Getting the insurance proof your visa application needs

Key rules

• Name: The certificate must carry your name exactly as it appears on your passport.
• Cover: The certificate states full cover in Spain, free of copayments, deductibles and waiting periods.
• Payment proof: Bring a receipt, invoice or bank record showing the premium is paid, unless your consulate confirms the certificate alone is enough.

What the consulate wants to see

You need two things: a certificate from the insurer, and proof that you have paid for the policy. Get both before your appointment, in Spanish, and check the details below before you accept them from the insurer.

The policy conditions (full cover, no copayments, no deductibles, no waiting periods, a one-year term) are set out in What a visa-compliant Spanish health policy must include.

Ask the insurer for the right wording

Consulates look for a certificate or policy that shows:

• Your full name, spelled exactly as in your passport.
• The insurer, which must be authorised to operate in Spain.
• Full health cover in Spain, matching what the public system offers: hospital care, outpatient care and emergencies.
• The policy period.
• No copayment, no deductibles and no waiting periods.

The certificate also carries the policy number and the insurer's signature or stamp. Ask for them so you do not have to go back.

Some consulates have stricter rules than this. Get the document list from your own consulate first and ask the insurer to match any wording it asks for.

Get it in Spanish

Documents sent to Spanish authorities should be in Spanish or come with a sworn translation. A policy from a Spanish insurer is already in Spanish, so this is usually the easiest route. If your insurer is foreign and the certificate is in another language, ask for a Spanish version or pay for a sworn translation.

A few consulates accept English documents, but that is a local choice. Do not count on it without asking.

Prove you have paid

Bring proof that the first year's premium is paid in full, as well as the certificate. The usual forms are:

• A receipt or invoice from the insurer.
• A bank statement or transfer confirmation showing the payment.

Ask the insurer for the receipt or invoice, and keep the bank record as backup. A certificate that itself states the premium is paid counts only where your consulate's checklist accepts it.

If you are an employee of a Spanish employer or self-employed

Employees of a Spanish employer do not need this certificate, because Social Security covers them. Self-employed people and every other route that needs private cover do, for the visa stage; see Which Spanish residence routes require private health insurance?.

If you apply with family members

Every family member who applies with you needs their own certificate and proof of payment, in their own name as in their passport. Who counts as family and the family policy question are on Visa health insurance for a family: one policy or separate ones?.

What if your visa is refused or your policy is rejected?

If the authority says the policy is deficient

Replace or correct it. You have 10 working days from the notice to send the new policy or certificate. If you miss the deadline, the application is treated as withdrawn. Read the notice for the exact date and act on it straight away.

Ask your insurer for a corrected certificate first. Often the policy is fine and only the wording is wrong, so you may not need a new policy.

If the visa is refused

Check the refusal letter for the reason, then choose:

• The policy was the problem. Buy a compliant policy and make a new application.
• The refusal was for another reason. You can appeal or apply again with corrected documents. The appeal is either a recurso de reposición (you request reconsideration from the office that refused you) or a court appeal. After a written refusal, ask for reconsideration within 1 month or go to court within 2 months; these are alternatives, so choose one. If the office never answers (a silent refusal), reconsideration has no deadline and the court route stays open for 6 months. Keep the policy only if its dates and cover will still work for the later application.

Do not buy a second policy before you know which route you are taking.

What refund to expect

The refund terms are in When to buy your visa policy without paying for unused cover.