If you're planning on moving to Spain during the Brexit transition period up until December 31st 2020 or indeed afterwards, and plan on looking for a job or setting up a business once you're there, then you'll need to get private healthcare in order to register as a resident first.

Currently, public healthcare is offered in Spain for those who receive a UK state pension, a Spanish state pension and those who pay social security, whether they are employed by a company or are self-employed.

Remember that current healthcare conditions are only guaranteed until December 31st 2020 when the current Brexit transition period ends. Spain has already said that it will offer a reciprocal healthcare agreement for UK citizens in Spain after the Brexit transition period, but as of yet, no deal has been made with the UK.

If you're not retired or don't work yet, you will still have access to emergency or urgent treatment, although you won't have access to a GP or to make appointments.

The residency requirement is that any private healthcare has to offer same cover as the public healthcare system.

What are the benefits of private healthcare in Spain?

Although Spain is considered to have a good public healthcare system, if you are not yet paying social security, you'll need to get private healthcare instead.

Many residents in Spain choose to go private, even if they do have access to the public healthcare system however, due to the affordability of private healthcare and the added benefits, such as shorter wait times.

According to an article by Transferwise, the average wait time to see a specialist in Spain in the public healthcare system is 65 days, while the average wait time to undergo a special treatment is 62 days.

If you have private healthcare, wait times are drastically reduced to just a couple of weeks or even a few days. What's more, you don't have to wait for a referral from your GP to see a specialist; with most private health insurers in Spain, you can make an appointment with a particular specialist when you want.

Health insurance in Spain. Photo: Darko Stojanovic/Pixabay 

What are the best private health insurance options?

Sanitas

Sanitas is underwritten by BUPA and has 1,200 centres across Spain and its clients have access to more than 40,000 specialists. The basic plan costs from €25.59 euros per month and includes everything from the ability to see specialists to diagnostic testing such as ultrasounds and even dental care. They can also provide Health Insurance Certificates for use with a residency application.

Adeselas

Adeselas offers health insurance cover from €16.20 per month. It has more than 43,000 specialists in 1,150 centres across the country. The basic Adeslas Go plan offers coverage such as general medicine, pediatrics, and diagnostic testing, such as some high-tech methods for prenatal testing. Physiotherapy and psychology are also included. There are four different levels of cover depending on what you want and need.

AXA

AXA Health Insurance offers cover from €15 euros per month and its clients have access to 32,000 specialists. Its basic package does not include coverage for surgical, medical or psychiatric hospitalisation or emergencies, so it's best to get their second tier of cover, which covers all this and more and also has a family plan.

Asisa Insurance

Asia Insurance is one of the largest private health insurers in Spain. It's basic plan costs from €24.20 euros per month and gives unrestricted direct access to specialists, hospitalisation, emergency services and ambulance transfers, maternity care, ambulance transfer and transplants.

Expatriate Healthcare

Expatriate Healthcare has three different levels of cover, which include no hospitalisation restrictions, 24-hour support, chronic and terminal cover and no out-of-pocket expenses during hospital stays. As they cover many different countries and circumstances, you need to get a private quote.

Convenio Especial

The convenio especial is the pay-in public insurance (SNS) for those who are not eligible to be covered. The plan provides access to the public healthcare system for a monthly payment and covers all pre-existing medical conditions, but not prescriptions.It costs €60 euros per month for anyone up to the age of 65 and €157 euros for those 65 and above.

If getting private healthcare for residency requirements, always make sure to contact authorities in the region you're moving to, in order to check which plans they will accept. For example, in Catalonia, it must be a plan with no co-payments, which is often not covered in the basic plans.