Do I need medical insurance to live in Spain?
It depends. The answer depends on the amount of time you are going to spend in the country and your country of origin.
In that sense, we find the following distinction:
If you are going to spend just 3 months in the country, then you just need travel insurance. And this is really important, as it can be one of the reasons that can deny your entry to the country.
Nevertheless, this is only true for non-EU nationals, as EU residents are entitled to free health care in Spain for the first 3 months of their stay. They just need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
On the other hand, if you are staying for the long-run (over 90 days), then you’ll need to hire a private health insurance contract, no matter if you are from the EU or not.
So, with the aim to answer this question, in the vast majority of the cases yes, you’ll need medical insurance to live in Spain.
How much does expat health insurance cost?
Prices are not that high in comparison to other western countries. As a general rule, those that are valid for your residency will cost less than 100 € per month.
If you a purchased a bundled one together with your family, individual prices will be reduced drastically.
Prices will vary according to the company and specially to the age of the insured individual.
But focusing on price may not be the best alternative.
As we will see in a second, there are specific requirements your contract must meet for your residence permit application to be valid.
And, many times, the cheapest option does not do that. Hence, our advice is that you contract a complete one.
If you need help finding the best option, our team will analyze your personal situation and offer the best solution:
Health insurance for your residence permit
Quite often although depending on the process, in order to apply for a visa or a residence permit in Spain, applicants must provide a health insurance cover. This is a crucial requirement when it comes to getting your application accepted. Not only will you need to hire one, but also you must make sure that it meets certain criteria. And that will vastly depend on the type of residence permit you are trying to obtain.
Which conditions should my medical insurance contract meet in order to get residency Spain?
Bear in mind that many application rejections do happen because the health insurance was not appropriate.
The first thing to consider is that your health insurance must be private and can be equated to the offerings of the Spanish public healthcare system. You can find those here.
Tourist or travel insurances won’t work for your residency application.
Which are the basic features the immigration office will require for health insurance?
Lack of copayments: This basically means that you don’t have to pay every time you go to the doctor or hospital. Your health insurance must cover all those types of visits, no matter their nature.
No vesting periods: Meaning that it can’t have any period in which it lacks any of its features.
It must be complete: You need a complete package, covering hospitalizations or any kind of medical transportation.
With maximum coverage: It must be valid throughout the whole Spanish territory, covering any type of disease or illness.
Valid during your whole stay in the country: It is crucial to understand that your health insurance contract is tied to your residency card. In that sense, the contract with the insuring company must be valid throughout the whole validity of your permit.
Which residence permits and visas require health insurance for its application?
Non-lucrative visa
Investor permit or golden visa
Long-run EU residency
Registry certificate for EU citizens living more than 90 days in Spain
Entrepreneur visa
Family member of an EU citizen card
Residence permit for students who are looking for a job or setting up their own company