Healthcare in Málaga for Brits: S1, GHIC and cover

Spain's public health service is good, but once you live here the GHIC is no longer your ticket in: you need your own route into the system.

The short version

The UK GHIC is for people who live in the UK. It covers medically necessary state care on a visit, not life after you move [2].
All residents must register to get state healthcare in Spain. Workers get in through Spanish social security; UK State Pensioners usually get in through an S1 registered with the INSS [1].
In Andalucía you then get a tarjeta sanitaria (health card) at your health centre or through the ClicSalud+ app [3].
If you don't work and have no S1, the options are the convenio especial (after a year on the padrón) or private insurance [1].
The FCDO publishes a list of English-speaking doctors and hospitals that includes Málaga, Torremolinos and Marbella [4].

Visiting vs living here

The rules depend on where you live, not on your passport.

Your situation	What covers you	Notes
Living in the UK, on holiday in Málaga	UK GHIC (or a valid EHIC) plus travel insurance	Medically necessary state care at local prices [2]
UK student in Spain	Student GHIC	For the length of your course [1]
Working in Spain, employed or self-employed	Spanish social security	Register at your health centre with your social security number [1]
Getting a UK State Pension, living in Spain	S1 registered with the INSS	UK pays for your Spanish care [1]
Not working, no S1, on the padrón for a year	Convenio especial	Monthly fee; prescriptions at full cost [1]
Newly arrived, not working, no S1	Private health insurance	Usually needed for the visa too [1]

The NHS is clear that the GHIC is "not a replacement for travel insurance" and doesn't cover private clinics or repatriation [2]. If you're spending part of the year here as a visitor, see the 90/180-day rule for part-year Brits in Spain.

The S1 for UK State Pensioners

If you get a UK State Pension (or certain other exportable UK benefits) and live in Spain, the UK may pay for your Spanish healthcare through an S1 form [1]. It's the best deal going for retirees on the Costa del Sol: you're treated like a Spanish pensioner, with no monthly premium.

How it works:

Ask for your S1. Check your eligibility with HMRC's National Insurance enquiries line, which issues the form [1].
Register it with the INSS. Take it to your local INSS office or use the INSS online portal [1].
Get your Spanish social security number. The INSS posts it to you once your S1 is processed [1].
Register at your health centre (centro de salud). Take that number, your passport and your TIE or NIE to the health centre that covers your address. You'll be given a family doctor (médico de familia).
Get your tarjeta sanitaria. More on that below.

If registration drags on and you need urgent treatment, NHS Overseas Healthcare Services can help on +44 (0)191 218 1999, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm [1]. With a registered S1, you may also get a UK-issued GHIC for trips to other EU countries [2].

Our guide to the NHS when you live abroad and the S1 for pensioners in the EU covers who qualifies and what happens if you go back to the UK.

Workers and their families

If you work in Spain, employed or self-employed, your social security contributions give you healthcare. You register at your health centre with your social security number from the TGSS. Dependants, such as a partner who doesn't work, register separately with the INSS [1].

After five years

If you've lived in Spain for five years and have permanent residence, you can register with the INSS. You'll need a "legislation letter" (documento de no exportación) from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services confirming that the UK isn't covering you [1].

The Andalusian health card

The Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS) runs public healthcare in Málaga province. Every resident of Andalucía, including babies from birth, should have a tarjeta sanitaria [3]. It's your ID at health centres and hospitals, and all prescriptions in Andalucía are electronic, so the pharmacy reads your card to give you your medicine [3].

You can apply in person at your health centre or online through the ClicSalud+ app, which is also how you book GP appointments and renew the card [3]. Expect to show your passport, TIE or NIE, padrón certificate and proof of your right to healthcare (your INSS paperwork). Our guide to the padrón explains how to register at the town hall.

What it costs once you're in:

Basic care is free once you're registered [1].
Prescriptions are co-paid. Residents usually pay between 10% and 60% of the cost, depending on income and status [1].
Convenio especial members pay the full price of prescriptions, plus non-urgent transport and some supplies [1].

Convenio especial and private cover

If you're of working age, not working and not on an S1, there are two ways to get covered.

The convenio especial is a public scheme you pay into each month. You must have been on the padrón for at least a year and not be working, and you can't join if you have an S1 [1]. The fee depends on your age. See Convenio especial: paying into Spanish public healthcare for the details.

Private health insurance fills the gap in your first year, and is what you'll need for most residence applications if you aren't working. To register as a resident or get a visa, you must show proof of healthcare cover [1]. For the non-lucrative visa, consulates generally expect comprehensive cover from an insurer authorised in Spain, so check the consulate's current wording before you buy; see Spain's non-lucrative visa for British retirees.

Plenty of Brits keep private cover even once they're in the public system, mainly for shorter waits for specialists and for English-speaking staff.

Hospitals and English-speaking doctors

The big public hospitals serving Málaga and the western Costa del Sol include the Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, the Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria (known locally as the Clínico) and the Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella [6]. You'll be sent to the one for your area by your health centre, or taken there in an emergency.

The FCDO's list of English-speaking medical facilities in Spain, last updated in June 2025, includes these in Málaga province [4]:

Málaga city: HM Gálvez and HM Málaga
Torremolinos: Hospital Internacional HM Santa Elena
Benalmádena (Arroyo de la Miel): Clínica Sandalf
Marbella area: Atlantic Clinic in Nueva Andalucía, Dr. Reisbeck-Medical, and Triay Medical Centre in San Pedro Alcántara
East of the city: El Serenil in Benajarafe

Private hospitals in the province also include Quirónsalud Málaga, Vithas Málaga and Quirónsalud Marbella [6]. The FCDO stresses that its list isn't exhaustive and that it doesn't endorse anyone on it [4].

Emergencies, pharmacies and practical bits

Emergencies: dial 112, Spain's and Europe's emergency number, in any language. For a hospital, ask for urgencias.
Pharmacies (farmacias, the green cross) give a lot of advice over the counter. Out of hours, a farmacia de guardia stays open on a rota, posted on the door of every pharmacy.
Bring your records. Ask your UK GP for a summary of your medical history and repeat prescriptions before you go. The FCDO also suggests reading up on taking medicine abroad [5].
Going back to the UK? If the NHS funds your care in Spain through an S1, contact the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team to cancel it [5].

People in our community group for Brits in Spain swap tips on which health centres have English speakers and how long an S1 takes to go through in Málaga.

Sources

GOV.UK (FCDO): Healthcare for UK nationals living in Spain
NHS: Apply for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) (reviewed 12 December 2023)
Servicio Andaluz de Salud: Tarjeta sanitaria
GOV.UK (FCDO): Spain – medical facilities and practitioners (updated 11 June 2025)
GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Spain (last updated 3 July 2026)
Redacción Médica: directory of hospitals in Andalucía

Healthcare in Málaga: the GHIC, the S1 and getting into the system