All-on-6 for British people living in Spain or Portugal

A large number of people who read the English edition of this guide are British but live in Spain or Portugal, many of them retired. They often assume that what we write about the NHS applies to them. It mostly does not. Once you are resident in Spain or Portugal, your state healthcare usually comes from that country, and neither country’s public system pays for implants. This article explains what that means and how to plan All-on-6 from the Iberian Peninsula. We describe the rules as official and consumer sources set them out in October 2026.

Spain: what the public system covers for teeth

Spain’s national health system (Sistema Nacional de Salud) provides a common package of services set out in Royal Decree 1030/2006. Its dental section covers information on oral hygiene, the treatment of acute problems such as infections, inflammation and injuries, and extractions, mostly through primary care. The same decree expressly excludes several things, among them orthodontics, the extraction of healthy teeth, purely cosmetic treatment and dental implants. A 2019 change added crowns for people who already had an implant covered for specific medical reasons, which does not affect ordinary tooth loss.

Spain’s regions can add to the common package with their own services, and some do for certain groups. Ask your health centre what your region offers. For full-arch implants, though, the position everywhere is that treatment is private.

The S1 and what it does not change

If you draw a UK State Pension and live in Spain, GOV.UK explains that you may be entitled to a UK-issued S1, which you register with the Spanish social security institute (INSS). You and your dependants are then entitled to state healthcare on the same basis as a Spanish citizen. That is valuable cover, but it is Spanish cover: it includes what Spaniards receive and excludes what they do not, so dental implants remain private. Your position depends on your circumstances, so check it with GOV.UK and NHS Overseas Healthcare Services.

Portugal: dental vouchers for some groups

Portugal’s national health service runs a dental voucher scheme (cheque-dentista). It allows eligible people to have preventive treatment, fillings, root canal treatment, extractions, scaling and root planing at participating dentists at no cost. Adult eligibility is limited to specific groups, for example older people who receive the solidarity supplement for the elderly, pregnant women followed by the SNS, and some people at high risk of oral cancer. Implants are not among the treatments covered. A newer scheme for dental prostheses for people on low incomes was being introduced in 2026; we could not confirm that it covers implants, so ask your health centre.

So All-on-6 is private wherever you have it

For British people living in Spain or Portugal, full-arch implant treatment is a private expense at home and abroad. That leaves three practical questions: which private option offers the best planning, materials and guarantees; what the total cost is once travel is included; and who will look after the implants afterwards. Many Iberian residents use private dentists already, which can make the aftercare question easier to answer.

Comparing quotes

Precious Dental publishes one price for All-on-6 on both jaws: £6,500, in pounds sterling, including implants, zirconia teeth on a titanium bar, temporary teeth, extractions, X-rays, medication, hotel nights on both trips and transfers. Flights are not included. If you are comparing with a Spanish or Portuguese clinic’s quote in euros, convert at the current rate and ask both clinics to list the same items:

• the number and brand of implants per jaw;
• the material of the final bridge and of the temporary teeth;
• extractions, bone grafting and sinus lifts, included or extra;
• 3D CBCT imaging;
• the number of appointments and how long each stage takes;
• the guarantee and its conditions.

Our cost chapter explains the items that make quotes differ.

Travel insurance

If you are resident in Spain or Portugal, any travel insurance you buy is probably Spanish or Portuguese, not British. Many travel policies exclude trips taken for the purpose of planned medical treatment, and the European Health Insurance Card is not valid in Türkiye. Read the exclusions and ask the insurer in writing whether complications of planned dental treatment abroad are covered. See why the EHIC does not cover Türkiye.

Travelling to Antalya

British citizens need a valid passport to enter Türkiye; the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets out the current visa rules. Check the validity of your passport before booking, especially if you rarely travel outside the Schengen area. Flights from Spain and Portugal to Antalya vary by season, and many travellers connect through Istanbul. Plan the two trips with that in mind.

On the first trip, the implants are placed and you go home with fixed temporary teeth; Precious Dental includes 4 hotel nights. After a few months of healing, the second trip is for the final bridge, with 5 nights included. The treatment timeline describes the stages.

Aftercare in Spain or Portugal

Ask your local dentist before you travel whether they will maintain implant work done elsewhere, and bring home everything they need: the implant passport with brand, type and size of each implant, details of the abutments and screws, X-rays and scans, and a description of the bridge. Precious Dental uses MegaGen, Neodent or Straumann implants, which are available to dentists in Spain and Portugal. If your local dentist works in Spanish or Portuguese, a short glossary of terms and an English summary from the clinic can help. See also aftercare with your home dentist.

Tax relief in Spain and Portugal

If you are tax resident in Spain or Portugal, the tax rules of that country apply to you. Spain’s national income tax no longer has a general deduction for medical expenses, although some regions offer their own deductions in particular circumstances. Portugal allows a deduction for a share of health expenses, including dental costs, reported through its electronic invoicing system, within an overall limit. Whether invoices from a clinic abroad count is a question for your tax adviser or the Portuguese tax authority. Keep the clinic’s invoice and proof of payment either way.

Your NHS records

If you lived in the UK until recently, your old dentist may have X-rays from before you moved. You have a right of access to your records under UK data protection law. A copy of an old panoramic X-ray can help a clinic see how your teeth and bone have changed, though a recent image will still be needed. See your dental records under GDPR.

A worked example of planning from Spain

1. Ask your local private dentist for a recent panoramic X-ray, or have one taken.
2. Send it to the clinic with a list of your health conditions and medicines, and ask for a written, itemised plan.
3. Ask your local dentist whether they will maintain the bridge afterwards, and show them the plan.
4. Check your passport validity and look at flights for both trips, allowing for connections.
5. Read your travel insurance exclusions and ask the insurer in writing about planned treatment.
6. Book the first trip with flexible tickets in case an extra day is needed.

Is it worth the travel from Iberia?

Spain and Portugal have plenty of private implant clinics, so for residents there the decision is less about price differences and more about the whole package: who plans and places the implants, the materials, the guarantee, and whether you prefer one clinic to take care of everything in two short trips. Compare carefully, item by item. Our article on comparing treatment across borders lists the questions.

In short

• Spain’s public system excludes dental implants; an S1 gives you Spanish cover, not more.
• Portugal’s dental vouchers cover basic care for specific groups, not implants.
• All-on-6 is private at home and abroad, so compare full quotes item by item.
• Check travel insurance exclusions and bring complete records to your local dentist.

Read why we recommend Precious Dental, or send us an X-ray for a written opinion.

Questions readers ask

Does my S1 cover dental implants in Spain?

An S1 registered in Spain gives you state healthcare on the same basis as a Spanish citizen. Spain’s common package of services excludes dental implants, so the S1 does not change that.

Does the NHS still pay for my teeth if I live in Spain?

If you live abroad, your healthcare is normally provided by the country you live in, for example through an S1. Check your own position with NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and GOV.UK guidance.

What does Portugal’s SNS cover for teeth?

Portugal’s dental voucher scheme (cheque-dentista) covers preventive treatment, fillings, root canal treatment, extractions and scaling for specific groups, such as some older people on the solidarity supplement. Implants are not on the list.

Can I fly to Antalya from Spain or Portugal?

Yes, though routes change by season. Many patients connect through Istanbul. Check current schedules when you plan the two trips.

Who maintains my implants when I am back home?

A local private dentist, usually. Ask before you travel whether they will maintain implant work done elsewhere, and bring complete records.

Sources

1. GOV.UK — Healthcare in Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands
2. Real Decreto 1030/2006 — Cartera de servicios comunes del SNS (BOE)
3. Comunidad de Madrid — Cartera de servicios de atención primaria: salud bucodental (PDF)
4. DECO PROteste — Cheque-prótese dentária: quem vai ter direito
5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye — Visa information for foreigners

Checked in October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.