The Canary Islands are one of the most popular destinations for expats in Spain, with an estimated 300,000 foreign residents across the archipelago. Whether you have settled in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, or one of the smaller islands, understanding how healthcare works — and why private health insurance is so important — is essential for a secure and comfortable life.
The Canary Islands are part of the Spanish national health system (Sistema Nacional de Salud), managed locally by the Servicio Canario de la Salud (SCS). If you are employed or self-employed in Spain and paying social security contributions, you are entitled to public healthcare. Retirees with an S1 form from the UK can also access the public system.
The quality of public healthcare varies by island. Tenerife and Gran Canaria have large, well-equipped university hospitals with most specialist departments. However, the smaller islands — Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro — have more limited facilities. Complex cases on smaller islands are regularly transferred to Tenerife or Gran Canaria for treatment.
Waiting times for specialist appointments and elective procedures in the public system can be substantial — sometimes several months. This is the primary reason many expats choose private cover.
Private health insurance in the Canary Islands provides several significant advantages:
Understanding hospital infrastructure is critical when choosing your level of cover:
Tenerife: Two major public hospitals (Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria) plus multiple private hospitals including Hospiten Rambla, Hospiten Sur, and Quirónsalud Costa Adeje. Excellent specialist availability.
Gran Canaria: Two major public hospitals (Doctor Negrín, Hospital Insular) and several private facilities. Good coverage across most specialties.
Lanzarote: One main public hospital (Hospital Doctor José Molina Orosa) and limited private options. For complex procedures, transfer to Gran Canaria or Tenerife may be necessary.
Fuerteventura: One public hospital (Hospital General de Fuerteventura) with limited specialist departments. Private options are very limited. Serious cases are transferred to Gran Canaria.
Smaller islands (La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro): Basic hospital facilities only. Most specialist treatment requires air transfer to Tenerife.
This is a crucial consideration for anyone living on the smaller Canary Islands. If you need emergency surgery or specialist treatment that is not available on your island, you will need to be transferred by air ambulance or scheduled flight to Tenerife or Gran Canaria.
The public system arranges these transfers, but they can involve delays. A good private health insurance policy will include inter-island medical transfer and, for the most serious cases, evacuation to a mainland Spanish hospital. When comparing policies, check specifically what transfer and evacuation cover is included — it varies significantly between insurers.
Premiums depend on age, pre-existing conditions, and the level of cover chosen. As a general guide:
Policies with co-payments (copagos) — where you pay a small fee per visit or test — are cheaper than full-cover policies. However, for visa applications, co-payment policies are generally not accepted. We advise which type suits your situation.
Most health insurance policies in Spain include basic dental cover — check-ups, cleaning, extractions — but more extensive dental work (crowns, implants, orthodontics) usually requires a separate dental policy or a rider on your main policy. Optical cover is similarly limited in standard policies. We can arrange comprehensive dental and optical add-ons if needed.
We compare health insurance policies from all the major Spanish providers — Sanitas, Adeslas, ASISA, DKV, Cigna, and more — to find the right cover for your situation. Whether you are a retiree in Tenerife, a digital nomad in Las Palmas, or a family relocating to Fuerteventura, we will find you the best policy at the best price.
Need health insurance in the Canary Islands? Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote.
See also: Private Health Insurance in Spain | Health Insurance for Non-Lucrative Visa | Expat Insurance in Tenerife
