Healthcare in Spain for Non-Residents

The Basics: What Your Home Country Card Covers

EU citizens — EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)

EU citizens — including Germans, Dutch, Belgians, Swiss (via separate agreement), and others — carry an EHIC issued by their home country's health authority. The EHIC entitles you to state-provided healthcare in Spain at the same level as a Spanish resident, for medically necessary treatment during a temporary visit.

In practice this means: if you have an accident or sudden illness, you can be treated at any Spanish public hospital or health centre (centro de salud) without charge or for the same co-payment that Spanish residents pay. The card does not need to be pre-registered — you present it when receiving treatment.

What the EHIC does NOT cover:

• Treatment at private hospitals or clinics (even if the public hospital is inconvenient)
• Planned treatment that you travel to Spain specifically to receive
• Medical repatriation to your home country
• Treatment needed as a result of an undeclared pre-existing condition in some interpretations

UK citizens — GHIC (UK Global Health Insurance Card)

After Brexit, UK nationals replaced the EHIC with the GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card), which provides equivalent coverage to the EHIC in EU countries including Spain. Apply free of charge at the NHS website (nhsghic.com). The GHIC is valid for five years and covers medically necessary state treatment in Spain.

Private Health Insurance for Non-Residents

For anyone spending more than a few weeks per year in Spain, private health insurance is strongly recommended. It provides:

• Access to private hospitals and clinics — avoiding public hospital waiting lists
• English-speaking doctors and medical staff
• Specialist consultations without GP referral
• Medical repatriation coverage (in most policies)
• Broader coverage than the EHIC/GHIC

Main providers in Spain:

Premiums vary significantly with age, pre-existing conditions, coverage level (co-payments vs. no co-payments), and whether the policy includes dental and/or maternity. Policies for those aged 60+ typically cost €130–€300+ per month.

Most Spanish private health insurers offer policies specifically designed for non-residents — you can maintain a policy even when in your home country, with Spain coverage for your visits and sometimes international coverage as well.

What Happens in a Medical Emergency

If you have an emergency in Mallorca, call 112 — Spain's universal emergency number (equivalent to 999/112 in the UK or 110/112 in Germany). The operator will dispatch ambulance, police, or fire services as needed and can communicate in English.

For hospital treatment:

• Emergency treatment (urgencias): all Spanish public hospitals must treat emergency cases regardless of insurance status or ability to pay
• Present your EHIC/GHIC card at the public hospital for state coverage
• If you go to a private clinic or hospital, you will be billed and must claim through your travel insurance or private health insurer

In Mallorca, the main public hospitals are:

• Son Espases Hospital (Palma) — the main university hospital; trauma centre
• Hospital de Manacor — serving the east of the island
• Hospital d'Inca — serving central and northern Mallorca

Private hospitals in Mallorca include Clínica Rotger, Hospital USP Palmaplanas, and Policlínica Miramar — all in or near Palma.

UK Retirees: The S1 Form

UK nationals who receive a UK state pension and are living in Spain — either as tax residents or spending extended periods — may be entitled to register for Spanish public healthcare via an S1 form (formerly E121).

The S1 is issued by HMRC/DWP in the UK and is taken to the local Spanish health authority (INSS), which registers the holder for full access to the Spanish public health system — funded by the UK government rather than the Spanish one.

The S1 is relevant for:

• UK state pensioners residing in Spain who do not have the right to Spanish public healthcare through work or contribution
• UK pre-retirement invalidity or unemployment benefit recipients in certain circumstances

It is particularly valuable for those becoming Spanish tax residents, as it provides full public healthcare access without the need for private insurance. For occasional visitors, the GHIC remains the simpler solution.

What About Dental and Optician Care?

Spanish public healthcare (Sistema Nacional de Salud) provides very limited dental coverage — generally restricted to emergency extractions and basic children's dentistry. Routine dental care (fillings, hygiene, implants, orthodontics) is almost entirely private.

Private dental insurance is typically sold as an add-on to health insurance policies (often at €10–€20/month extra) or as standalone dental plans. For non-residents who only visit Spain occasionally, most simply pay out of pocket at Spanish private dental clinics, where prices are often lower than in northern Europe.

Opticians in Spain operate entirely privately, with no public healthcare involvement. Standard eye tests and glasses are paid directly.