When to buy your visa policy without paying for unused cover

Key rules

• Order: Book the appointment, then buy; never the other way round.
• Start date: Start the policy on or before your travel date, and make sure it does not end before your visa period.
• Refunds: Cancel before the start date and the insurer refunds the premium, less any administration fee. Once cover has started there is no refund.

Buy after the appointment is booked, shortly before you submit

Book your consular appointment first. Then buy the policy shortly before the appointment or submission. No official rule fixes the purchase date, but the policy must be in force and the certificate ready when you submit your application.

Buying too early is the main way to pay for cover you do not use. Appointments can move, and a policy bought months ahead may no longer match your dates.

Choose the start date

Set the start date on or before the day you travel to Spain. Most consulates expect the policy to be valid when you enter the country. A policy that starts after you arrive is refused. A short-term Spanish health plan of 1 to 12 months does not fix that: it is not accepted for the visa.

The policy should also cover your first residence period of one year and should not end before your visa period does. If you buy early and your plans change, a start date that no longer fits can mean buying again.

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

You do not need a long-stay visa or visa health insurance, so this purchase timing does not apply to you. EU citizens register in Spain instead. UK citizens: see who needs private cover.

Refunds and cancelling

• Policy not yet started: the insurer refunds the premium, less any administration fee.
• Policy already started: no refund.

Ask for cancellation in writing and keep the confirmation. If you plan to reapply soon, ask the insurer to move the start date or reissue the certificate instead of cancelling.

A rejected policy must be corrected within 10 working days and a refusal challenged within 1 month; the full rule is in Getting the insurance proof your visa application needs.