When to buy each insurance in your first year in Spain

Terms used

• NIE — The NIE is the identification number Spain gives to foreigners, used for contracts, taxes and bank accounts.
• IBAN — The IBAN is your bank account number, needed to pay insurance premiums by direct debit.
• DNI — The DNI is the Spanish national identity card for Spanish citizens.
• Empadronamiento — The empadronamiento is your registration at your town hall as living at an address, proved by a certificate.
• Certificado de siniestralidad — The certificado de siniestralidad is a certificate from your previous car insurer showing your claims history.

Key rules

• Lender's insurer: A mortgage lender may require home insurance but must accept an equivalent policy from any insurer you choose.
• Travel insurance: Travel policies usually exclude people who live in Spain, so use them only as a short bridge.
• Life insurance: Life insurance is not compulsory by law, even when a lender asks for it.
• Car insurance: You need car insurance before driving a Spanish-registered vehicle.

The order in one line

Buy bridge cover before you move, home cover when your lease or purchase starts, and life and other cover once you have your NIE and a Spanish IBAN. The checklist below has the steps; this page explains why the order works.

Before you move: bridge cover

Your first weeks are the gap. You usually have no NIE and no Spanish bank account yet, so Spanish policies can be hard to get.

• Buy travel insurance, international private health insurance, or a home-country policy that covers overseas stays.
• Some Spanish insurers will issue health or contents policies against a passport and card payment. Many still want an NIE and a Spanish IBAN for direct debit.
• Travel policies usually exclude people who live in Spain. Treat them as a short bridge only.
• Home-country cover often lapses once you become resident. Ask your insurer before you rely on it.

If your visa or residency requires private health insurance, buy it as soon as that applies. It is often needed for the visa application itself.

When your lease or purchase starts: home cover

If you rent, start contents and liability cover on the day the lease begins. If you own, you also need buildings cover.

Insurers usually ask for ID (passport, NIE or DNI), the property address shown on your lease or title deed, and an IBAN for payment. Proof of address is normally the property itself. An empadronamiento certificate is rarely needed on top.

If you are buying with a mortgage

Your lender will normally want home insurance in force by the day you sign at the notary, so arrange it days beforehand. It often asks for life insurance too, usually to give you a better interest rate. Life insurance is not compulsory by law.

The lender may require home insurance, but it must accept an equivalent policy from any insurer you choose. Each lender sets its own exact requirements, so ask for them in writing early.

Car insurance

Car insurance is compulsory before you drive a Spanish-registered vehicle. Ask your previous insurer for a letter or certificate of claims-free years before you switch. Spanish insurers use a certificado de siniestralidad to give you a no-claims discount. A foreign insurer's letter, ideally in Spanish or English, is often accepted, but each insurer decides.

Once you have your NIE and IBAN: life and others

Life, accident and income-protection cover usually comes in the first months, once your NIE and Spanish IBAN are in place. Life policies also ask for ID, often a health questionnaire, and beneficiary details. If a lender wants the policy linked to your mortgage, tell the insurer when you apply.

Documents you need

• Passport, or your NIE (foreigner identification number) or DNI, as ID for a home or life policy.

• Your lease or title deed, which shows the property address for a home policy.

• Your padrón registration certificate (empadronamiento), if the insurer wants proof of address beyond the property itself.

• Your Spanish bank details (IBAN) to pay premiums by direct debit.

• A certificate of claims history (certificado de siniestralidad) from your previous car insurer, to get a no-claims discount. A letter from a foreign insurer confirming claims-free years, in Spanish or English, is often accepted.

Checklist

• Buy travel or international health cover before or on arrival to bridge the gap until you are resident.

• If you are buying with a mortgage, arrange home insurance days before the notary signing.

• Ask your previous car insurer for a certificate of claims history before you switch.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy home or health insurance with just a passport?

Sometimes yes, because some Spanish insurers and brokers issue health or contents policies against a passport and card payment. Many others require an NIE and a Spanish IBAN for direct debit, so ask before you plan around it.

How long can travel insurance cover me after I move to Spain?

Travel insurance is only a short bridge, because these policies usually exclude people who live in Spain. Once you are resident, switch to a proper health policy. Home-country cover often lapses at that point too.

How many days before the mortgage signing should my home insurance start?

Your home insurance must be in force by the day you sign the mortgage deed at the notary, so arrange it days beforehand. Life insurance is often asked for to get a better rate but is not compulsory.

When should I buy life insurance in Spain?

Buy life, accident and income-protection cover once you have your NIE and a Spanish IBAN, usually within your first months. If you have a mortgage, ask your lender whether it wants a life policy linked to the loan.