Discount medical cards and prepaid plans are not insurance

Key rules

• Visa cover: Discount cards and prepaid plans are not accepted by consulates as health insurance.
• Real insurer: A genuine insurer is authorised by the DGSFP and issues you a policy document.
• Visa policy: The policy needs full coverage with no copayments or deductibles.
• Payment: With a membership you still pay for each service yourself.

The short answer

A discount card or prepaid plan is a membership. It is not insurance. It will not satisfy a visa application, because consulates do not accept it.

How to tell a membership from insurance

A discount card or prepaid plan usually looks like this:

• It has no insurer and no policy number.
• It is sold as a "tarjeta de descuentos" or a club.
• It gives you lower prices at partner clinics. It does not pay your medical bills.
• You pay for each service yourself.
• You get no insurance policy document, and no general conditions of the kind an insurance contract has.
• It often costs a small fixed fee.

Real insurance works differently. The company is authorised by Spain's insurance regulator, the DGSFP, and appears on its register. It issues you a policy that follows Spain's insurance contract law. Insurers authorised elsewhere in the EU may also sell in Spain under freedom of services.

Check the company before you pay

Look the company up in the DGSFP register. If it is not listed, and it is not an EU-authorised insurer, treat the product as a membership. Ask for the policy document before you pay. A real policy has one. A membership does not.

Why this matters for a visa

Long-stay residence visas, such as non-lucrative, digital nomad or student visas, need a public or private health insurance policy. It must come from an insurer authorised in Spain. It must give full coverage, with no copayments or deductibles, equivalent to the public system.

A discount card or prepaid plan fails this test. This applies to non-EU applicants. Consulates can set their own detailed requirements, so confirm with the consulate you will apply to before you buy a policy.

When a membership is still useful

If you already have proper insurance, a discount card can lower the cost of extras. Treat it as an add-on, never as your cover.

The documents list and the questions below cover what to submit and how to check an insurer.

Documents you need

• Insurance policy document from an insurer authorised in Spain, with full coverage and no copayments or deductibles. A discount card or prepaid plan membership does not count.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a discount medical card for my Spanish visa application?

No, a discount medical card will not be accepted for a Spanish long-stay visa application. Consulates ask for a public or private health insurance policy with full coverage and no copayments or deductibles. This applies to non-EU applicants, for example for non-lucrative, digital nomad or student visas.

How can I check that a company is a real insurer in Spain?

You can check that a company is a real insurer by looking it up in the register of the DGSFP, the Spanish regulator for insurers.