Private health insurance is one of the most important documents in a Spanish Digital Nomad Visa application. If your policy is not suitable, your consulate or immigration office may ask for extra documents, delay your application, or refuse to accept the insurance. We help Digital Nomad Visa applicants choose Sanitas cover designed for foreign residents and Spanish visa applications — with no-copay options, no-waiting-period options, Spanish certificates, English-speaking support and cover starting from the date you choose.
Sanitas is one of Spain's best-known private health insurers and forms part of the Bupa group. It reported 2.9 million insured members in 2024, has operated in Spain since 1954, and offers foreign-resident products — Sanitas Residents Platinum and Residents — designed around visa and residency needs.
Important: Sanitas Residents Platinum and Sanitas Residents are commonly used for Digital Nomad Visa applications where private insurance is required, but whether you need private cover — and the final decision on your visa — depends on your route and rests with the consulate or immigration authority. We can advise on the Sanitas insurance options; your immigration adviser or tax and social-security adviser should confirm which healthcare route applies to your DNV application.
Why it matters
Health insurance is not a small supporting document in the Digital Nomad Visa process. It is one of the core documents used to show that you will have proper healthcare cover while living and working remotely from Spain.
The Spanish Digital Nomad Visa is designed for non-EU remote workers, freelancers, contractors, company owners and employees of foreign companies. Depending on your route, you may need to prove private health insurance, public healthcare coverage, or social security registration. For many applicants applying from outside Spain, private health insurance is the practical route because they are not yet registered in the Spanish social security system when they submit their visa file.
A suitable Digital Nomad Visa health insurance policy should normally be private, valid in Spain, comprehensive, active for the required period, and issued with documentation the Spanish authorities can understand. This is why many applicants choose Sanitas Residents Platinum or Sanitas Residents rather than a cheaper general health insurance policy. See also our guide to the Non-Lucrative Visa health insurance in Spain for a related route.
Requirements
Digital Nomad Visa health insurance requirements can depend on your application route, employment structure and where you apply. Some applicants need private health insurance from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain. Others may rely on public healthcare access through social security arrangements if they are correctly registered and the authorities accept this for their case.
For applicants who need private health insurance, the policy should usually provide genuine private healthcare cover in Spain and should not look like travel insurance, emergency-only insurance or a limited international assistance policy.
Your policy should provide broad medical cover — doctors, specialists, diagnostic tests, emergency care and hospital treatment. A basic travel policy or emergency-only policy is not usually enough for a Spanish visa application.
For visa applications, the safer option is a policy with no copayments. A copayment is a small charge paid each time you use medical services. A no-copay policy is usually easier to present because it looks closer to full healthcare cover.
A no-waiting-period option can be important because the authorities may want to see cover that is active from the start of your stay, not cover that excludes key services for several months.
Your insurance should be valid for the period required by your visa application. Many applicants arrange a 12-month policy, while some residence authorisation cases may require evidence for longer, depending on the route.
A Spanish certificate is usually much easier for the consulate or immigration office to review, and can reduce confusion around translations, benefit limits and policy wording.
Your policy should provide private healthcare access across Spain, not only emergency cover in one small area. Digital nomads often travel around Spain, so network access matters.
Why Sanitas
Sanitas is one of Spain's best-known private health insurers and forms part of Bupa. For Digital Nomad Visa applicants, the main advantage is not only the brand name — it is that Sanitas offers foreign-resident products that can be used for Spanish visa and residency needs, with Spanish documentation and English-friendly support. This matters because many applicants are applying from outside Spain, do not yet have an NIE or TIE, and need a policy certificate clear enough for the consulate or immigration office to review.
A Spanish-issued policy from a major Spanish insurer is often easier to present than an overseas policy, travel policy or generic international insurance document.
Sanitas Residents and Residents Platinum are designed for foreigners living in Spain, making them more relevant for visa applicants than basic local policies.
Sanitas policies can be issued with Spanish documentation, which is helpful for Digital Nomad Visa applications.
The Mi Sanitas app is available in English, and doctor-language filtering can help expats find English-speaking medical professionals.
In many cases, applicants can apply before they have an NIE, using passport details at the initial application stage.
Recommended plans
Best for: Digital Nomad Visa applicants who want premium foreign-resident cover, broader benefits and a stronger private healthcare package for living and working remotely from Spain.
Sanitas Residents Platinum is usually the first plan to consider for Digital Nomad Visa applicants who want more than the minimum insurance requirement. It is designed for foreign residents and offers a more comprehensive benefit structure than standard Residents, making it a strong option for remote workers, freelancers, company owners and internationally mobile applicants.
Best for: Digital Nomad Visa applicants who want a lower-cost Sanitas foreign-resident policy and do not need the broader benefits of Residents Platinum.
Sanitas Residents is designed for foreign residents in Spain and may be suitable for some Digital Nomad Visa applicants, depending on their application route, documentation needs and healthcare expectations. It can be a strong option for applicants who need Spanish private health insurance but want to keep monthly costs lower.
Side-by-side
How the two main DNV-focused Sanitas plans compare on the features most relevant to a Digital Nomad Visa application.
| Feature | Residents Platinum | Sanitas Residents |
|---|---|---|
| From price | €107.23/month | €67.76/month |
| Designed for foreigners | Yes | Yes |
| Suitable for DNV applicants | Often the stronger option | May be suitable depending on case |
| Visa-focused documentation | Yes | Yes |
| No-copay option | Yes | Yes |
| No-waiting-period option | Yes | Yes |
| English app support | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Remote workers wanting premium cover | Applicants wanting lower-cost cover |
| Main advantage | Broader premium cover | Lower monthly price |
| Best use case | DNV, premium cover, frequent travellers | Standard visa cover where suitable |
Prices are from-prices. Your exact premium depends on your age, province, start date, medical history and number of applicants.
Two applicant types
Digital Nomad Visa applicants do not all have the same health-insurance route. A remote employee working for a foreign company will often need full private health insurance as the main healthcare proof for the visa, while a self-employed / autónomo applicant may have a different route if they register with Spanish social security. This is why it is important to check your employment structure before buying a policy.
If private cover is required, the policy normally needs to be comprehensive, valid in Spain and suitable for the DNV, with the correct certificate and start date. If you are applying as an autónomo and will be contributing to Spanish social security, private Sanitas cover may still be useful as supplementary private healthcare, but the exact requirement depends on your route, timing, family members and the documents requested.
We help with the Sanitas insurance part only. Your immigration or tax/social-security adviser should confirm your DNV route and whether private insurance, public healthcare access or social-security evidence applies to your case.
Foreign employee cover →Autónomo cover →Employee vs autónomo →
Certificate process
Getting the right insurance certificate is often just as important as choosing the right plan. The Spanish authorities need to understand quickly that the policy is suitable for your Digital Nomad Visa application.
We check whether you are applying from a Spanish consulate or from inside Spain, and whether you are an employee, freelancer, contractor, company owner, individual applicant or family.
Some DNV applicants may rely on social security arrangements; others need private health insurance. We help you understand which route applies from an insurance perspective, without giving immigration advice.
Most Digital Nomad Visa applicants compare Sanitas Residents Platinum and Sanitas Residents. We explain the difference clearly so you are not overpaying for cover you do not need — but also not choosing a policy too weak for your visa file.
You can usually apply before you have your NIE. Passport details are often enough at the initial stage, depending on the policy and payment setup.
Your policy should start on the date required for your visa or residence application.
Once accepted and arranged, you receive your policy documents and certificate. Spanish documentation is especially useful for consulate and immigration applications.
Include the insurance certificate with your wider Digital Nomad Visa file where private health insurance is required.
Common mistakes
The most frequent issues we see DNV applicants run into — and how to avoid them.
Travel insurance is designed for temporary trips, not living and working remotely from Spain.
Some international policies look strong but may not provide the certificate or structure required by Spanish authorities.
Where private insurance is the main visa document, no-copay insurance is generally safer.
Waiting periods can create concerns if key medical services are not active from day one.
Digital nomads often leave insurance until the end because they are focused on company documents, contracts, income proof and criminal records.
Some DNV applicants may need private insurance; others may need to prove social security coverage. The insurance approach depends on the route.
A digital-nomad-branded policy is not automatically suitable for Spain's Digital Nomad Visa.
If your spouse, partner or children are included, each applicant needs suitable healthcare cover.
Remote employees
Remote employees applying for Spain's Digital Nomad Visa may need to show suitable healthcare cover unless their social security situation is clearly accepted for the application route. If you are employed by a foreign company, your insurance route can depend on your employment structure, social security certificate, country of employment and where you apply.
Where private health insurance is needed, Sanitas Residents Platinum is often a strong option because it provides premium foreign-resident cover and Spanish documentation.
Freelancers
Freelancers and contractors often need more careful planning because their application may involve foreign clients, self-employed status, social security registration, Spanish tax planning and private health insurance. If you are not yet registered in Spain's social security system at the point of application, private health insurance may be needed for the visa file.
Spanish Health Insurance can help arrange suitable private cover while your immigration or tax adviser handles the wider DNV structure.
Company owners
Company owners applying for the Digital Nomad Visa may need to provide company documents, client contracts, income evidence and healthcare cover. For company owners, the insurance should be clean, clear and easy to understand — a Spanish Sanitas certificate can make the insurance side of the file more straightforward.
Families
If you are applying for the Digital Nomad Visa with your family, every applicant normally needs suitable healthcare cover unless covered through an accepted public healthcare or social security route. This may include your spouse or partner and dependent children. The insurance certificate should clearly show who is covered, from what date, and under which policy.
Pre-existing conditions
Many Digital Nomad Visa applicants are younger than typical NLV applicants, but pre-existing conditions still matter. A pre-existing condition can include a previous diagnosis, surgery, hospitalisation, ongoing medication, chronic illness, mental health treatment, symptoms under investigation or recent specialist care. The insurer may ask medical questions before accepting the policy, and possible outcomes include acceptance, further review, exclusions, special terms or refusal.
Renewal
Your health insurance should remain active while it is needed for your residence status. If you renew or modify your Digital Nomad Visa in Spain, you may need to show updated proof of healthcare cover or public healthcare access, depending on your route.
Avoid gaps in cover if private health insurance is part of your residence file.
Spanish insurance policies often renew automatically unless cancelled correctly before the deadline.
For renewal or modification, you may need an updated certificate showing your policy is still active.
Once you have your NIE, TIE and Spanish address, update your insurer records where required.
If your circumstances change, review your cover before renewing — but do not downgrade to a policy that could cause residency issues.
Costs
Sanitas Residents Platinum starts from €107.23/month, while Sanitas Residents starts from €67.76/month. These are from-prices, not guaranteed final premiums. Your exact price depends on:
For Digital Nomad Visa applicants, price should not be the only deciding factor. A policy that is cheaper but not suitable can cost far more if the consulate or immigration office asks for replacement documentation. See how cover compares in our guide to no-copay health insurance in Spain.
Worth it?
For many Digital Nomad Visa applicants, Sanitas Residents Platinum is the stronger option because it offers a more premium foreign-resident package and is well suited to internationally mobile applicants who want more than basic cover. Residents Platinum may be worth considering if:
Sanitas Residents may still be enough for some applicants, especially younger applicants or those who mainly need a suitable Spanish policy at the lowest Sanitas visa-focused price. The right choice depends on your age, health, family situation, budget, DNV route and whether private insurance or social security coverage applies in your case.
Get a quote
Spanish Health Insurance helps English-speaking Digital Nomad Visa applicants arrange private medical insurance suitable for Spanish visa and residency applications. We can help you compare Sanitas Residents Platinum and Sanitas Residents, check which option makes most sense for your DNV route, arrange cover from the date you choose, and provide guidance on the insurance documentation needed for your application. Whether you are applying as a remote employee, freelancer, contractor, company owner, couple or family, we can help you choose the right Sanitas option.
We help with the health-insurance part only. Visa and residency decisions are made by the Spanish authorities, and requirements can vary by route and office. Always confirm the full requirements with the relevant Spanish consulate, UGE, Extranjería office or a qualified immigration specialist where applicable.
Tell us about your Digital Nomad Visa application and we'll compare the main Sanitas visa-suitable options for your situation — with exact pricing and clear guidance on documentation. Acceptance and exact terms depend on the insurer's rules.
Free, no-obligation advice from English-speaking advisers who understand remote-worker visa needs.
Age limits
Because this page leads with Residents Platinum, age is worth checking early. Sanitas plans can have different maximum ages for a new policy, and the limit matters most at the application stage:
These figures are a general guide only and should be confirmed against the current Sanitas tariff before quoting. This avoids sending older DNV applicants towards Platinum automatically.
International cover
Possibly, but it should be checked carefully before you rely on it. Some international or global policies look comprehensive but may not provide what the authority expects for the Digital Nomad Visa.
In particular, an international policy may lack the Spanish certificate wording, the no-copayment structure, documentation from an insurer authorised in Spain, or the residence-style cover commonly expected. A policy that works well for travel or for a globally mobile lifestyle is not automatically suitable as the main healthcare document for a Spanish residence route. We can review your situation and, where needed, arrange a suitable Spanish policy such as Residents Platinum or Sanitas Residents.
DNV families
Where a Digital Nomad Visa application includes family members, a few practical points matter:
We can confirm exactly who needs cover for your route and prepare a combined family quote.
FAQs
Detailed answers to the most common questions about Sanitas health insurance for Spain's Digital Nomad Visa.
Applying for the Digital Nomad Visa? Request a personalised Sanitas DNV quote, or explore remote-worker cover.
For the Digital Nomad Visa we help remote workers, self-employed (autónomo) and foreign-employed applicants get suitable Sanitas cover — whether private insurance is your main proof or sits alongside Spanish social-security registration. Pick your region or town for local cover details and a personalised quote.