The wording
Consulates expect the certificate to say, in substance, that you have none of the diseases that could have serious public health implications under the International Health Regulations of 2005. Give your doctor this text and ask for it on letterhead, signed and dated:
English
This medical certificate certifies that Mr./Ms. [full name as on the passport], born on [date of birth], does not suffer from any of the diseases that could have serious public health implications in accordance with the International Health Regulations of 2005.
Spanish (what the sworn translation will say)
Este certificado médico acredita que el Sr./la Sra. [nombre completo], nacido/a el [fecha de nacimiento], no padece ninguna de las enfermedades que pueden tener graves repercusiones para la salud pública de conformidad con lo dispuesto en el Reglamento Sanitario Internacional de 2005.
Under the sentence: the doctor’s name, licence number, address, phone, signature and the date. Your name has to match your passport exactly, middle name included if the passport has one.
Who signs it
A licensed physician, an MD or a DO. Your usual doctor is fine, and so is an urgent care clinic if your doctor cannot see you in time. A nurse practitioner or a physician assistant can examine you, but ask for a physician’s signature on the certificate. That detail has caused trouble in the past and costs nothing to get right.
There is no list of approved doctors and no specific tests to run. The doctor states your condition. If you have a chronic condition that poses no risk to public health, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, the sentence is still true and the doctor can sign it.
When to get it
It must be less than three months old on the day of your appointment. I schedule it in the last two months, together with the health insurance, so there is room for the sworn translation and for an appointment that moves.
Getting it early is the most common mistake. A certificate dated in month one of a five-month plan is stale before anyone reads it.
Translation and apostille
The certificate goes with a sworn translation into Spanish, by a translator on the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s register. A simple translation is not enough.
Most U.S. consulates do not ask for an apostille of the doctor’s signature. Some have, at times, and lists change. If your consulate asks for one, the apostille comes from the Secretary of State of the state where the doctor practises, usually after a notary certifies the signature. Check your consulate’s current list before you book anything, or let me check it for you.
Family
Every applicant brings their own certificate with the same wording: your spouse and each child, whatever their age. Book the appointments on the same day if you can, so the dates line up.
The rest of the file
The medical certificate is one of about twenty papers. The Non-Lucrative Visa guide lists them all and when to order each one, and the free assessment tells you which apply to you.
That you do not suffer from any of the diseases that could have serious public health implications in accordance with the International Health Regulations of 2005. Consulates expect that wording, on the doctor’s letterhead, signed and dated, with your full name as it appears on your passport.
A licensed physician, an MD or a DO. Your usual doctor is fine. A nurse practitioner’s signature has caused problems, so ask for a physician.
Less than three months old on the day of your appointment. Get it in the last two months before you go.
It needs a sworn translation into Spanish. Most U.S. consulates do not ask for an apostille of the doctor’s signature, but some have, so follow your consulate’s current list.
Yes. Every applicant, children included, brings their own medical certificate with the same wording.
Sources: International Health Regulations (2005), World Health Organization · the Spanish consulates' Non-Lucrative Visa requirement lists. Last updated: 7 October 2026.