Getting the right health insurance for your time in Spain seems complicated at first but it doesn’t have to be. As an international student or expat moving to Spain, there are a lot of topics to think about before your move. From finding the perfect apartment to live in, opening a Spanish bank account to deciding what to pack for your trip to Spain.
Contracting the right health insurance in Spain that will give you access to the best Spanish healthcare during your time abroad is probably the most important topic for your personal safety & health. This is especially true for those who will come from outside the European Union and who will require specific coverage in order to get their visa application approved. EU citizens do not necessarily need private health insurance in Spain however, it is highly recommended, especially nowadays. Health insurance is too important to be forgotten, so let’s sort it out together now.
Are you looking for great offers on student or expat health insurance in Spain? Then check out our top recommendations below to receive personalized, free private health insurance quotes by popular Spanish insurance companies!
In this guide to health insurance in Spain we will help you understand the different available options for student and expat health insurance. In addition, we will provide an overview of the most popular Spanish insurance companies that international students and expats often choose for their time in Spain.
We will also provide valuable hints and tips that shall guide you in selecting the health insurance that’s right for you. To learn everything about health insurance in Spain, simply keep reading or select the topic you are most interested in from the content overview.
Important: The Citylife team has collected & compiled the information on this page via intense research and investigation. It does not replace your own research!
Content Overview
1. Health Insurance in Spain – How Does it Work?
According to the World Health Organization Spain has one of the best public healthcare systems in the world. The Spanish social security payments fund the system, which means that most of Spain’s residents do not require private health insurance to access health services in Spain. That being said, it’s important to note that the public Spanish National Healthcare System (“Sistema Nacional de Salud“ or “SNS”), does not cover every health expense. For example, the costs for ambulances, dentists and pharmacy prescriptions are to a certain extent at your own expense.
In general, if your are moving to Spain to study or work, Spanish law requires you to have health coverage for the entire time of your stay in Spain. There are two options available, public and private health insurance which we will explain in detail in the subsequent chapters.
2. Public vs Private Health Insurance in Spain
While the Spanish public healthcare system is, without a doubt, of great quality, many international students and expats choose to contract a private health insurance. On the one hand, non-EU citizens have no choice, they will have to contract a private health insurance plan that covers them throughout the entire time of their stay in Spain. We will cover the best options later on in this article. On the other hand, for EU citizens there are many benefits in getting an additional private health insurance. For example, private health insurance removes the concept of painful waiting times to see a specialist and makes it way easier to see an English speaking doctor in case you do not speak any Spanish yet.
One of the main benefits of having private health insurance is that it gives you access to popular private hospitals all over Spain, like HM Hospitales. This private hospital is one of the best in the city. They are centrally located and run a great international office. This office provides patients with a personal medical translator onsite at no extra cost and will take care of all payments and paperwork on your behalf so you can focus on getting well. So long as you have an international private insurance, you’ll have access to all their services.
Having private health insurance in Spain will also help cover extra costs like pharmacy prescriptions, dentist visits and more. As coverage depends on what you contract, you will always need to ensure you’re aware of everything that is covered by your private health insurance before signing the contract.
2.1 Non-EU Citizens – Private Health Insurance is a Visa Requirement
If you are moving to Spain for a period of more than 3 months and you are from any country outside the European Union (EU), you will need to purchase private health insurance that covers the duration of your stay in Spain. This is a mandatory requirement for any visa application as proof of sufficient coverage must be submitted with the application. An additional requirement is that the plan must offer a minimum coverage of €30,000 (including evacuation/repatriation service). The recommended Spanish insurance providers listed below are specialized providers which means that their private health insurance plans for Spain cover the visa requirements.
Please note that if you are visiting Spain as a tourist (visiting for less than 90 days), you should also contract a private health insurance plan, however in this case you can purchase a so called “travel insurance plan” for your vacation in Spain from your home country.
Are you moving to Spain to study or to do an internship? To read everything you need to comply with and how to get your visa to study in Spain, please check out our guide to applying for a Spanish student visa.
When searching for the best private health insurance in Spain for international students and expats, you will realize that there are many Spanish insurance companies. But which one should you choose and how can you really find the best private health insurance that exactly matches your needs and expectations at a fair price?
In our chapter about Best Private Health Insurance in Spain for International Student & Expats of this guide you will find a list of popular Spanish insurance companies specialized in offering private health insurance in Spain to expats and students. You will also be able to obtain non-binding quotes from them so you can select the one that is best for you.
We recommend to start the research for the ideal private health insurance plan as early as possible. There is nothing more important than being properly covered during your time in Spain!
2.2 EU Citizens – Free Access to Public Health Insurance in Spain with your EHIC Card
If you are a citizen of the European Union, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you should make sure to get your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) on time which means prior to your departure for Spain! EHIC is a free card that gives you access to necessary, public healthcare during a temporary stay in Spain. You can obtain the EHIC card by contacting your national health insurance provider. It usually covers you on short trips abroad within the EU but may not cover you if you are in Spain for a longer period of time or need serious treatment.
Make sure to contact your current national health insurance provider to understand in detail what will be covered and for how long! The European Health Insurance Card is not a substitute to private health insurance in Spain and thus will not cover you for repatriation, ongoing medical treatment, treatments that are not urgent or private care. To read more about EHIC and how to apply for it, click here.
For many years, ASISA, Sanitas, MAPFRE, Adeslas & DKV have stood as four of the most popular international health insurance providers for international students and expats. They offer several different international health insurance plans that match specific needs like fulfilling all visa requirements. Skip ahead to fill out our form and get a free quote from them!
To sum up, whether it is mandatory or not for you to contract private health insurance for your time in Spain, having one is definitely a good idea. Especially for international students & expats moving to Spain for a certain amount of time. As we outlined earlier, having access to the private healthcare sector in Spain will provide you with many benefits that the public healthcare sector will not offer. It will allow you more freedom of choice when it comes to selecting private specialists and you won’t be restricted by long waiting times. Additionally, having the right private health insurance will give you an extra peace of mind as you know that regardless of what happens, you will be completely covered and well taken care of.
Sign up for the free Citylife Healthcare Hotline!
To help you feel even more secure during your time in Spain, we have established a Healthcare Advice Hotline via WhatsApp for you. The advice hotline will be managed by us in collaboration with HM Hospitales for all healthcare related questions as well as by Sinews Multilingual Therapy Institute for when it comes to psychological assistance.
Attention is given in English & Spanish. You can reach out to consult any doubts you might have to get indications & expert advice! Simply save this number on your phone: Citylife Healthcare Support I +34656190745.
Spanish private health insurance companies usually offer different insurance plans to match your specific needs and expectations. You can choose national plans that cover only Spain, Europe-wide plans, or if you travel a lot worldwide you could even get full international health coverage. Continue reading for a breakdown of our top recommendations for health insurance in Spain for international students & expats.
3.1 Overview of Popular Spanish Insurance Companies
To eliminate the stress of finding the right private health insurance, we’ve compiled a list of popular Spanish health insurance companies who have specific medical insurance plans for students and expats moving to Spain. You can ask for a free, personalized quote from our four top recommended companies: ASISA, Sanitas, MAPFRE, Adeslas & DKV via our free Health Insurance Inquiry form below. Within 48hrs of submission you will be contacted by a representative of each company providing you with detailed information and available options that match your needs. You then also have a direct contact to ask all the questions you might have – which always come in handy.
Looking for immediate results? Check out the online platform INSBROK and receive your free insurance quote within seconds. Click here to learn more!
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