Looking for pet insurance in Spain for your dog or cat? Sanitas Salud Mascotas helps protect pet owners against unexpected veterinary costs, with 80% reimbursement of eligible treatment costs up to €2,500 per year, free choice of vet, and cover for illness, accidents, emergencies and preventive care. Whether you have moved to Spain with your pet, adopted locally, or simply want peace of mind against rising vet bills, Sanitas pet insurance can help you manage the cost of private veterinary care for your dog or cat.
Sanitas is part of the Bupa group and offers Salud Mascotas — veterinary assistance insurance for companion dogs and cats in Spain. The policy reimburses 80% of eligible veterinary costs up to €2,500/year, with free choice of vet, illness and accident cover, emergencies, hospitalisation, surgery and an annual preventive consultation. Cover applies throughout Spain, with emergency cover in the EU.
Pet insurance for expats
Spain is a pet-friendly country, but veterinary treatment can still become expensive quickly. A routine consultation may be manageable — but unexpected illness, surgery, diagnostic tests, emergency care or hospitalisation can create a much larger bill.
Pet insurance gives owners a way to reduce the financial shock of unexpected veterinary costs. Instead of paying every eligible cost completely out of pocket, you can recover part of the cost through reimbursement, subject to the policy terms and limits.
For expats, pet insurance can be especially useful because you may not yet know which vets are best in your area, how Spanish veterinary pricing works, or what to do if your dog or cat becomes ill outside normal clinic hours.
Product overview
Sanitas Salud Mascotas is Sanitas' veterinary assistance insurance for companion dogs and cats.
It is designed to help cover unexpected veterinary costs caused by illness or accident, while giving you the freedom to choose your own veterinarian. Unlike some fixed-network products, Sanitas describes this as a reimbursement-style pet insurance product with free choice of vet.
The core benefit is simple: you pay the vet, submit the eligible bill, and Sanitas reimburses 80% of covered veterinary expenses up to €2,500 per year — subject to policy terms, limits and exclusions.
Veterinary assistance insurance for companion dogs and cats
You pay the vet, submit the eligible bill, and Sanitas reimburses 80% of covered veterinary expenses up to €2,500 per year — subject to policy terms, limits and exclusions. Cover applies throughout Spain, with emergency cover in the European Union.
What's covered
Sanitas Salud Mascotas is designed to cover veterinary assistance for illness, accident and preventive care. Cover can include:
Sanitas' corporate product information says the policy includes general and specialist consultations, hospitalisation, surgical interventions and specific treatments such as rehabilitation or dental care following an accident. The exact cover, sublimits and exclusions should always be checked in the current policy documents before buying.
Key benefits
Six headline reasons Sanitas Salud Mascotas is the pet insurance we recommend for expats in Spain.
Sanitas Salud Mascotas reimburses 80% of eligible veterinary costs, up to the annual limit of €2,500 per year. A major difference if your pet needs unexpected treatment, tests or surgery.
Sanitas states the policy offers libre elección de veterinario — meaning free choice of veterinarian. Useful if you already have a trusted local vet or want flexibility when travelling within Spain.
The policy is designed to help with veterinary costs arising from illness or accident, giving protection beyond routine care.
Sanitas includes emergency care as part of the pet insurance proposition. Emergency veterinary costs can be some of the most stressful and expensive bills for pet owners.
The policy includes an annual preventive consultation — helping you keep on top of your pet's health before problems become serious.
Sanitas Salud Mascotas is designed for perros y gatos cuya función sea de compañía — companion dogs and cats.
Who it's for
Sanitas Salud Mascotas may be suitable if you own a companion dog or cat in Spain and want help with unexpected veterinary costs. It can be useful for expats who have recently moved to Spain, owners who want to keep using their own trusted vet, people with rescue pets, and anyone who wants financial support if their pet needs emergency treatment, diagnostic tests, surgery or hospitalisation.
It is not designed to replace routine budgeting for everyday pet care, vaccinations, food, grooming or non-covered treatments. It is there to help with eligible veterinary costs when illness, accident or unexpected treatment happens.
Dogs & cats
Dogs in Spain can face a range of common health risks — ticks and parasites, heat-related illness, accidents, digestive issues, injuries, skin conditions and chronic health problems.
Dog insurance can be particularly useful if your dog is active, older, a rescue, or prone to breed-related conditions. Even a single emergency vet visit, diagnostic test or surgical procedure can cost far more than owners expect.
Sanitas Salud Mascotas can help dog owners manage these costs by reimbursing eligible veterinary expenses, subject to policy limits and conditions.
Cats may seem lower-maintenance than dogs, but vet costs can still build quickly. Common issues include urinary problems, dental disease, kidney conditions, digestive problems, injuries, infections and age-related illness.
Cat owners may also face emergency costs if a cat is injured, stops eating, develops breathing issues, or needs diagnostic tests.
Sanitas Salud Mascotas is available for companion cats and can help cover eligible treatment costs through reimbursement.
Cover area
Sanitas states that Sanitas Salud Mascotas provides cover throughout Spain and emergency cover in the European Union (subject to policy terms).
This is helpful for expats who may travel between regions or spend time in different parts of Spain with their pets.
How claims work
Sanitas Salud Mascotas is a reimbursement-style pet insurance policy. The headline reimbursement is 80% up to €2,500 per year, but sublimits and exclusions may apply depending on the treatment. This is different from a direct-payment system where the insurer pays the clinic directly.
You pick your veterinarian — Sanitas Salud Mascotas allows free choice of vet, so you can use your trusted local clinic or any vet in Spain.
Pay the vet directly at the time of treatment. This is a reimbursement-style policy, not direct-pay.
Keep the original invoice and any supporting medical documents — diagnosis, test results, treatment notes.
Submit your claim to Sanitas with the supporting documents through the claim process Sanitas provides.
The insurer reviews the claim against your policy cover, limits and exclusions.
Sanitas reimburses 80% of eligible veterinary costs, up to the annual limit of €2,500/year. Sublimits and exclusions may apply depending on treatment type.
What's NOT covered
Pet insurance is not designed to cover everything. Before buying, check the exclusions carefully. Possible exclusions or limitations may include:
The exact exclusions depend on the policy wording, so do not rely only on the summary.
Health vs liability
Important: pet HEALTH insurance and pet LIABILITY insurance are completely different products. Many owners confuse them.
Helps cover veterinary costs if your dog or cat becomes ill, has an accident or needs emergency treatment. Reimbursement of 80% of eligible costs up to €2,500/year.
What it covers: illness, accident, emergency, hospitalisation, surgery, rehabilitation, dental after accident, annual preventive consultation.
This page is about: pet health insurance for veterinary costs.
Helps cover damage or injury your pet causes to third parties (other people, animals or property) — a legal/financial protection product, not a healthcare product.
What it covers: bites, accidents involving others, property damage, legal defence costs depending on the policy.
This is separate from: dog civil liability insurance. Requirements can depend on national, regional and local interpretation — check current rules in your area.
Liability for dogs
Dog liability insurance requirements in Spain can depend on national rules, regional implementation and local interpretation. Because the legal position has been evolving, dog owners should check the latest rules in their autonomous community and municipality.
Even where liability insurance is not actively checked in every area, it can still be sensible because dog-related claims can be expensive.
Why expats
Pet insurance can be especially useful for expats because:
A good policy helps you avoid making healthcare decisions for your pet based only on cost.
Cost
Pet insurance prices depend on the pet, insurer and policy selected. The final premium may depend on:
Sanitas Salud Mascotas is based around an 80% reimbursement up to €2,500/year — but your exact premium should be confirmed with a personalised quote.
Quote info
To request a pet insurance quote, you may need:
If you have recently moved to Spain with your pet, provide any available veterinary records, vaccination history and passport information.
Pet insurance — more
Related pet insurance guides and product pages. Each one covers a different angle of arranging cover for your dog or cat in Spain.
Common questions about Sanitas pet insurance for dogs and cats in Spain.
Tell us about your dog or cat and we'll help you check whether Sanitas Salud Mascotas is suitable. Confirmed price, English-speaking support, fast response.
Free, no-obligation advice from our English-speaking team. Dogs, cats, multiple pets — we'll talk you through it.