Travel Insurance for Expats in Spain - Spanish Residents Travel Insurance (2024)

Spanish residents are avid travelers— only in 2019, around 4.2 million tourists traveled to other countries from Spain. Even the expats in Spain often travel out, either for business, holidays, or to visit family and friends.

As a result of frequent visits, Spanish residents should make sure to have travel insurance when traveling. While accidents, sickness, loss of items, and other tragedies are far from one’s mind when planning a trip, it’s always best to be prepared for every outcome— this is why travel insurance is a must for every Spanish resident planning a visit abroad.

Please remember that travel insurance is reliable for short trips for purposes such as tourism; for more extended stays, you need valid health insurance for expats in Spain.

Do Spanish Residents Need Travel Insurance?

Spanish residents need travel insurance to protect them from emergencies that may come up during their travels, i.e., medical emergencies, loss of luggage, money loss, etc. Although it is not a legal requirement, it is always advisable to purchase insurance when traveling outside of Spain.

Of course, the requirement to purchase travel insurance varies from the travel destination since some countries have made travel insurance mandatory.

Travel Insurance for Spanish Residents

As a Spanish resident, you can purchase travel health insurance in one of the following ways:

• A local Spanish insurance provider— you can purchase a travel insurance plan from a local private company in Spain. You have the option to choose a provider that specializes in travel insurance.
• A worldwide insurance provider— you can also buy your travel insurance online from an international provider that offers travel insurance plans for international travels from Spain.

If you’re having difficulty choosing an insurance provider for your travels, then comparison marketplaces like Insubuy will provide you with a list of the best travel insurance plans.

Best Travel Insurance for Spanish Residents

Some of the best local travel insurance providers for Spanish residents include the following:

• Sanitas (also known as Bupa internationally).
• Adeslas.
• Asisa.

If you want to go with an international insurance company, you can choose the following that offer travel insurance for Spanish residents:

• Axa.
• GeoBlue.
• Seven Corners.

Types of Travel Insurance for Spanish Residents

Depending on the purpose and the duration of your travel, there are several types of travel insurance you can choose from— the most common being the following:

• Temporary travel insurance— covers your trip only from the date you leave Spain until you return.
• All-year travel insurance— covers any international trip you make from Spain for the whole year.

Not all insurance providers offer the same types of travel insurance policies. For this reason, you can use Insubuy to compare and contrast several insurance plans to see which one you need.

Cost of Travel Insurance for Spanish Residents

The average cost of a basic one-week travel insurance plan for Spanish residents ranges between €65 to €150. However, the cost of travel insurance changes depending on several factors:

• The coverage plan you want, i.e., whether you wish for luggage or cancellation insurance.
• The amount of medical expenses you want to be covered.
• The duration of your trip.
• Your travel destination.
• Any other similar factors.

Can Spanish Residents Use EHIC for Travel Purposes?

The EHIC— the European Health Insurance Card— allows you to get medical treatment while traveling in certain EU countries the same as a national of that country. However, in Spain, you will come across the TSE or ‘Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea’— the Spanish term for the EHIC. Therefore, if you are an expat living in Spain, you will receive this card when registering with Spain’s healthcare system. Afterward, you can travel to other EU/EEA member countries.

However, having an EHIC/TSE does not mean that you are exempt from travel insurance. You are still highly advised to purchase travel insurance before departing since your EHIC/TSE does not cover the following:

• Repatriation
• Lost items and luggage
• Private healthcare

Can Spanish Residents Travel Without Insurance?

If you are a Spanish resident, you technically can travel without travel insurance. However, you are strongly advised to purchase travel insurance before starting your journey— especially if you are traveling to a country that requires all visitors to have travel insurance before entering the country or getting a visa.

See more information on countries that have mandatory travel insurance.

Travel Insurance Advice for Spanish Residents

Before you set out on your travels, it’s important to keep a few things in mind when you purchase travel insurance:

• Check coverage plans carefully. Before buying your travel insurance, you must check what every policy is offering to cover. For example, it’s always advisable to buy a policy that covers medical situations and even repatriation in emergencies. On the other hand, purchasing a health plan that covers cancellation is redundant if you have a refund policy with your travel agency. So, buy an insurance plan that suits your needs.
• Find the best price for you. Don’t be fooled by the insurance plans offering the cheapest options. The cheapest usually means less coverage, and you have to make sure you are not saving on your insurance plan now only to pay huge amounts of money later down the line during your trip. But then again, don’t go overboard buying the most expensive policy because it covers everything. The price and the coverage plan go hand in hand, so buy an insurance plan that covers the areas you need and offers a reasonable price.
• Purchase your insurance before you travel. It’s always advisable to buy your travel insurance at least seven days before you travel or 15 days before your departure date. This way, if a sudden cancellation happens, your insurance will cover you in time; otherwise, there’s a chance your insurance won’t be valid when you need it. However, you do have the option to buy insurance after entering your destination country— which is not preferable since your insurance won’t cover any loss or medical situations that happened during the period you had no insurance.
• Be aware of insurance scams. One of the best ways to avoid insurance scams when you are planning on buying your travel insurance is to do a lot of research. Don’t buy the first insurance policy you see, and if you are using a travel agency, you’re not required to buy from the provider they recommend— especially if you have doubts about your agency. Make sure your insurance provider is legal and operating under the correct rules and regulations; this is particularly important for international insurance plans.

To ensure you are buying from a legitimate provider, use reputable comparison marketplaces like Insubuy to choose your provider and avoid any possible scams.

Benefits of Travel Insurance for Spanish Residents

While travel insurance may not be mandatory, it’s always best to purchase an insurance plan covering your travels as it comes with plenty of benefits:

• Medical expenses and emergencies are covered during the trip.
• Coverage for repatriation costs if necessary.
• Coverage for private healthcare.
• Insurance for your personal belongings and luggage.
• Insurance for cancellation fees.