'Foreigners with no public healthcare can now register for vaccine': Spain's Canary Islands confirms
Authorities in the Spanish archipelago hadn’t fully clarified what foreign residents without access to public healthcare should do to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Now those who only have private health insurance can take action to get an appointment.
“We have been contacted by some of you who are living in the Canary Islands who do not have a 'tarjeta sanitaria' (public health card) – for example those of you with private health insurance - who have had difficulty registering for the Covid-19 vaccine,” wrote the British Embassy on Thursday May 13th.
Brexpats in Spain head Anne Hernández also informed The Local Spain in recent days that Britons had contacted her to find out why the Canary Government hadn’t offered a solution to the problem of foreigners who aren’t on Spain's public health system getting the jab.
Other Spanish regions have either asked their extranjeros without a healthcard to either register at the town hall, contact their local health centre or get a temporary public health card, but it's been an painstaking wait for many, especially for foreigners in the Islas Canarias.
“The Canary Islands’ government has confirmed today that you should go to your local health centre to register your contact details,” the British Embassy in Madrid explained.
“To do so you must show your identification documentation such as your passport and a padrón certificate to demonstrate that you are a resident in the Canary Islands.
“Once registered, you will be issued an appointment for the vaccine according to the priority group you are in”.
According to the Canary government website, the vaccination campaign for people in the 50 to 59 age group has now started but those in their 60s are also receiving their first vaccine currently.
Although it has been reported this week that people in the Canary Islands born in 1957 can now book their own appointments, Canary health authorities are not encouraging the public to call 112 to book a vaccine appointment.
Thursday's announcement is excellent news for Britons on private health policies in the Canary Islands but also for other foreign nationals who don’t have access to public healthcare, as the vaccine isn’t available in private health clinics anywhere in Spain.
The Canary Isles, which are made up of 8 islands including Tenerife and Gran Canaria, are home to 286,500 foreigners according to the latest figures by Spain’s National Statistics Institute.
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“We have been contacted by some of you who are living in the Canary Islands who do not have a 'tarjeta sanitaria' (public health card) – for example those of you with private health insurance - who have had difficulty registering for the Covid-19 vaccine,” wrote the British Embassy on Thursday May 13th.
Brexpats in Spain head Anne Hernández also informed The Local Spain in recent days that Britons had contacted her to find out why the Canary Government hadn’t offered a solution to the problem of foreigners who aren’t on Spain's public health system getting the jab.
Other Spanish regions have either asked their extranjeros without a healthcard to either register at the town hall, contact their local health centre or get a temporary public health card, but it's been an painstaking wait for many, especially for foreigners in the Islas Canarias.
“The Canary Islands’ government has confirmed today that you should go to your local health centre to register your contact details,” the British Embassy in Madrid explained.
“To do so you must show your identification documentation such as your passport and a padrón certificate to demonstrate that you are a resident in the Canary Islands.
“Once registered, you will be issued an appointment for the vaccine according to the priority group you are in”.
According to the Canary government website, the vaccination campaign for people in the 50 to 59 age group has now started but those in their 60s are also receiving their first vaccine currently.
Although it has been reported this week that people in the Canary Islands born in 1957 can now book their own appointments, Canary health authorities are not encouraging the public to call 112 to book a vaccine appointment.
Thursday's announcement is excellent news for Britons on private health policies in the Canary Islands but also for other foreign nationals who don’t have access to public healthcare, as the vaccine isn’t available in private health clinics anywhere in Spain.
The Canary Isles, which are made up of 8 islands including Tenerife and Gran Canaria, are home to 286,500 foreigners according to the latest figures by Spain’s National Statistics Institute.
READ MORE:
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