The convenio especial (which translates to 'special agreement') allows foreigners in Spain to pay a monthly sum to the country’s public health system and have access to it.

It means you will have public healthcare under more or less the same condition as Spaniards or those working and contributing to the welfare system here.

You can apply for it even if you don’t pay into Spain's social security system through work, self-employment or a pension.

If you’re self-employed or an employee here, you won’t need to apply as you’re already paying social security and will have access to public healthcare anyway.

The Spanish Ministry of Health states that the convenio especial is "aimed at economically non-active foreigners who need to take out health insurance in order to reside in Spain".

People on Spain's non-lucrative visa are among these "economically non-active foreigners".

The main aspects not covered under the convenio especial are prescriptions, prosthetics, non-emergency medical transport and dietary products.

How much does Spain's convenio especial cost?

To access it, you will need to pay a monthly fee of €60 if you are under 65 and €157 if you are over 65.

**Who can apply? **

You can only apply for the convenio especial once you have completed one full year of legal residency in Spain. This means it’s not suitable for those just moving here.

You will need to prove your residency via your padrón certificate and be registered in a Spanish municipality at the time of submitting the application.

According to the Spanish Ministry of Health, you may able to make up that full year of residency if you’ve had residency in another EU country, the EEA, Switzerland or the UK.

READ ALSO - Paying for public healthcare in Spain: the pros and cons of the 'convenio especial'

Temporary residents and those on short term visas cannot apply, so you can’t use this instead of getting travel insurance.

You may also be able to apply if you are here on the non-lucrative visa, providing you’ve already had one year of residency. During that first year, you must have private medical insurance as you will need this to be able to apply.

**How do you apply for Spain's convenio especial in your region? **

Like many things in Spain, the convenio especial is managed by the regional authorities of each region, so the process differs slightly depending on where you live.

To find out how and where to apply in your region, go to the following link where you’ll see a list of regions. Click on yours to be taken to the relevant page and application.

You can also click on this link where you will see a map with all the regions covered. Click on your region and you will be taken to a page with the websites of your regional health services.

You can either apply in person at your local health clinic or online through the electronic headquarters of your region, which you should find via the links above.

For example, this is where you would apply if you live in Murcia. And this is where you need to apply if you live in Catalonia.

You can also simply do a web search ‘how to apply for the convenio especial in + your region’. Surprisingly it’s actually better to google this in English.

If you try and search in Spanish, you will likely be taken to pages on other types of special agreements, as there are many different ones, not just the ones for foreigners, and this may confuse matters.

READ ALSO - Healthcare in Spain: How to apply for an S1 form for UK pensioners

What documents do I need?

To apply, you will need the following documents:

• NIE, TIE, passport or other residence card

• Your padróncertificate or other document accrediting effective residence in Spain or in the territory of the other EU Member States, the EEA, the United Kingdom or Switzerland for a continuous period of at least one year immediately prior to the date of the application.

• Declaration of responsibiltiy or legislation letter (‘certificado de no exportación’) stating that you are not covered for healthcare in Spain by your country of origin, such as the S1 form for UK pensioners for example. It must also certify that you do not have access to a public healthcare by any other right or bilateral agreements.

You will also have to give your bank details in order to be able to make the payments.

Remember, each member of your family will need to apply for this separately. They are not automatically covered if you are.