Healthcare for residents in Arguineguín: health card, S1, convenio especial

By Terje Moy, editor · Published 25 October 2026

Which route you take depends on how you qualify: work, an S1 form, five years' residence, the convenio especial after a year on the padrón, or private insurance. This page explains each and where the Arguineguín health centre fits in.

Residents of Arguineguín get state healthcare by one of five routes: working and paying Spanish social security, holding an S1 form issued by the UK (or another country) that funds your care, five years of legal residence, paying into the convenio especial after a year on the padrón, or buying private insurance. Which one applies depends on your age, income source and nationality, and the cheapest is not always the one you qualify for. A GHIC or EHIC is a visitor's card, not a resident's route (the visitor rules are in travel insurance, GHIC and EHIC).

All residents must register to use the public system. Once you are in, basic state services are free, though you pay a share of prescriptions. This page follows the UK government's guidance for British residents, the Canary health service and the Spanish decree that creates the convenio especial. It is information, not personal advice: confirm your case with the social security office or the Servicio Canario de la Salud.

Step one: padrón, then the health card

You normally need to be on the municipal register (the padrón) before you can register with the health service. The padrón certificate is listed by GOV.UK as one of the documents you need for public healthcare; how to get it is in NIE, residency and the padrón. The Canary health service issues the individual health card (tarjeta sanitaria) to people whose right to care has been recognised by the national authorities, and tells people who do not yet have one to contact their health centre.

In Arguineguín that means the Centro de Salud de Arguineguín on C/ Damasco. Mogán's tourism site lists the number as 928 15 27 11 and consulting hours as Monday to Friday, mornings and afternoons; older council material gave a different number, so phone before you go. The centre opened in 2006 and includes an emergency service. Current urgent-care hours are not published, so in an emergency call 112.

Route 1: you work, or have an S1

If you are employed or self-employed in Spain and pay social security, you are entitled to state care on the same basis as a Spanish worker, and so are your dependants. You register with your social security number at the health centre; you get that number from the local office of the national social security institute (INSS/TGSS).

If you are a British resident who receives a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you may be entitled to an S1 form, under which the UK pays for your Spanish healthcare. To get one, you request an application by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (+44 191 218 1999, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm, according to GOV.UK). You register the S1 with the INSS, which posts you a Spanish social security number; take that to the health centre to get your medical card. S1 holders can also apply for a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel. Tell NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if your address or circumstances change.

The S1 is also accepted as proof of health cover for the Spanish non-lucrative visa: the consulate in London accepts the receipt for registering an S1 online. If the UK pays for your care through an S1, you cannot join the convenio especial or register as a permanent resident for healthcare.

Citizens of other EU countries who receive a pension from their home country are covered by EU social security rules; the home country's institution issues the equivalent form. Ask your pension institution which form applies.

Route 2: five years of residence

GOV.UK says that if you are not working and have been resident for five years or more you can apply for permanent residence, which gives access to state healthcare on the same basis as a Spanish citizen. You then register at the INSS and bring the document you receive to the health centre. You may be asked for a "legislation letter" (documento de no exportación) from the UK, stating that the UK is not covering your healthcare; NHS Overseas Healthcare Services issues it by phone request.

Route 3: the convenio especial

If you are not working, have no S1, and have not yet reached five years, the convenio especial is the public route. It is set out in Royal Decree 576/2013. In practice:

• Who can join: people who live in Spain, are not insured or beneficiaries under the national health system, have lived in Spain continuously for at least one year before applying, are on the padrón at the time of applying, and have no other public healthcare cover, including under EU rules.
• Cost: €60 a month if you are under 65, €157 a month if you are 65 or over. The regional government may add to this if it includes extra services from its own list, and the amounts can be revised by ministerial order, so check the current Canary figure.
• How to apply: to the regional health administration for the municipality where you are registered, which for Arguineguín is the Canary government. It must answer within 30 days. If it does not, the application is treated as approved. After approval you have three months to sign the agreement, and it takes effect on the day you sign.
• What it covers: the common basic services portfolio of the national health system. GOV.UK says that under the convenio especial you pay the full cost of prescription medicines, and also for non-urgent transport, orthopaedic supplies, prostheses and dietary supplies.
• How it ends: by death, by your own decision, if you no longer meet the conditions or leave the padrón, or if you miss the first payment, two consecutive monthly payments or three non-consecutive ones. After an end for your own decision, non-payment or breach of conditions, you cannot re-apply for a year.

For the first year of residence, GOV.UK says you will have to buy private health insurance, and you must show proof of cover before you can register as a resident or apply for a visa.

Route 4: private insurance

Private insurance is both the bridge for the first year and a permanent choice for some people. The public hospitals are in Las Palmas (the Insular-Materno Infantil complex and the Dr Negrín hospital); there is no public hospital in the south of the island. The private hospitals nearest Arguineguín are Hospiten Roca in San Agustín (24-hour emergency service) and Hospital San Roque Maspalomas in Meloneras. A GHIC or EHIC is not accepted at private hospitals. If you want a policy that fits the visa, check the wording: the consulate asks for cover that matches the risks insured by the Spanish public system. Pharmacies, clinics and what to expect are in health and medical services in Arguineguín.

What you pay once you are in

Spain uses co-payments for medicines: residents usually pay between 10 % and 60 % of the cost of prescription medicines, depending on their circumstances. Orthopaedic services also carry a share. Some basic dental treatment is available, but most people use private dentists. Human medicines carry no IGIC in the Canaries, which keeps the cost lower; see the cost of living in Arguineguín for the tax rates.

Going back to the UK for treatment

The NHS is residence-based. GOV.UK warns that British nationals who move abroad permanently may lose the right to free NHS care when they visit, unless they hold an EHIC, PRC or S2 showing their costs are funded by their country of residence, or another exemption applies. UK nationals who lived in the EU on or before 31 December 2020 are exempt once they have a registered UK-issued S1. Plan for this if you expect to travel back for appointments.

Emergencies and out-of-hours care

Call 112 in an emergency. The emergency number list, and what to say, is in emergency numbers and what to do. For the first weeks, before your health card arrives, the practical advice in the overwintering insurance and clinics guide still applies. The bigger picture of moving is in moving to Arguineguín.