A person may live with a serious health condition or limitation without having an officially recognised degree of disability. In the Valencia region, recognition does not follow from diagnosis alone. It begins with an application and an assessment of how the person’s circumstances affect daily activities, participation and interaction with their environment.
Applications are open throughout the year to people registered as residents of a Valencian municipality. Spanish citizens living abroad may also apply when their last registered address in Spain was in the region. The application may be filed by the person concerned, their legal representative or an authorised individual.
The file must describe the person’s current circumstances
The regional government requires its standard form and the applicant’s SIP health number. Clinical reports must be current and describe the physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments being claimed. For children, an official educational psychology report and, where relevant, an early-intervention report may be included.
Assessment also considers barriers in the person’s surroundings. Evidence may take the form of a social-work report from the health system or municipal social services, or a signed declaration. The questionnaire on difficulties with routine activities can help describe everyday functioning, although it is optional.
The administration can normally check identity and municipal registration data itself. Applicants who object to those checks must supply the documents. The online procedure lists additional evidence for non-EU nationals, children and applications made through a representative.
A digital certificate is not essential
Online filing requires electronic identification, but documents can also be submitted through councils, PROP public-service offices and other official registries. Authorised civil servants can assist people who lack the necessary digital access, while designated social organisations may submit the application on their behalf.
If the file is incomplete, the assessment centre gives the applicant ten days to correct it. The centre may then arrange a medical, psychological or social assessment. Special circumstances allow a decision to rely on professional reports or a remote assessment. Applicants may be accompanied by a person they trust during the process.
The percentage is only part of the decision
The resolution states the degree of disability and may also determine reduced mobility or the need for another person’s support. Recognition of at least 33% comes with an accreditation card. The card does not replace the assessment procedure; it follows from a successful decision.
The official Valencian procedure gives the administration three months to decide because the process is classified as an emergency procedure. If no decision arrives within that period, the application may be treated as rejected by administrative silence, although the authority remains legally required to issue a resolution. Once issued, recognition takes effect from the original application date.
Someone who already has a recognised degree and whose circumstances have worsened must use the separate review procedure and provide updated evidence. Disability assessment should not be confused with dependency assessment: they answer different questions and use separate applications. This article will need updating if the forms, Valencian deadlines or Royal Decree 888/2022 change.