Authority responsible for the information
Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030
Institute for Older People and Social Services
Last update: 14-04-2026
Health and social care provision in Spain comes under the management of the autonomous communities. The exceptions are the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, where they are managed by the Institute for Older People and Social Services (Imserso), under central government.
The following rules apply to admissions to care homes for:
People who meet the following requirements may be eligible for admission to old people’s homes:
Another requirement for admission to centres of this type is that the beneficiary must be a pensioner under the social security system or entitled, by law or international convention, to social services provided by it.
Places for elderly dependants and for people with physical and mental disabilities for which they have been referred to a specialist residential care service, or specialist day care service, are subject to the following requirements:
Users of facilities for older people generally contribute an amount towards the cost of the service. This contribution is equivalent to 75% of the basis of means testing, i.e. their total net income, apart from exceptional payments.
Users of residential care facilities for dependent people generally contribute an amount towards the cost of the service. This contribution is equivalent to 75% of the basis of means testing, i.e. their total net income, apart from exceptional payments.
The same contribution procedure as above applies to day centre users, who pay one-third of the calculated amount, as applicable.
Users of residential or day care pay the amount due directly to the centre providing it.
When residential stays at the centre have been paid for, the Imserso refunds the difference between the price of each place occupied and the amount payable by service users, in settlement of the cost of such stays
Order SSI/420/2015, of 9 March 2015 (Spanish Official Gazette of 13 March 2015), establishing the award criteria of subsidies to older, disabled and dependent people, within the scope of competence of the Institute for Older People and Social Services, provides for various types and levels of subsidy. These include care homes for older people or the disabled. Subsidies are available for temporary stays in care homes, including board, and for residence in specific cases.
There are no privately run care homes in Melilla.
In Ceuta, only the Fundación Gerón care home and day centre offers 10 private places at two rates, for single and double rooms
Melilla has the Centro Polivalente under Imserso management, offering services specifically for dependent and other elderly people. The Centro Polivalente has a total of 160 places, broken down as follows: 138 in residential care (15 for non-dependent and 123 for dependent people); 7 for temporary residence and 15 at the day centre.
In addition to its services for older people at the Centro Polivalente in Melilla, the Imserso offers permanent residential and day care places under contract with other organisations in Ceuta and Melilla, within its territorial competence. These places are intended for people who are older and/or have physical and mental disabilities, and for older people who are dependent.
The territorial directorates of Ceuta and Melilla manage two social welfare centres for older people, which basically promote community living and involvement of older people. They offer social and geriatric care, occupational therapy and other cultural and leisure services. Both centres also have day care units for older people who are dependent.
Centro Asistencial de Melilla care home Places: 100 (95 permanent and 5 temporary).
These are governed by the Imserso Directorate-General decision of 26 August 1987 (Spanish Official Gazette of 1 October 1987), establishing the criteria for admission, transfers, exchanges and payment for stays.
Conditions of admission:
Have the recognised degree of disability.
The cost of boarding places is 75% of their pension.
CRMF centres are governed by the Imserso Directorate-General decision of 18 January 1993 (Spanish Official Gazette of 23 April 1993).
Conditions of admission:
The State Reference Centres (Centros de Referencia Estatal – CRE) within the System for Autonomy and Care for Dependence are financed by IMSERSO. IMSERSO provides the necessary resources for the CREs to fulfil their functions from its budget for costs and provisions.
The purpose of the CREs is to offer quality social services to meet the needs of people in a state of dependency, and their families.
The CREs are centres of expertise for the promotion and exchange of knowledge, professional training and the provision of high-grade services.
As their name suggests, the CREs operate nationwide. Their location is not a barrier to access, but promotes cohesion among Spain’s autonomous communities.
The CREDINE is governed by Order SSI/411/2018 (Spanish Official Gazette of 23 April 2018).
Admission requirements:
Be over 18 and under 60 years of age. In exceptional cases and at the suggestion of the CREDEF interdisciplinary team, younger or older persons may be admitted, provided that the services prove beneficial to the user.
Have no transmissible disease at an acute stage, and not need continuous medical care in a hospital setting.
Have no behavioural changes that would impede usual shared living in care homes.
Succeed in the adaptation and observation period to become a user of the centre. This period may not exceed three months, though it may be extended, in exceptional cases, for a further three months.
The CREER exists for research, education, study and knowledge management in the field of rare diseases. It creates and disseminates good practices and offers technical advice on improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
The CREER is governed by Order SAS/2007/2009 of 20 July 2009.
Conditions of admission:
The CRE was created and is governed by Order TAS/3460/2007.
Conditions of admission:
This CRE is designed as a specialist centre for advanced health and social welfare. It engages in research, analysis, assessment and training to develop the knowledge of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and the care and treatment of patients and their families.
It is governed by Order TAS/3775/2007, of 19 December 2007.
Conditions of admission:
Founded and governed by Order SSI/2416/2014 of 17 December 2014.
Admission conditions or requirements:
The CREDEI was formed and is governed by Order SSI/1189/2015, of 18 June 2015.
Its purpose is to drive improvement of the quality of life of people in a state of dependency deriving from mental incapacity.
Conditions of admission:
CREDEF was formed and is governed by Order SSI/1190/2015 of 18 June 2015.
It was founded as an advanced centre for the promotion, development and dissemination of knowledge, innovative experiments and working methods in social and healthcare and family support. It is also a highly specialised centre providing integral multidisciplinary care to people in a chronic or reversible state of dependency deriving from physical disability. It promotes their independence so that they are able to stay in their usual surroundings.
Admission requirements:
The CEAPAT was founded and is governed by ministerial order of 7 April 1989.
As a reference centre, the CEAPAT offers the following forms of support:
The CEAPAT's aims are as follows:
The mission of the CEAPAT is effectively to implement the rights of disabled and older people, by full accessibility of supporting products and technologies and design to suit everyone.
CEADAC is a public social and healthcare facility dedicated to the comprehensive and intensive rehabilitation of people with non-progressive acquired brain injury in the subacute phase, promoting their personal independence, and providing support for their families, as well as research, teaching, information provision, documentation, advisory services and consultancy within this field.
It was founded and is governed by Order TAS/55/2002 (Spanish Official Gazette of 17 January 2002).
The CEADAC user profile is as follows:
Objectives:
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Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030
Institute for Older People and Social Services