A Spanish doctor’s certificate is needed if you’re going to apply for a spearfishing licence or other types of licences like a driver’s licence. One would think that any doctor would be willing to issue a certificate, but they don’t. Most doctors will send you to special health centres that only specialize in issuing certificates. The reason why most doctors won’t do this is that if there is a real problem, they may be called to testify in court, and they prefer to avoid the hassle.
How To Find a Medical Centre to Get a Spanish Doctor’s Certificate
These centres are located all over the country. They specialize in checkups that are required for all types of licences: driving, diving, firearms, etc. If you’re going to renew your driver’s permit, they will even take your photo, and send the certificate to the authorities directly together with the application form.
To search for the nearest one, all that you need to do is to Google any of the following terms (in Spanish):
- Certificados medicos
- Revisiones medicas
How These Centres Work
These centres only specialize in simple checkups for licences. Each centre has a couple of rooms where different doctors check different things. Generally, the main doctor will check your health (heart, lungs, eyes, ears, etc.) and another will check your reflexes and ask if you’re sane 😉
Waiting times are low, and if there isn’t a queue, you can be out within 30 minutes. Doctors who work there are very businesslike and fast. They won’t ask you about your life history. They only issue certificates and don’t treat patients.
How Much Does a Certificate Cost
There are plenty of centres everywhere. Each is free to set prices as they want. Typically they can charge between 20 and 50 euros.
How To Find the Best Deal
To find the best deal, you can shop around, and compare prices. You can also check on sites such as Groupon.es where you will probably find the best offers. Most centres will be happy to quote you over the phone if you tell them what you need the licence for. Some centres will give you a discount if you take an appointment before showing up. Other centres might have promotions, such as discounts for people younger than 25, or for the jobless.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I take a certificate from my own country?
No. Certificates need to be issued on a standard official Spanish doctor’s form with his/her details and a stamp from the doctor’s association. Your (non-Spanish) doctor won’t have the registration number either, nor be able to fill it in Spanish with the correct wording.
Can my certificate be rejected, even if I got it from the right place?
Yes. Your certificate can be rejected for various reasons, so always check what must be written on it. Even if you’re very healthy, a certificate can be rejected because the doctor didn’t use the correct words, used illegible handwriting, or issued the certificate in another language (there are 4 languages spoken in Spain).
Here is an example of this. We recently received a certificate to get a spearfishing licence for a client, who had gone to the medical centre to get a Spanish doctor’s certificate in Valencia. The doctor issued the certificate and the client e-mailed it to us. It had the following problems:
- It was issued in the Valencian language
- The handwriting was too hard to read
- It didn’t specify that the client was specifically fit for spearfishing (in Spanish, “apto para la pesca submarina a pulmon libre”)
The certificate was rejected because of these reasons, and the client had to go get another one.
Spanish Doctor’s Certificate for Spearfishing in the Canary Islands: What Needs to be Written on It
If you’re applying for a spearfishing licence in the Canary Islands, please make sure the following is written on it:
- “Apto para la pesca submarina a pulmón libre” (This has to be written exactly as it is, and means you’re fit enough to go scuba diving and do spearfishing)
- The name on the certificate must match the name on the passport or national ID card.
- The text needs to be written in Castellano (Castilian Spanish). This is the national language of the country.
- The text must be legible, especially the first item of this list.
