the health centre or online, through the Conselleria's SIP card procedures. The card is collected at the health centre. To register at the centre, the Conselleria recommends bringing a certificate of registration on the padrón (municipal register) issued less than six months ago. Since access is tied to registration on the padrón, start with our guide to registering on the padrón.

Duplicates: according to the health card FAQs, a duplicate due to loss costs 3.15 euros (checked on 2026-10-14).

Who is entitled in practice

Employees and self-employed people registered with Social Security (Seguridad Social), and their dependants: have access.
People with no other public cover: can sign the convenio especial (special agreement). According to the Conselleria de Sanidad (checked on 2026-10-14), it requires at least one year of effective and continuous residence in Spain immediately before applying, registration on the padrón of a Valencian municipality and no other public cover. The contributions are 60 euros a month (under 65) and 157 euros a month (65 or over). It does not cover medicines.
People with private insurance: can obtain a SIP number at their health centre.
Other cases (new arrivals, people without resources, irregular status): ask for an appointment with the social worker at your health centre. The rules depend on nationality and situation.

If you are a tourist or do not yet have entitlement

People insured in another EU country: the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC; TSE in Spanish) gives access to public care that cannot wait until you return home, during a temporary stay and with the same rights as people insured in Spain. It does not cover private healthcare, repatriation or planned treatment. You apply for it in your own country before travelling.
All other cases: you need travel insurance or private health insurance.
Urgent care without cover: according to the Conselleria, go to your health centre and ask to be referred to the social worker. If you have been treated at hospital A&E (urgencias), go to your centre as soon as possible afterwards.

Private healthcare and insurance

There are private clinics and insurers in the area. If you are considering insurance, check: hospital cover, age limits, pre-existing conditions, waiting periods and whether it is valid for the residence procedure you are going to do. We do not recommend any specific provider.

On-duty pharmacy

On-duty pharmacies are organised by the Colegio de Farmacéuticos de Alicante (Alicante Pharmacists' Association). Its on-duty pharmacy search filters by date, town and postcode. The information is also posted on the door of any pharmacy. Association telephone: 965 123 123 (8:00 to 20:00).

Before you go: document checklist

Passport, DNI, TIE or registration certificate.
Certificate of registration on the padrón (preferably issued less than six months ago).
Document proving your cover: Social Security registration or special agreement, depending on the case.
European Health Insurance Card, if you are visiting from another EU country.

Disclaimer: general information, not advice

This guide summarises public information as at 2026-10-14 and does not replace medical or legal advice. In an emergency call 112. Verify opening hours and requirements on the website of the Conselleria de Sanidad or of your health department.