Free Spanish Health Insurance Guides

Written for people moving to or living in Spain — visa and residency applicants, students, families, and anyone comparing private cover — and for the advisers and relatives helping them. Requirements and policy terms can change, so always confirm the current details before you rely on them.

Each guide has its own page explaining what is inside and who it helps. Some guides are emailed to you; others can be downloaded straight away — either way, everything stays free to read on this website.

Visa and residency

Route-specific guides for a Spanish visa or residence application.

Visa and residency

Student visa health insurance

A plain-English guide for students and the parents helping them. It explains when health cover is needed for a Spanish study stay, who arranges it, and how the Sanitas International Students policy fits.

Best forStudents applying for a Spanish study visa or residence for a stay over 90 days

• Start with your route, not the policy
• Your cover must match the period you apply for
• Eligibility, and parents arranging cover

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

View this guide→

Visa and residency

Non-Lucrative Visa health insurance

What NLV health cover is usually expected to show, and how to avoid the insurance problems that hold applications up. Written for applicants and their advisers in clear English.

Best forNon-EU applicants preparing a Non-Lucrative Visa application

• Start with your route, not the policy
• What NLV cover is usually expected to show
• Suitable, accepted, and approved are not the same

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

View this guide→

Visa and residency

Digital Nomad Visa health insurance

How DNV health cover works for employees and self-employed applicants, what the visa is usually expected to show, and where Spanish Social Security fits in. Plain English, no jargon.

Best forRemote employees and self-employed people applying for the DNV

• Start with your route, not the policy
• What DNV cover is usually expected to show
• Suitable, accepted, and approved are not the same

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

View this guide→

Visa and residency

Family reunification health insurance

Bringing family to Spain raises separate questions for each person. This guide sets out when private cover is — and is not — needed, and what a policy usually has to show when it is.

Best forResidents sponsoring a spouse, partner, child or dependent relative

• Start with the reunification route, not the policy
• Four separate things to get right
• When private cover is — and is not — needed

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

View this guide→

Visa and residency

Complete visa decision guide

A cross-route decision guide: the main Spanish visa and residence routes side by side, how recognised entitlement compares with private cover, and how to find the right dedicated guide. Download it straight away.

Best forAnyone not yet sure which visa or residence route applies

• Different routes, different rules
• The main routes, side by side
• Recognised entitlement vs private cover

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

Download free PDF→

Choosing and using health insurance

Understanding the product, and getting the details right.

Choosing and using health insurance

Sanitas Residents product guide

A straight explanation of what Sanitas Residents is, who it suits, and the product facts you can rely on — so you can set the cover up correctly and know when to ask before you buy.

Best forPeople moving to, or living in, Spain who want private cover

• What Sanitas Residents is, and who it suits
• The product facts you can rely on
• Suitable, accepted, and approved are not the same

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

View this guide→

Choosing and using health insurance

Insurance mistakes to avoid

The avoidable insurance errors that delay Spanish visa and residency applications — and how to get it right. A short, practical read you can download straight away.

Best forAnyone starting a Spanish visa or residency application

• Choosing a policy before your route
• Getting the wrong type of cover
• Dates and names that don’t line up

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

Download free PDF→

Choosing and using health insurance

Sanitas Residents Platinum guide

The premium tier of Sanitas Residents — reimbursing 90% of eligible medical costs up to €500,000 per person per year. Decide whether the extra cover is right for you.

Best forPeople weighing the premium tier of Sanitas Residents

• What Residents Platinum adds over standard Residents
• The 90% · €500,000 reimbursement facts
• The Visado version, and who it suits

8-page PDFLast reviewed 5 September 2026

View this guide→

Choosing and using health insurance

Which Sanitas policy is right for you?

A plain-English decision guide to the Sanitas products for foreign residents in Spain — so you can match the cover to your situation, not to a price tag.

Best forAnyone unsure which Sanitas product fits

• The main Sanitas products at a glance
• How to match cover to your situation
• Common mismatches to avoid

8-page PDFLast reviewed 5 September 2026

Download free PDF→

Choosing and using health insurance

Sanitas add-ons guide

The optional extras you can add to a Sanitas individual or self-employed plan — what each one does, and how to decide whether it is worth it.

Best forPeople choosing optional extras for a Sanitas plan

• Which optional add-ons Sanitas offers
• What each add-on actually does
• How to decide what is worth it

8-page PDFLast reviewed 5 September 2026

Download free PDF→

Moving to Spain

The bigger picture before you choose a cover route.

Moving to Spain

Moving to Spain: health-cover decision guide

Start with your position, not your nationality. This guide keeps the four kinds of cover apart, explains the public-healthcare routes in plain English, and shows where private cover fits. Free to download.

Best forAnyone planning a move to Spain

• Start with your position, not your nationality
• Which position fits you?
• Four kinds of cover — kept apart

8-page PDFLast reviewed 3 September 2026

Download free PDF→

These guides are informational and do not replace personal advice. Acceptance, cover, prices and requirements depend on your circumstances and the insurer’s current terms.