School insurance (seguro escolar) and student accident cover

Terms used

• Seguro escolar — The seguro escolar is a small state insurance for students that pays for accidents linked to their studies.
• Infortunio familiar — Infortunio familiar means the death or disabling accident of the head of the student's family.
• ESO — ESO is Spain's compulsory secondary school, for roughly ages 12 to 16.
• Bachillerato — Bachillerato is the two-year upper secondary course before university, for roughly ages 16 to 18.
• FP — FP is formación profesional, Spain's vocational training.

Key rules

• Age limit: Seguro escolar covers students under 28 enrolled in a Spanish centre.
• Cost: The annual contribution is 1.12 euros, paid with your enrolment.
• Not full insurance: It pays small fixed amounts and does not replace general health cover.
• Reporting: Tell the centre's secretary's office about an accident quickly, because the claim period is short.

What seguro escolar is

Seguro escolar is a small, cheap state accident cover for students. It helps after an accident linked to studies. It is not full health insurance and does not replace your normal healthcare.

Who is covered

You are covered if you are under 28 and enrolled in a Spanish centre at one of these levels: 3rd year of ESO onward, Bachillerato, FP or a university degree or master's. Foreign students are covered too if they are legally studying in Spain. Spanish nationality is not needed.

You are not covered if you are 28 or over, or in primary school or the first years of ESO. For doctoral students, or if you are unsure about your exact level, ask the centre.

What it costs

The annual contribution is 1.12 euros. You pay it once per academic year, as a line on the enrolment form, and the centre passes it on. Check the current amount on your form.

What it covers

• Accidents suffered because of study activities: medical, surgical and pharmaceutical care, hospital care, rehabilitation and prostheses.
• A fixed set of other cases: infortunio familiar, illness requiring surgery, tuberculosis, and death or permanent disability.

Payments follow fixed, old scales, so amounts are small. Accidents or illnesses with no link to school or university activity are not covered, and neither are conditions that existed before.

How to claim

1. Get care from a public healthcare provider or one the centre designates.
2. Tell the centre's secretary's office about the accident quickly. The legal period to file is short, generally a few months.
3. Collect the official claim forms there. The centre sends the file to the Social Security body that handles the cover.
4. Keep every medical invoice and report. Ask the centre about the deadline for reimbursing expenses.

The timeline and checklist below repeat these steps in order, and the questions below cover common doubts.

Keep your own health cover

Because the benefits are small, keep your normal health insurance or public healthcare access as well.

Timeline and deadlines

• Get care from a public healthcare provider or one the centre designates: right after the accident

• Tell the centre's secretary's office about the accident: as quickly as possible

• Collect the official claim forms from the secretary's office and file the claim: within a few months of the accident

• Ask the centre about the deadline for reimbursing expenses, with your invoices and reports ready: once you have paid for care

Confirm the exact claim deadline with your centre's secretary's office before acting.

Checklist

• Confirm with the centre whether doctoral students or your exact level are covered.

• Find the seguro escolar line on the enrolment form and pay the annual contribution of 1.12 euros with your enrolment fees.

• Ask the secretary's office for the official claim forms.

Frequently asked questions

Does seguro escolar replace my normal health insurance?

No, seguro escolar does not replace general healthcare, because it only pays set amounts for accidents linked to study activities. Illness or accidents with no link to school or university are excluded, and so are conditions you had before.

Can a foreign student get seguro escolar?

Yes, a foreign student is covered if enrolled in a Spanish centre and legally studying in Spain. Spanish nationality is not required, but you must pay the annual contribution with your enrolment fees.

What does seguro escolar pay for after an accident?

Seguro escolar pays for medical, surgical and pharmaceutical care, hospital care, rehabilitation and prostheses after a study-related accident. It also covers a fixed set of other cases, such as illness requiring surgery, tuberculosis, and death or permanent disability of the student or head of family.

Who handles my claim after an accident?

Your centre's secretary's office handles your claim: it gives you the official forms and sends the file to the Social Security body (the INSS) through its provincial office. Keep all medical invoices and reports for any reimbursement.