How to Change Your Doctor in Madrid and Book Appointments
Madrid lets patients choose their family doctor, nurse and health center anywhere in the region. How to switch, book and get a specialist referral.
In the Comunidad de Madrid you can change your family doctor, nurse or health center at any time without giving a reason, under the region’s libre elección (free choice) rules. Do it online at the Comunidad’s free-choice website with a digital certificate or electronic ID, or in person at the desk of the health center you want to join.
What does free choice mean in Madrid?
Since 2010 the Comunidad de Madrid has run the whole region as a single health area for primary care. That means you are not tied to the health center nearest your home. If you are registered on the padrón of a Madrid town and have a health card, you can choose:
- Your family doctor (médico de familia), or your child’s pediatrician.
- Your nurse (enfermero or enfermera).
- Your health center (centro de salud), anywhere in the region.
- The hospital or specialist for a first referral.
You can change as often as you like, but you can only have one family doctor, one pediatrician and one nurse at a time. Until you choose, the health service assigns you a doctor based on your address. If you still need a card, start with our guide to the Madrid health card.
How do you change your doctor online?
The online route takes a few minutes if you have an electronic identity. According to the Comunidad de Madrid’s free choice page, as of November 2026:
- Go to the free-choice website, libreeleccion.sanidadmadrid.org.
- Choose whether to search by health center or by the professional’s name.
- Identify yourself with an electronic DNI or a digital certificate recognized by the Comunidad de Madrid.
- Pick the doctor or nurse from the list of those accepting patients.
- Save the electronic receipt with the details of your new professional.
If you do not have a digital certificate yet, our guide to the digital certificate and Cl@ve in Madrid explains how to get one with an NIE.
How do you change in person?
- Go to the administrative desk of the health center where the doctor you want works.
- Ask to make a free-choice request (solicitud de libre elección) and bring your health card and ID.
- Sign the request form. Staff stamp it and give you a copy.
- You receive a new sticker for your health card showing the new doctor.
When you apply in person, the change is provisional at first and becomes permanent after three months if there is no objection.
Can a change be refused?
Yes, in limited cases and with a written reason. The Comunidad lists situations such as a doctor already having more patients than the set limit, or a breakdown in the doctor-patient relationship. Some health centers have long lists, and popular doctors may not accept new patients. In that case, try another professional at the same center.
Keep two practical effects in mind:
- Your hospital may change. Your reference hospital is linked to your assigned family doctor, so a new doctor in another area can mean a different hospital.
- Home visits stay local. Home care and emergencies are not covered by free choice. Home visits come from the health center for the area where you live.
How do you book an appointment with your doctor?
Once assigned, you have several ways to book with your family doctor or nurse:
| Channel | How it works |
|---|---|
| Tarjeta Sanitaria app | Book, change or cancel appointments with your doctor, nurse or hospital, and manage family members’ bookings |
| Online | The Comunidad’s primary care appointment website, citaprevia.sanidadmadrid.org, with your health card number |
| Phone | Call your health center’s appointment line |
| In person | At the health center desk |
When booking, you can usually choose between an in-person visit and a phone consultation (consulta telefónica), in which the doctor calls you at a set time. Phone consultations suit prescription renewals, test results and sick-leave follow-ups. The Tarjeta Sanitaria app also offers video calls with health staff for some appointments. Vaccines are booked the same way; see our guide to the flu and COVID vaccines in Madrid.
How do you see a specialist?
Specialist care in the public system works by referral. Your family doctor (or pediatrician for children) decides whether you need a specialist and requests the first appointment.
- Referral. The doctor enters the request in the system.
- Choice of hospital. For the first visit you can choose a hospital or a specific specialist anywhere in the regional network.
- Appointment. The Comunidad’s appointment management center (Centro de Gestión de Citas) usually calls you within about three days to offer a date. You can also manage it online at citahos.sanidadmadrid.org, the “Cita con el especialista” service.
- Follow-up. Once you choose a hospital, the rest of that treatment stays there until discharge. You cannot freely switch for follow-up visits, though you can ask for a second opinion.
If surgery is recommended, you may choose a different hospital for the operation.
Bottom line
Before switching, check which hospital the new doctor’s area is linked to, especially if you have an ongoing treatment. If you need to leave a doctor because of a conflict, use the online route and keep the receipt as proof of the date.
FAQ
Do I need a reason to change my GP?
No. Free choice in primary care in Madrid does not require any justification.
Can I choose a doctor who speaks English?
Ask at the health center desk whether any doctor there speaks English, then request that doctor by name online or at the desk.
Can I see a specialist without a referral?
Not in the public system, except for emergencies and some services such as dental care, which you book directly. Private insurance lets you see specialists directly.
Does changing my health center change my padrón?
No. Your padrón address stays the same; only the center where you are seen changes.
