Choosing and buying a policy

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. By the end, you will be able to compare quotes, avoid unauthorised products and complete a purchase.

Start with "Who sells private health insurance in Spain and how they differ". It explains the market, so you can build a shortlist before you ask for any quotes.

Key rules

• Withdrawal right: If you buy a health policy online or by phone, you can usually withdraw without giving a reason within 14 days.
• Insurer's proposal: Once an insurer makes you a proposal, it is bound by it for 15 days.
• First premium: Cover takes effect only once the first premium has been paid, even if you have signed.
• Largest networks: Large Spanish insurers have the widest networks of doctors and hospitals across the country.
• Price: Digital insurers are usually cheaper, with simpler plans and often a copago.
• Like for like: Ask every insurer to quote the same people, plan type and extras before you compare prices.

Choosing and buying a policy: the whole process, step by step

• Learn who sells private health insurance and decide between an international plan and a Spanish policy: before you ask for any quote

• Check the insurer or broker is authorised in Spain: before you share personal details or pay anything

• Choose where to buy: broker, insurer, bank or comparison site: before you start the application

• Decide the type of cover and compare quotes like for like, including network, copagos and waiting periods: while you collect quotes

• Complete the application and the health questionnaire, answering truthfully: after you pick a quote

• Wait for the insurer's decision: the policy may come as quoted, with a higher premium, with exclusions or longer waiting periods, or be refused: usually within days; the insurer's proposal binds it for 15 days

• Read the pre-contract information and conditions, then sign and give your payment details: before you pay

• Pay the first premium: when you sign; cover takes effect only once it is paid

• Use your right to withdraw if you change your mind: within 14 days if you bought online or by phone

• Get your digital card and, if you need it for a visa, your certificate of cover: digital card in 24 to 72 hours; certificate the same day to a few working days after payment

• Receive the physical card and register in the insurer's app: physical card usually in 1 to 3 weeks

• Wait out any waiting periods before using those services: none for emergencies; around 6 months for hospitalisation and surgery; 8 to 10 months for childbirth

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Valid ID — How to buy a private health policy step by step
• Your passport — Buying a Spanish health policy before you arrive

The home and the lease

• Written pre-contract information — How to compare health insurance quotes in Spain

Payments and receipts

• Receipt of payment for the premium — Buying a Spanish health policy before you arrive

Guarantees

• Insurance Product Information Document — How to compare health insurance quotes in Spain

Other documents

• The policy
• Health questionnaire
• Certificate of cover — Buying a Spanish health policy before you arrive
• Original or signed copy of the certificate — How to buy a private health policy step by step, Buying a Spanish health policy before you arrive
• Revised offer from the insurer — A quote isn't accepted cover: what can still change

Choosing and buying a policy: questions that cross several articles

Do I need a NIE or a Spanish bank account to buy a health policy?

Not always: many insurers accept a passport, and some accept a card or a euro-area bank account, but most Spanish insurers prefer a NIE and a Spanish IBAN for direct debit. International plans usually need neither, and visa policies are commonly accepted with only a passport. Read Buying a Spanish health policy before you arrive and International expat plan or Spanish policy: which to buy?

Why does the cheapest quote not always cost least?

A cheaper copago plan charges you a fee each time you use a service, so heavy users can end up paying more than on a full plan. Optional extras such as dental also appear as separate lines in the quote.

How do I know my doctor or hospital is covered by a plan?

Check the insurer's online directory under the exact plan you are quoting, because networks differ by plan. Then phone the doctor or centre to confirm, and ask the insurer for the list in writing. Read How to compare health insurance quotes in Spain and Who sells private health insurance in Spain and how they differ.

What happens if I leave something out of the health questionnaire?

The insurer can cancel the policy within one month of learning of it, and it may refuse or reduce a claim. In serious cases it can keep the premiums and refuse all cover. Read How to buy a private health policy step by step and A quote isn't accepted cover: what can still change.

Do waiting periods apply if I switch insurer or buy through my bank?

Waiting periods are often waived if you move from another insurer with proof of prior cover, and in some group or promotional policies. A bank only acts as the seller, so check who the insurer is and what waiting periods apply. Read Broker, insurer, bank or comparison site: where to buy and How to buy a private health policy step by step.