Choosing Health Insurance
for Your Spain Student Visa
There is no official list of approved insurers — the consulate checks whether your policy meets the requirements. Find the route that fits your situation, see what every policy must meet, and check any policy before you buy.
✓ Reviewed by Platinum Legal Spain — Spanish immigration specialists
Which Health Insurance Fits Your Situation?
Every option has to meet the same visa criteria. What differs is the cover you can take out and where to request it.
Studying, aged 35 or under
Request a student health insurance quote, and your eligibility is confirmed with your personalised quote. Get My Student Health Insurance Quote.
Over 35
There is no maximum age for the student visa, but student policies have age limits. Health insurance over 35.
Bringing a partner or children
Each family member must have suitable cover in their own name, assessed individually. Health insurance for your family.
Working while you study
If you work under art. 57 and are registered with Social Security, that registration meets the insurance requirement (art. 57.5).
Extending your stay
Your insurance is checked again when you extend, and cover must continue with no gap. Health insurance for an extension.
Not sure which applies?
Request your quote and your age, course and stay are assessed. Your available policy duration and eligibility will be confirmed with your personalised quote.
What Spain Requires From Student Visa Health Insurance
Spain's immigration regulation (Real Decreto 1155/2024, article 35(i)) requires student visa applicants to hold health insurance, and the Ministry's criteria set out what that policy must look like.
The policy must
- Be issued by an insurer authorised to operate in Spain
- Give full cover comparable to the Spanish public system's common basic portfolio of services
- Have no co-payments
- Not be reimbursement-only
- Have no waiting periods
- Be valid for the whole of your stay
Points that often cause confusion
- €30,000 minimum: the Ministry’s criteria require at least €30,000 where a policy caps its cover at a fixed amount. Some consulates, notably in the US (Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco), also list it — check your own consulate's list.
- No approved list: there is no official government list of insurers. The consulate checks the policy, not the brand.
- Working students: a student working under article 57 and registered with Social Security meets the insurance requirement through that registration (article 57.5).
What to Check in Any Student Health Insurance Policy
Use this checklist for any policy you are considering, whoever sells it. Read the policy conditions and the certificate, not just the sales summary.
Authorised insurer
The insurer must be authorised to operate in Spain. A home-country policy or a travel insurance product will not normally meet the requirement.
Full cover
Cover comparable to the Spanish public system's common basic portfolio: primary care, specialists, diagnostics, emergencies, hospitalisation and surgery.
No co-payments
No fee per visit, test or treatment. Check the policy conditions, not just the plan name — many policies are sold in versions with and without co-payments. What no copay means.
Not reimbursement-only
A policy that only pays you back after you have paid a doctor yourself does not meet the criteria.
No waiting periods
Cover must apply from the policy start date, with no waiting period (carencia) before you can use it.
Dates covering your stay
The policy must be valid for the whole stay you are applying for. Check the start date fits your arrival and the end date covers your course.
Certificate
You need an insurance certificate for your visa file. Check it shows your name, the policy dates, and confirms full cover without co-payments or waiting periods.
Exclusions
Every policy has exclusions, such as some types of accident, pregnancy-related care or pre-existing conditions. Read them in the policy conditions before you buy.
Age limits
Some student policies set an age limit for taking out cover. Check it before you apply.
Over 35?
Applicants over 35 need a different policy that still meets the visa criteria. See health insurance over 35.
Family members
Each partner or child joining you must have suitable cover in their own name that meets the visa criteria. Do not assume a student product's terms apply to them. Health insurance for your family.
Where you will live
Premiums can depend on your province. This referral service cannot currently arrange cover for applicants living in Navarra or Cantabria.
Useful, but not required for the visa
- English-speaking customer service
- A good clinic and hospital network near your study city
- Video consultation or an online doctor service
- Dental cover
- Mental health support
How Your Health Insurance Enquiry Works
Insurance enquiries are referred to Spanish Health Insurance. Cover, eligibility and policy terms are confirmed by the insurance team before purchase. You can request an insurance quote without using our visa assistance, and use our visa assistance without buying insurance.
What happens next
Spanish Health Insurance reviews your circumstances. Available cover is subject to eligibility, any required underwriting and confirmation in the quote and policy documents. Your available policy duration and eligibility will be confirmed with your personalised quote.
Before you buy
The premium is set individually and depends on factors such as age, province and policy duration. Read the policy conditions, exclusions and certificate, and check them against every point on this page.
Coming with a partner or children?
Each family member must have suitable cover in their own name that meets the visa criteria. Cover and eligibility are assessed for each person. Request Health Cover for Our Family
Over 35? See health insurance over 35.
Insurance enquiries are referred to Spanish Health Insurance. Cover, eligibility and policy terms are confirmed by the insurance team before purchase.