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Health Insurance for Spain & the USA

Living in Spain with real ties to the United States? Sanitas Residents Platinum gives you comprehensive private healthcare in Spain, plus three distinct benefits for life across the Atlantic — a dedicated USA Cover benefit, 90% worldwide reimbursement, and emergency cover abroad. We help you get the Spanish and US sides right, in plain English.

Spanish plan for life in SpainUS trips are plan-specificWe cover both Spain and the USEnglish-speaking specialists
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Spain & USA CoverBuyer guide
ForAmericans in/moving to Spain
Spanish planHealthcare in Spain
USA coverPlan-specific
Cover in SpainCheck US cover separately
We help withPlan choice + quote
Get a Quote →
✓ Spanish plan for life in Spain
✓ US trips are plan-specific
✓ We cover both Spain and the US
✓ English-speaking specialists

Overview

Health Insurance Across Spain and the USA

We do not handle visa applications or give immigration legal advice. We are English-speaking Sanitas health insurance specialists who help you arrange the private health insurance many Spanish visa and residency routes require — suitable policy options, certificate wording, start dates and personalised quotes. Visa rules vary by consulate and change over time, so always confirm the full immigration requirements with the relevant Spanish consulate, an Extranjería office or a qualified immigration specialist.
Quick answer

For US citizens living between Spain and the USA, a Spanish private health insurance plan is designed for your healthcare in Spain. What it does back in the USA is plan-specific and governed by the policy terms, so it is worth checking those terms rather than assuming US treatment is covered. We help you arrange a suitable Spanish plan and understand the US side.

Americans who move to Spain, or split their time between the two countries, usually rely on a Spanish plan for care here, with the US side handled separately. The sections below explain what a Spanish plan does and does not do for US trips, how it works for retirees, and what to check on your policy before you travel.

One quick point on who decides what: whether you qualify for a Spanish residence route is for the Spanish authorities; whether a particular plan and certificate suit that route is what we advise on; and whether Sanitas can offer you cover, and on what terms, is the insurer’s decision.

Spanish plan

The Spanish Side: a Plan for Healthcare in Spain

A Spanish private health insurance plan — such as Sanitas Residents or Residents Platinum — is built around healthcare in Spain: the medical network, ongoing private care, and the certificate many visa and residency routes expect. It is an annual policy for living in Spain, not a global travel product. For US citizens this is the foundation, and for visa applicants it is usually the piece the route requires. See visa-compliant cover.

USA side

The US Side: What a Spanish Plan Does Back Home

Platinum cover in the United States and abroad

Sanitas Residents Platinum covers healthcare abroad in three distinct ways. USA Cover is a dedicated benefit for eligible treatment in the United States, with its own authorisation, network and limits. Worldwide reimbursement pays back 90% of eligible costs, up to €500,000 per insured person per year, subject to terms and sub-limits. Emergency healthcare abroad covers urgent care while travelling, up to €30,000 per insured person per year. Read more: Sanitas Medical Cover in the USA →

What your Spanish plan does when you are back in the USA is plan-specific and set by the policy terms. Some plans or add-ons may include limited international or reimbursement elements; a standard Spain-focused plan is not designed to act as US health insurance. US healthcare can be very expensive, so this is the part to plan deliberately: never assume US treatment is covered.

Do not treat a Spanish residence plan as US cover. If you spend meaningful time in the States, confirm exactly what your plan does there, and arrange dedicated cover for US trips where needed.

Medicare

Where Medicare Fits (Briefly, Healthcare in Spain)

Many American movers ask how US Medicare interacts with living in Spain. In short, US Medicare generally does not pay for routine care received in Spain, so it does not replace a Spanish plan for your healthcare here. The detailed Medicare rules — keeping Part B, Advantage and Medigap abroad — are a US decision to check with the US authorities. We cover what this means for your cover in Spain on our dedicated keep US health insurance when moving to Spain page and point you to the official US sources for the US decision.

Two policies

One Plan or Two? Spain and the USA

Whether you need one plan or two depends on how much time you spend in each country and where. If you are mostly in Spain with occasional US trips, a Spanish plan plus trip cover for the States usually works. If you split the year more evenly, an international-style arrangement may fit better. There is no single right answer — it depends on your pattern, which we help you map. See keep US insurance when moving.

Visa

Visa Applicants: What the Route Needs

If you are moving on a visa, the Spanish plan is usually the piece the route requires, and different routes have different expectations. For the Non-Lucrative Visa private cover is commonly part of the file; for the Digital Nomad Visa there is also a Social-Security route where you are covered publicly. A plan being comprehensive does not guarantee any office accepts a specific certificate — acceptance is case by case, and the visa decision rests with the Spanish authorities. See private insurance or Social Security.

Retirees

American Retirees Moving to Spain

For retirees, the picture usually combines a Spanish plan for healthcare here with careful thought about the US side and about age. Plans have contracting-age rules — see Sanitas Residents Platinum for Americans for the Platinum age position — and it is worth comparing options rather than assuming. We help retired couples get a coordinated, realistic arrangement. See retiree health insurance and cover over 60.

Underwriting

Acceptance and Pre-existing Conditions

Whether Sanitas accepts you, and on what terms, is decided by the insurer’s underwriting — separate from visa eligibility and from plan suitability. Age and medical history can affect the outcome. We do not promise acceptance; we help you present your situation accurately. Declare any pre-existing conditions honestly to protect your cover.

Table

Spain vs USA: How the Two Sides Compare

Spain (your Spanish plan)USA (back home)
PurposeHealthcare where you liveTrips / time in the States
How cover worksDirect medical networkPlan-specific; often needs dedicated cover
Visa relevanceUsually neededNot part of the Spanish visa file
Cost of careCovered under the planVery high; confirm cover before travel
What to confirmSuitability + terms at quoteExactly what your plan does in the USA

This is a general guide; the binding detail is always your specific policy’s current terms.

What we can help with

What we can arrange for you

We work with Americans in English: arranging a Spanish plan for your life in Spain, matching it to your visa route where that applies, and setting out plainly what it does and does not do once you are back in the USA, so you can decide whether you need separate US cover. You’ll get a personalised quote rather than a fixed price. Get a quote or contact an adviser.

Next

Getting Your Cover Right

The sensible approach is to get the Spanish foundation right first — a suitable plan for healthcare in Spain, with the certificate if your route needs it — then plan the US side deliberately around how much time you spend there. Tell us where you expect to live and travel, and we’ll explain which Sanitas options may suit your time in Spain and what you should check separately for the United States. Get a quote.

Important information

Important Information

Important: We do not handle visa applications or provide immigration legal advice. Our role is to help English-speaking applicants understand and arrange the Sanitas private health insurance required for many Spanish visa and residency routes, including suitable policy options, certificate wording, start dates and personalised quotes. Visa and residency decisions are made by the Spanish authorities, and applicants should always confirm the full immigration requirements with the relevant Spanish consulate, Extranjería office or a qualified immigration specialist.

Discuss Your Cover in Spain and the USA

Tell us how your time splits between Spain and the USA, your route and your ages, and we will recommend a suitable Spanish plan and explain the US side. We help with the health-insurance part of your application. Acceptance and exact policy terms depend on the insurer’s rules; visa decisions rest with the Spanish authorities.

  • English-speaking Sanitas specialists
  • Cover matched to your route
  • Couples, families & retirees
  • Personalised quote, no obligation

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English-speaking Sanitas specialists can help with the health-insurance part of your visa or residency application.

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FAQs

Health Insurance for Spain and the USA — FAQs

Common questions about health insurance for Americans living between Spain and the USA. Always confirm current rules with the official authorities or a qualified immigration specialist.

It is plan-specific. A Spanish residence plan is built around healthcare in Spain; any US cover is governed by the policy terms. US healthcare is very expensive, so never assume US treatment is covered.
It depends on how your time splits. Mostly in Spain with occasional US trips usually means a Spanish plan plus trip cover; a more even split may suit international-style cover. We help you decide.
Generally no — US Medicare does not usually pay for routine care in Spain, so it does not replace a Spanish plan here. Check the US-side Medicare rules with the US authorities.
It depends on your route, age and needs. US applicants often compare Sanitas Residents and Residents Platinum; we help you choose rather than assume one is best.
It depends on the route. For the NLV private cover is commonly part of the file; for the DNV there is also a Social-Security route. See our public-vs-private page.
A comprehensive plan does not guarantee any specific office accepts a specific certificate — acceptance is case by case, and the visa decision rests with the Spanish authorities.
Combine a Spanish plan for healthcare here with careful thought about the US side and about contracting-age rules. We help retired couples coordinate a realistic arrangement.
Some people do, for time in the States. Whether it helps you in Spain is limited. See our keep-US-insurance page for the picture on healthcare in Spain.
No — it is a residence plan for Spain. For US trips you usually need dedicated cover; we explain what your plan does and does not do.
They can — acceptance and terms are decided by the insurer’s underwriting. Declare conditions honestly; we help you present your case.

Related Visa & Insurance Guides

For US Applicants

Residents Platinum for AmericansKeep US Insurance When MovingHealth Insurance for AmericansPrivate Insurance or Social SecurityRetiree Health Insurance

Plans & Routes

Sanitas ResidentsResidents PlatinumNLV Health InsuranceDNV Health InsuranceVisa-Compliant Cover

Plans & Quote

Sanitas ResidentsResidents PlatinumResidents vs PlatinumGet a Sanitas QuoteContact an Adviser