Private Health Care – requirements for Residency in Spain

Who needs private health care cover?
If you’re planning to live in Spain and applying for residency, but won’t be working or haven’t yet reached State Pension age, then you’re going to need private health insurance for you and your family.

What sort of policy will you need?
The Foreigner’s Office is pretty strict when it comes to the requirements of the policy, which are:

• The policy must have the same cover as you would get under the social security health system (i.e. emergency treatment, hospitalisation etc) 
• Must clearly name all the people covered (spouse, partner, children)
• There must be no excess payable (known as “sin copagos” in Spanish)
• The policy must be taken for a minimum of one year, preferably fully paid upfront, with receipts or bank statement showing payments 

What documents will I need from my insurer?
Be sure to tell your insurance provider that the policy is for a residency application, as some of them have specific policies for residency. They will need to supply you with:

• Certificate of insurance
• Short-form Terms and Conditions (so that the correct inclusions can be checked)
• Proof of payment (as mentioned above – receipt from an insurance agent will also be acceptable or proof of payment through the bank)

Contracting a broker is always a good idea because they have access to the market and can find the correct company for your specific needs.

If you’d like our help with any aspect of a Spanish residency application, including referrals for health insurance, please get in touch by emailing [email protected]