The SIP card is the individual public health card of the Valencian Community. It identifies you in the public health system and is used to book appointments, collect medicines at the pharmacy and access your medical record. You apply at the admissions desk of your health centre, it is free and, since 2026, you can also carry it on your phone as a virtual SIP card in the GVA +Salut app.
Who can get a SIP card
As a general rule, you need to:
- Be registered on the padrón (local census) of a municipality in the Valencian Community.
- Be recognised as insured or a beneficiary of public healthcare, which is managed by Spain’s National Social Security Institute (INSS), or belong to a public civil-service scheme (Muface, Mugeju or Isfas) and have chosen public healthcare.
If you do not yet have that status, for example because you have just arrived or your residence situation is pending, ask at admissions which route to healthcare applies to your case. Emergency care is provided regardless.
How to apply for the first time
- Register on the padrón at your town hall if you have not done so.
- Check your coverage with the INSS if you are new to Spanish Social Security or are moving from another country.
- Go to the admissions desk of the health centre assigned to your address with your DNI, NIE or passport. Staff will register you on the Population Information System (SIP) and assign a family doctor or paediatrician.
- Give a correct mobile number. It is the number that will later let you log in to GVA +Salut by text message.
You collect the physical card at the health centre. In the meantime you are already registered and can book appointments.
The virtual SIP card on your phone
The redesigned GVA +Salut app presented in March 2026 added a virtual SIP card. According to the health department’s user guide, you simply log in with any of your access methods (PIN, fingerprint, face recognition or Cl@ve) and open the card from the menu. The app generates a QR code that can be read at health centres, pharmacies and other care points.
One important limitation: the virtual card is not available for children’s profiles, for data protection reasons. Children must keep using the physical card.
If your card is lost, stolen or damaged
- Damaged or without a barcode: the official GVA +Salut guide says you can request a new card and collect it free of charge at your health centre.
- Stolen: request a replacement at admissions and bring the police report; no fee is charged in that case.
- Lost or damaged through your own fault: the rules provide for a small fee for the replacement; ask admissions for the current amount.
While you wait, you can identify yourself with the virtual card or your DNI or NIE: your SIP number does not change.
Updating your details: address, phone or doctor
- Moving within the Valencian Community: update your address at admissions. If you move to a different health area, you will be assigned a new centre and doctor.
- Phone and email: if you log in to GVA +Salut with Cl@ve or a digital certificate, you can change them in the app. Otherwise, at the front desk.
- Changing doctor or centre: request it at the front desk or through the app’s front-desk appointment option.
- Moving from another Spanish region: register on the padrón and ask to be registered at your new health centre; your previous region’s card stops being your main card.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the SIP card cost?
Nothing. The card is free. A fee can only be charged for a replacement when the loss or damage is the user’s fault.
Where can I find my SIP number without the card?
In the GVA +Salut app, under personal details or on the virtual card itself. It also appears on prescriptions and reports issued by the Valencian health system.
Can I use the virtual SIP card at the pharmacy?
Yes. The app’s QR code is designed precisely to be read by pharmacies and health centres.
The text message to log in never arrives. What can I do?
It is almost always because the phone number on your SIP record is out of date. Correct it at admissions or log in by scanning the barcode on your card. You will find more solutions in our guide to getting a GP appointment.