Cancelling a health policy: notice, renewal and refunds

Terms used

• Condiciones generales — The condiciones generales are the standard terms of your policy, including the notice channels and cancellation rules.
• Burofax — A burofax is a certified message from the post office that proves the date and content of what you sent.
• Acuse de recibo — The acuse de recibo is a signed receipt proving your registered letter was delivered.
• Defensor del cliente — The defensor del cliente is an insurer's internal complaints officer, who handles disputes with customers.
• DGSFP — The DGSFP is the Spanish insurance supervisor, under the Ministry of Economy, which handles complaints about insurers.

Key rules

• Non-renewal: Written notice must reach the insurer at least one month before the renewal date, in a way that proves it arrived.
• Insurer's notice: An insurer that does not want to renew must give you at least two months' written notice.
• Distance purchases: A policy bought online or by phone can be withdrawn within 14 days, and you pay only for the cover you had.
• Mid-term exit: You have no general right to cancel during the year, and refunds are limited.

The short answer

Most health policies in Spain are annual and renew by themselves. To stop a renewal, you must send written notice at least one month before the renewal date, in a way that proves it arrived. Miss that window and you are in for another year. Mid-term, you generally cannot cancel just because you want to.

Stopping the renewal

Count back one month from the renewal date on your policy schedule, and send your notice well before that day. Your policy's general conditions (condiciones generales) may set a different period. It can be shorter for you, but it cannot be longer than one month.

Notice must be in writing and the insurer must be able to verify it. There is no official form. Your options, from safest to least safe:

• Burofax. It proves both the date and what you wrote. This is the safest choice.
• Registered post with acuse de recibo. This gives you a receipt of delivery.
• Email, app or web portal. Use these only if your policy's conditions accept them.
• A signed letter handed in at a branch or to an agent. Get a stamped copy.

A phone call is generally not enough. Check which channels your conditions allow before you choose. A template notice is available below.

If the insurer wants to end the policy

An insurer that does not want to renew must give you at least two months' written notice before the policy expires. The same two months applies to premium changes. If it is late, the policy renews for a further period. For individual health policies, insurers generally commit in the contract not to cancel because of illness or advanced age. If you reject a premium increase, you may be able to end the policy earlier.

The 14-day withdrawal

If you bought the policy online or by phone, you can withdraw within 14 days. The period runs from signing or from receiving the policy documents, whichever is later. Tell the insurer by durable means, such as email or letter, and keep a copy. You pay only for the cover you actually had.

If you bought in person, there is generally no legal cooling-off period. Some insurers offer one voluntarily, so read the withdrawal clause in your policy.

Leaving mid-term

You have no general right to cancel at will during the year. These exits exist:

• Cancellation by agreement, or under a clause in your contract. Some insurers allow this, especially on monthly-payment policies.
• Withdrawal within 14 days of a distance sale.
• Ending the policy if the insurer changes the terms or premium without your agreement.
• Ending the policy if the insured risk disappears.

Group or company policies follow their own terms.

What you get back

Expect little. A refund of unused premium is due when the policy ends because the risk disappeared. In health insurance, that mainly means the holder's death. If you cancel voluntarily mid-term, or the policy ends through non-payment, you generally get nothing beyond what the contract provides. Some insurers refund part of the premium as a goodwill gesture, so ask in writing. Stopping payment is not a way to cancel. If you pay monthly, cover simply ends when the paid period ends.

If the insurer refuses a valid cancellation

First complain to the insurer's customer service department or its defensor del cliente, if it has one. The insurer must resolve your complaint within two months. If it rejects the complaint, or does not answer in that time, you can complain to the DGSFP, usually online. Include your earlier complaint and the reply. The DGSFP's answer is not binding. Court action, mediation or arbitration remain open to you.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask for a refund of any unused premium if the policy ended early because the risk disappeared: after the policy ends

• Wait for the insurer's customer service to answer a complaint about a refused cancellation: up to two months from when it receives your complaint

• Take the complaint to the insurance supervisor (DGSFP) if it is rejected or unanswered: after the rejection or after the two months have passed

Documents you need

• Your policy's general conditions (condiciones generales), as issued by the insurer, to see which notice channels are accepted and what the withdrawal clause says.

• A written cancellation or non-renewal notice that the insurer can verify, sent by burofax, registered post with acuse de recibo (proof of delivery), or a channel your contract accepts, such as email or a web portal.

• Proof that the notice arrived: the burofax record, the acuse de recibo, or a stamped copy of a signed letter handed in at a branch or agent.

• Your policy documents with the date you received them, if you bought online or by phone, because the 14-day withdrawal period runs from signing or from receiving them, whichever is later.

Checklist

• Check whether you bought the policy online or by phone, since only then do you have a 14-day withdrawal right.

• Read the withdrawal clause in your policy for the exact period and procedure.

• Check which notice channels your policy's general conditions allow.

• Send your cancellation notice by burofax so the date and content are proven.

• Ask the insurer in writing whether any unused premium will be refunded.

What to watch out for

• Missing the notice window renews the policy: If your written notice does not reach the insurer in time, an annual policy renews automatically and you pay for another year. Send notice well ahead of the one-month limit, by a method that proves it arrived.

• No right to cancel at will mid-term: Once the year has started, you generally cannot walk away. Exits depend on mutual agreement, a contract clause or a change of terms by the insurer. Read the general conditions, or ask the insurer in writing before you stop paying.

• Stopping payment does not get you a refund: If you cancel voluntarily or the policy ends through non-payment, you generally get back nothing beyond what the contract provides. Ask the insurer in writing what, if anything, it will refund.

• The supervisor's answer is not binding: If the insurer refuses a valid cancellation, the supervisor's reply cannot force it to act. Complain to the insurer first, then the supervisor.

Template notice to cancel or not renew a health policy

Your notice must be in writing, reach the insurer at least one month before the renewal date, and be sent in a way that proves it arrived. Fill in the blanks below, sign it and send it as described under the template.

The notice

To: [Insurer's name and address, or the cancellations email or department]

Date: [Today's date]

Subject: Notice of non-renewal of health policy no. [policy number]

I, [full name], holder of [DNI, NIE or passport] number [ID number], am the policyholder of health policy number [policy number].

The policy covers these insured persons: [full name of each person covered].

I am giving notice that I do not wish to renew this policy. Please end it on its renewal date, [renewal date], and do not renew it for another period.

If any premium is due back to me, please refund it to this bank account: [IBAN].

Please confirm in writing that you have received this notice and that the policy will end on the date above.

Signed: [your signature]

[Your phone number and email]

Attach a copy of your ID. You do not need to give a reason.

How to send it

• Burofax: This is the safest option. The post office certifies the date, the exact text and the delivery. Ask for the certified text and the acuse de recibo (proof of delivery).
• Registered post with acuse de recibo: This proves delivery but not what the letter said, unless it is sent open and the content is certified.
• Email, app or web portal: Use these only if the policy's conditions accept them. You get an automatic receipt or timestamp, but it is weaker proof if the insurer disputes it.
• In person at a branch or agent: Hand over a signed copy and ask for a copy stamped with the date.

A phone call alone is generally not enough. Check which channels your policy's general conditions allow, and whether your insurer has its own form. If it does, send that form as well.

Before you send

• The notice has to arrive at least one month before the renewal date, not just be posted by then. Send it earlier than that, because a failed delivery attempt can make it late.
• Keep everything: the burofax receipt and certified text, the delivery confirmation, the stamped copy or the email receipt.
• Ask the insurer to confirm in writing. If you get no answer, use your proof if the policy is renewed anyway.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel my health policy in the middle of the year?

Generally no, you have no right to cancel a health policy at will mid-term. You can still leave by mutual agreement or under a clause in your contract, which some insurers allow, especially on monthly-payment policies.

Will I get money back if I cancel before the year ends?

Usually no, you get no refund beyond what your contract provides if you cancel voluntarily mid-term or stop paying. Unused premium is returned if the insured risk disappears, which in health cover mainly means the holder's death. Some insurers refund pro rata as a goodwill gesture, so ask in writing.

Can I cancel my health policy by phone?

No, a phone call alone is generally not enough to cancel or stop a renewal. The notice must be in writing and the insurer must be able to verify it. Email or an app works only if your contract accepts it, and burofax is the safest because it proves the date and content.

Where do I complain if the insurer refuses my valid cancellation?

Start with the insurer's customer service department or its defensor del cliente (its internal complaints officer), which must reply within two months. If it rejects the complaint or does not reply in time, you can complain to the insurance supervisor, the DGSFP, usually online with a copy of the first complaint and its reply. Its answer is not binding, and court, mediation or arbitration remain open.