Car insurance in Spain

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. The aim is simple: legal cover at a fair price, and a clear idea of how claims, lapses and renewals work.

Start with "Getting legally insured to drive in Spain as a newcomer". It sets out the legal minimum and how to get a policy. After that, the page on choosing between terceros and todo riesgo helps you pick a cover level. The rest follow in the navigator, so read them when the question comes up.

Home, health and accident-scene advice are not covered here.

Key rules

• Uninsured fine: Owning an uninsured car, even parked, can bring a fine of around 601 to 3,005 euros, and the car can be immobilised.
• Foreign plates: A new resident can generally keep a foreign-plated car on the road for up to 6 months before it must be registered in Spain.
• Renewal notice: To stop an annual policy renewing automatically, give written notice at least one month before it expires; an insurer that wants to change the price or terms must warn you at least two months before.
• Reporting a claim: Tell your insurer about an accident within seven days, unless your policy allows longer.
• Certificate age: Insurers usually want a claims-history certificate issued within the last 30 to 90 days.
• SOA: Every motor vehicle based in Spain needs SOA, even when parked or unused.

Car insurance in Spain: the whole process, step by step

• Request a claims-history certificate from your foreign insurer: Before you start getting Spanish quotes; many insurers issue it within a few days to two weeks. Read: Transferring your no-claims history to a Spanish insurer

• Make sure the certificate is recent enough: Issued within the last 30 to 90 days when you give it to the Spanish insurer.

• Get quotes, choose a cover level and take out the policy: Before you drive the car on the road. Read: Getting legally insured to drive in Spain as a newcomer, then Choosing your car insurance cover level (terceros or todo riesgo)

• Insure the foreign-plated car, then register it in Spain: You can generally keep foreign plates for up to 6 months before the car must be registered in Spain. Read: Insuring a foreign-plated car while living in Spain

• Report any accident to your insurer: Within seven days of the accident, unless your policy allows longer. Read: Making a claim and using roadside assistance in Spain

• Fix any lapse straight away: As soon as a premium goes unpaid or a policy expires; a policy that expires simply ends, and a fine of around 601 to 3,005 euros is possible. Read: What happens if you drive uninsured or your policy lapses

• Decide whether to switch or cancel before renewal: Give written notice at least one month before the policy expires; an insurer that wants to change the price or terms must warn you at least two months before. Read: Switching or cancelling car insurance before it auto-renews

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your driving licence and your ID or NIE — Getting legally insured to drive in Spain as a newcomer
• Proof of your residence status in Spain — Insuring a foreign-plated car while living in Spain

The home and the lease

• A new insurance policy contract — What happens if you drive uninsured or your policy lapses

Other documents

• Certificate of claims history
• The car's permiso de circulación — Getting legally insured to drive in Spain as a newcomer
• The same certificate must show the exact start and end dates of cover — Transferring your no-claims history to a Spanish insurer
• The certificate must give the insurer's name — Transferring your no-claims history to a Spanish insurer
• The car's registration document from its country of registration — Insuring a foreign-plated car while living in Spain
• Proof that you paid an overdue premium — What happens if you drive uninsured or your policy lapses
• Joint accident statement — Making a claim and using roadside assistance in Spain
• Written notice of non-renewal — Switching or cancelling car insurance before it auto-renews

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Car insurance in Spain: questions that cross several articles

Does the compulsory insurance cover damage to my own car?

No, the compulsory insurance (SOA) covers only your liability to other people, not damage to your own car or your own injuries when you are at fault. To cover your own car you need a higher level.

Do I need insurance for a car that is parked and not used?

Yes, a car based in Spain must be insured even if it stays parked, unless it is formally deregistered or has a temporary deregistration (baja temporal) at Tráfico. See What happens if you drive uninsured or your policy lapses.

How much will car insurance cost me as a newcomer?

Newcomers usually pay noticeably more than established drivers, with wide variation by age, car, region and insurer. Compare several quotes. Read What sets your Spanish car insurance price, and Transferring your no-claims history to a Spanish insurer to see if your past record can lower it.

Can I keep my foreign-plated car insured in Spain while I settle in?

Yes, as a new resident you can generally keep a foreign-plated car on the road for up to 6 months before it must be registered in Spain, but it still needs valid cover. Read Insuring a foreign-plated car while living in Spain, and Getting legally insured to drive in Spain as a newcomer for how to buy a policy.