Guide

GP cost in Spain: the public route and its price

By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026

People insured in Spain's National Health System see a GP through their public health centre. For residents who are neither insured nor beneficiaries, Real Decreto 576/2013 sets a way to buy that access: the convenio especial, at €60 a month under 65 and €157 a month at 65 or over. It requires a year of continuous residence and municipal registration.

What the convenio especial is

Real Decreto 576/2013 creates a route into the public system for people who live in Spain but are neither insured nor beneficiaries of the National Health System. By subscribing to a convenio especial with the health administration where you live, you get access to the common basic portfolio of care services, which includes primary care with a GP at your health centre.

The Boletín Oficial del Estado lists the decree's consolidated text as carrying no amendments since it was published in 2013.

Source: BOE: Real Decreto 576/2013, convenio especial de prestación de asistencia sanitaria (consolidated, no amendments), read 16 October 2026.

What it costs

Article 6 sets the monthly payment by age band:

Under 65: €60 a month
65 or over: €157 a month

The decree allows the autonomous communities to increase that monthly amount where they add services from their own complementary portfolio. So the national figures are the floor, and your region can charge more for a wider package.

Source: BOE: Real Decreto 576/2013, convenio especial de prestación de asistencia sanitaria (consolidated, no amendments), read 16 October 2026.

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Who can sign up

Article 3 sets the conditions. You must:

prove effective residence in Spain for a continuous period of at least one year immediately before applying;
be registered on the padrón of a municipality within the administration you apply to; and
have no access to a public health protection system by any other route.

That one-year residence condition is the practical point for movers: the convenio is not available in your first year, which is the gap private cover is usually bought to fill.

Source: BOE: Real Decreto 576/2013, convenio especial de prestación de asistencia sanitaria (consolidated, no amendments), read 16 October 2026.

How it ends

The convenio ends if you do not pay the first monthly fee, or two consecutive monthly fees, or three non-consecutive ones. If it ends for non-payment, for a breach of its conditions or at your own request, you cannot apply for a new one until a year has passed from the day after it ended.

Source: BOE: Real Decreto 576/2013, convenio especial de prestación de asistencia sanitaria (consolidated, no amendments), read 16 October 2026.

Private international health cover is one way to pay for care outside the public system, and what any policy reimburses is set by its benefit schedule and wording, not by a general guide. Regency's international health plans accept new applicants up to age 70, and Essential Health up to 80; pre-existing conditions are excluded. We are an insurance introducer, not an insurer.

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Common questions

How much does a GP visit cost in Spain?

If you are insured in the National Health System, you see a GP at your public health centre. If you are not, the convenio especial buys access to the public system's basic services, including GP care, for €60 a month under 65 or €157 at 65 or over.

What is the convenio especial in Spain?

A paid route into the public health system for residents who are not insured or beneficiaries. Real Decreto 576/2013 gives subscribers access to the common basic portfolio of services, including GP care, for a monthly fee.

Can I join the convenio especial when I first move to Spain?

No. Article 3 requires proof of at least one year of continuous effective residence in Spain immediately before applying, plus registration on the municipal padrón and no other access to public health cover.

What happens if I miss a convenio especial payment?

Missing the first payment, two consecutive payments or three non-consecutive ones ends the convenio. After that, the decree bars a new application until a year has passed from the day after it ended.

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