Where a person's details are not listed, the system will give the possible reason.

Those who still consider they should be entitled to healthcare are expected to prove that their circumstances permit this, which they can do online.

Expatriates and Spaniards who want to check whether they are covered for healthcare can enter the Social Security website at https://sede.seg-social.gob.es/Sede_1/index.htm and then click on Ciudadanos ('citizens') and from the left-hand menu, Asistencia sanitaria: comprobación del derecho ('healthcare: checking your right to assistance').

Next, click on acceso al servicio ('access service') just below the title.

At the bottom, click on the icon Consultar derecho asistencia sanitaria ('check your right to medical assistance').

If you have already made a consultation, you can chose the option Ver resultado consulta ('see result of enquiry') and enter the reference number you would have been given when submitting your details.

Fill in the form with your name, date of birth, NIE number – or DNI if you hold a Spanish passport – and email address. The NIE number should not include any spaces or hyphens, only the letters and numbers.

Your Social Security number will be required – this can be found on the back of your health service card and is 13 digits long – and should be typed without any forward slashes nor the letter at the end.

The next section requires all the same information, except the Social Security number, for the 'beneficiary' – if you are checking for yourself, you will need to complete these details again, although if you are working or retired but have a partner who is not, or a dependent child or other family member and wish to find out whether they are still entitled to healthcare, you should place their details in the second section of the form.

Finally, click on the icon Consultar ('consult') and you will be given a número de referencia ('reference number') on the next page, normally starting with several zeros.

You can check the present position of your consultation on the website using this number, as explained above.

Otherwise, if you have included your email address, you will receive a reply within a matter of minutes.