Insurance when moving to Spain: the complete checklist
If you have just arrived in Spain, the order in which you buy your insurance decides whether the NIE, visa and car paperwork runs smoothly or stalls.
1. Health insurance: almost always first
If you are applying for a non-lucrative residence permit or a digital nomad visa, you need private health cover from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments and no waiting periods, equivalent to public healthcare. Many standard commercial policies fail those three requirements, so you have to ask for it explicitly.
If you are employed or a registered self-employed worker, you pay into Social Security and have access to public healthcare. In that case private cover is optional and mostly bought to cut waiting times and choose specialists.
2. Car insurance with a foreign licence
With an EU licence you can drive and insure with no extra paperwork. With a non-EU licence there is a six-month window from becoming resident to exchange it or take the test, and some insurers only quote if you can prove licence seniority.
Keep the claims certificate from your previous country: several Spanish companies accept it and apply your bonus, which can lower the premium noticeably.
3. Home: owner or tenant
If you buy with a mortgage, the bank will require at least fire cover on the building, but you can buy it anywhere. If you rent, the landlord insures the building and what you need is contents and, above all, liability: a water leak into the neighbour's flat is the most common claim in Spanish apartments.
4. Documents you will be asked for
Having these ready speeds up any policy purchase in Spain.
- NIE or passport and, if you already have it, your residence card.
- Spanish bank account (IBAN) for direct debit; some companies accept EU IBANs.
- Address with exact postcode: it determines the rate.
- Driving licence and vehicle registration document for car insurance.
5. Support in your language
In areas with a large international population — the Costa del Sol, Alicante, the Balearics, Madrid and Barcelona — several insurers have English-speaking teams. If you prefer English, say so when requesting quotes and only companies that can serve you in English will contact you.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my travel insurance enough for the visa?
- No. Residence permits require a health policy with no co-payments or waiting periods from an insurer authorised in Spain; travel insurance does not meet that requirement.
- Can I buy cover before I have my NIE?
- For health, many companies issue the policy with a passport, precisely because the certificate is needed for the visa. For car and home they normally require a NIE.