The Ministry of Health is preparing regulations to eliminate administrative obstacles to the health system for migrants.

The Ministry of Health has launched a prior public consultation process on the draft Royal Decree that will regulate the recognition and oversight of the right to health protection and publicly funded healthcare . This initiative aims to strengthen universal access to the National Health System (NHS), with special attention to eliminating administrative barriers affecting migrants and generating health inequalities .

The new regulation will comply with the provisions of Royal Decree-Law 7/2018 , which authorizes the Ministry of Health to approve the necessary provisions to recognize the right to health protection and healthcare, at the expense of public funds, by verifying the requirements established in said Royal Decree-Law.

However, to date, this regulatory standard has not been approved, which has generated disparities in its application between autonomous communities and has maintained administrative barriers that hinder effective access , especially for the group of foreigners .

This public consultation marks the first step toward approving a clear, consistent, and guaranteeing regulatory framework that will fully realize the right to health protection under equal conditions.

The procedure is covered by Article 133 of Law 39/2015 , of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure , in conjunction with Article 26 of Law 50/1997 , of November 27, on the Government . The consultation aims to gather the opinions of citizens and potentially affected organizations, facilitating their participation in the preliminary phase of regulatory development.

The future regulation will aim to standardize the criteria for recognizing the right to health care throughout the country, reducing the scope for discretion and guaranteeing equal access, especially for foreigners who may face administrative barriers when accessing the National Health System .

Interested parties may submit their comments from July 12 to July 28, 2025, via email : [email protected]

The Ministry of Health has launched a prior public consultation process on the draft Royal Decree that will regulate the recognition and oversight of the right to health protection and publicly funded healthcare . This initiative aims to strengthen universal access to the National Health System (NHS), with special attention to eliminating administrative barriers affecting migrants and generating health inequalities .