Missed payments, ending or changing your convenio especial

Key rules

• Missed fees: Missing fees for three consecutive months, or for five non-consecutive months, ends the agreement.
• Cover: Your cover stops from the date the agreement ends.
• Cancelling: Cancel by written request to the Social Security office that handles your convenio especial.
• New entitlement: Gaining another route to healthcare, such as a job or pension, also ends the agreement.

Missed fees can end your convenio especial

The agreement ends if you miss fees for three consecutive months, or for five non-consecutive months. Your healthcare cover stops from the date the agreement ends.

Check your bank records each month. Set up a direct debit if you can, so a forgotten payment does not cost you your cover. If you are unsure how the office counts missed months, ask the Social Security office that handles your convenio especial.

Other things that end it

Besides missed fees, the convenio especial ends when:

• You gain another entitlement to healthcare, for example through a job, a pension, or an EU or international route.
• You stop meeting the conditions for it.
• You stop living in Spain or lose your legal residence.
• You ask to cancel it.
• The holder dies.

If one of these happens to you, tell the Social Security office. Do not keep paying for cover you no longer need.

How to cancel it yourself

Send a written request to the Social Security office that handles your convenio especial. The cancellation takes effect from the date of the request or the end of the month in which you made it, and the fees stop from then. Ask the office which of the two dates applies to you and keep a copy of your request.

If it ended and you still need cover

If your convenio especial ended for non-payment, you can generally apply for a new one if you still meet the conditions. The office may ask you to pay the unpaid fees before it accepts the new agreement, so ask what you owe before you apply. The checklist below lists the steps in order.

Checklist

• Check your bank records each month to make sure every fee was paid, so you stay clear of three consecutive months or five non-consecutive months of missed fees.

• Tell the Social Security office if you gain another entitlement to healthcare, such as through a job or a pension, because the convenio then ends.

• Send a written request to the Social Security office that handles your convenio if you want to cancel it voluntarily.

• Ask the office which date your cancellation takes effect, so you know when the fees stop.

What to watch out for

• Missed fees end the agreement: The agreement ends if you miss fees for three consecutive months, or for five non-consecutive months. Your cover stops from the date it ends. Pay on time each month and ask the office straight away if a payment fails.

• Other events end it automatically: The convenio also ends if you gain another entitlement to healthcare, stop living in Spain, lose legal residence, or stop meeting the conditions. Tell the office when your situation changes, and check your cover is in place before you stop paying.

What if you forgot to pay the convenio especial?

If you miss fees for three consecutive months, or for five non-consecutive months, the agreement ends, and your health cover stops from the date it ends. One late payment does not end it, but a run of missed ones does.

What to do

1. Check the count. Ask your local Social Security office how your missed months are counted. Do this before you assume the agreement is still live or already over.
2. Stop using the cover as if it were active. If the agreement has ended, you are no longer covered from that date. For anything urgent, ask the office what your position is first.
3. Apply for a new agreement. You can generally apply again if you still meet the conditions. Expect the office to ask you to settle the unpaid fees first.
4. Ask about the arrears before you apply. Find out exactly what you owe and how to pay it. Then submit the new application.

What to watch for

• Set up a bank direct debit for the fees so a missed month does not happen again.
• If you are close to the limit, pay the overdue months straight away rather than waiting.
• Keep proof of every payment you make. You may need it if the office disputes the count.

Check with the Social Security office (TGSS) how missed months are counted and whether you must pay arrears before signing again.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sign a new convenio especial if my old one ended for non-payment?

Yes, you can generally apply again if you meet the conditions, but the office may ask you to pay the unpaid fees first. Ask the Social Security office how much you owe before you reapply.

From when does my cancellation take effect if I cancel the convenio myself?

Your cancellation takes effect from the date of your request or the end of that month, and fees stop from then. Ask the office to confirm which date applies to you.