Already have public healthcare in Spain? Many expats still choose private Sanitas cover as a supplement — giving faster access to private doctors, specialists, diagnostic tests and hospitals, subject to the plan chosen. This can be useful for S1 holders, Convenio Especial subscribers, employees, autónomos and residents who want private healthcare alongside the public system.
Overview
If you already have access to Spain’s public healthcare — through work, as an S1 holder, or via the Convenio Especial — you may still want private cover alongside it. That is what supplementary private health insurance is: a private Sanitas policy that works alongside the public system, not instead of it.
You keep your public healthcare access. When you want to use private healthcare — a faster specialist appointment, a diagnostic test, or private hospital care — you book through the Sanitas network according to your policy terms. The public system and the private policy are separate routes, so you choose which one to use depending on the situation.
How it works
It helps to be clear about how the two systems sit together. You keep your public healthcare access for whatever you want to use it for. Separately, your private Sanitas policy gives you private appointments, specialists, diagnostics and hospital care within its terms.
They do not merge or coordinate automatically. There is no automatic claims link between Sanitas private cover and the Spanish public system. Instead, you choose the route for each situation — public when that suits you, private when you want faster or different access. Many expats use the public system as their base and keep private cover for quicker specialist and diagnostic access.
Who
S1 holders have public healthcare access in Spain through their home-country entitlement. An S1 is not a visa — it is a healthcare entitlement. Many S1 holders add private Sanitas cover for faster private specialists, diagnostics and private hospital access alongside it.
If you pay into Spain’s public-healthcare-access scheme (the Convenio Especial), you have public healthcare access and may want private cover for faster specialists, diagnostics and private hospital access. The Convenio Especial is a paid access arrangement for people who meet the rules — it is not the same as being employed or self-employed and contributing to social security.
If you work and contribute to Spanish social security, you have public healthcare access through that. Private cover alongside it is a popular choice for quicker private appointments and more control over where and when you are seen.
Some residents simply want the reassurance of private access alongside the public system — private specialists, diagnostics and hospital care when they want them, subject to the policy terms.
Benefits
Depending on the Sanitas plan you choose, private cover alongside public healthcare can add:
Each benefit is subject to the plan, the policy limits, authorisation rules and medical-necessity criteria. Private hospital treatment, surgery and diagnostics may be covered within the policy terms; availability and timing depend on the provider, the procedure and the policy. On a no-copay plan there is no per-visit copayment for covered services; on a copay plan you pay a small amount per service used.
Dental
Dental cover is usually reviewed separately. Some Sanitas plans include certain dental services or reduced prices, while broader dental benefits may require a separate dental policy or add-on, subject to current terms. If dental matters to you, we can include it in your comparison so you can see what each option offers.
Cost
There is no single price for supplementary private cover. It varies with age, the plan, copay or no-copay, your province, underwriting and the current Sanitas tariff.
In many cases, someone who already has public healthcare may choose a lower-cost private plan, or a broader private plan depending on how often they expect to use private care. The best way to compare is with a personalised quote, so the cost reflects your situation rather than a generic figure.
Plans
If you already have public healthcare, these are the Sanitas options most often reviewed as a supplement. Sanitas Residents and Residents Platinum are visa-focused, so they are usually only considered if you separately need a visa-suitable policy.
| Option | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sanitas Accede | Lower-cost private access alongside public healthcare | Entry-level private cover, subject to terms |
| Más Salud (with copay) | Broader private cover with a lower monthly premium | A small payment per service used, subject to terms |
| Más Salud Sin Copago | Broader private cover without per-visit copayments | No copayment for covered services, subject to terms |
| Sanitas Único | Many over-60s wanting private access | Designed for older applicants, subject to terms |
If you also need visa-suitable cover, Sanitas Residents or Residents Platinum may need to be reviewed separately.
Important information
Tell us about your current healthcare access and how you want to use private cover, and we will compare the Sanitas plans that fit — with a personalised quote. Please check the actual current policy terms and your personal conditions before purchasing or using any Sanitas policy. Policies change and individual terms can vary.
Talk to an English-speaking Sanitas specialist about the right supplementary plan.
FAQs
Common questions about private Sanitas cover alongside public healthcare in Spain. Always check the current policy terms for your plan.