Healthcare in Spain and Portugal after 60: public, private and the S1

Good healthcare is the first thing most people check before moving abroad, and rightly so. Spain and Portugal both score well in European comparisons, and the Costa Blanca and the Algarve have large international populations, so English-speaking care is easy to find. What changes is how you get access to it.

Three ways in

1. 1

   Through your state pension (S1)

   If you receive a state pension from the UK or another EU country, an S1 form usually lets you register with the local public health service as if you were a local pensioner.

2. 2

   By joining the public system

   Residents without an S1 can often join the public system after a period of residence, in Spain through a monthly fee arrangement. Rules vary by region.

3. 3

   With private health insurance

   Many residents keep private cover for faster appointments and English-speaking specialists. It is usually required for non-EU visas in the first years.

Spain

Spain's public system is regarded as one of the best in Europe. Once registered, you are assigned a local health centre and a family doctor, with hospital care by referral. Around Alicante there is also a wide network of private hospitals and clinics used to treating international patients.

Portugal

Portugal's public service is good, but waiting times can be longer, especially outside Lisbon and Porto. Residents register at their local health centre to receive a health number. In the Algarve, many foreign residents combine the public system with private insurance and private clinics around Faro.

Before you move

• Ask your current pension provider whether you are entitled to an S1 form.
• Get copies of your medical records and a list of your medicines with their generic names.
• Compare private insurance early: premiums rise with age and some insurers have upper age limits for new members.
• Keep your European Health Insurance Card or UK GHIC for trips during the move.

How Solera Village helps

Our team helps residents register with the health system, find English-speaking doctors and arrange appointments, and the villages are chosen with hospitals within easy reach.