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Spain · visa health insurance

Spain student visa health insurance requirements

By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026

Spain requires private health insurance with an authorized Spain-based insurer, covering 100% of costs with no deductible, copayment, waiting period, or coverage cap, held from one month before your programme starts to 15 days after it ends, at a minimum €30,000. A travel policy or insurance card will not satisfy the consulate.

Visa-ready plans from $721 per adult, billed annually · see your exact price by age.

The rule in writing

“Spain’s student visa requires proof of public or private health insurance contracted with an insurance entity authorized to operate in Spain, covering all risks normally covered for nationals, with no deductible, copayment, waiting period or coverage limit — minimum €30,000, covering from one month before the programme start to 15 days after it ends. Travel insurance is not accepted.”

Official source: Consulate General of Spain in Los Angeles — official student-visa requirements — Last verified:

Spain's student visa rule, line by line

The Consulate General of Spain requires proof of public or private health insurance contracted with an insurer authorized to operate in Spain, covering all the risks normally covered for Spanish nationals, for the entire duration of your student authorization.

Four conditions are non-negotiable: no deductible, no copayment, no waiting period, and no coverage limit. The policy must pay 100% of medical, hospital, and out-of-hospital expenses, with a minimum sum insured of €30,000.

The line most students miss: cover must run from one month before your programme starts to 15 days after it ends, not just the term dates on your acceptance letter. And an insurance card alone is not accepted as proof; the consulate wants the certificate itself. See certificate wording for what that document must say.

Why most student policies fail this rule

University-arranged group schemes are often built for registration, not for the consulate. They satisfy the school's enrollment box but skip the four no's, the €30,000 floor, or the exact date window the consulate checks.

Travel insurance is the second trap. It is priced and underwritten for short trips, sold with exclusions, sub-limits, and waiting periods baked in; the Los Angeles consulate states plainly that travel insurance is not accepted for a student authorization.

Timing catches the rest. A policy that starts on your programme's first day, rather than one month earlier, or ends on your last exam rather than 15 days later, gets rejected on the date line alone; even when every other figure is correct. Read the visa insurance trap guide for the most common rejection patterns.

What we arrange for students

We arrange cover through a Spain-compliant arrangement confirmed by our underwriting partner (confirmed July 2026), sized from US$1,000,000 to US$2,000,000, with same-day cover and no medical exam; built to match the authorization dates your consulate checklist asks for.

A person checks the certificate wording against your consulate's checklist before you buy, because checklists vary by consulate and the Los Angeles version above is not universal. Pre-existing conditions are excluded and treatment inside the US is not covered, so weigh the terms alongside your Spain healthcare system options and run a policy check before relying on any certificate. A 14-day cooling-off period applies if your plans change. Confirm the Spain-compliant arrangement on your quote call before you rely on it.

Honest limits: Cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, including conditions you did not know about. We disclose this before you request a quote. Consulates keep discretion, and requirements can change. We show the published rule and its source; the final decision is the consulate’s.

Cover levels that meet the rule

Benefits are public, and so are the 2026 prices: your exact rate depends on age.

Standard

From $1,133/yearabout $94/mo billed annuallyChildren 0–17: flat $853/yr

Adds everyday outpatient care — GP and specialist visits, prescriptions, and tests — to hospital cover.

  • US$1,000,000 overall plan limit per year
  • GP, specialist, medication & lab tests (US$750 each)
  • Outpatient surgical to US$25,000
  • Semi-private hospital room & board
  • Pre- & post-hospitalisation cover

New applicants up to age 70.

+ everything included — hover to expand

Scope: No dental or wellbeing benefits at this level.

Choose StandardSee your price by age →

Fully Comprehensive

From $1,906/yearabout $159/mo billed annuallyChildren 0–17: flat $1,439/yr

The highest level: full-cover room, uncapped surgeon fees, routine dental, and the largest limits.

  • US$2,000,000 overall plan limit per year
  • Full-cover private room & board
  • Full surgeon, professional & outpatient cover
  • Routine & major dental (after 6-month wait)
  • Wellbeing check-ups & vaccinations to US$500

New applicants up to age 70.

+ everything included — hover to expand

Choose Fully ComprehensiveSee your price by age →

See your exact price by age →

Budget options — limited cover

Essential Health

From $392/yearabout $33/mo billed annually

A budget plan for accident and emergency care in state hospitals only. Not full private health cover.

  • US$100,000 maximum plan limit per year
  • Unforeseen accident & emergency care only

Scope: State hospitals only, accident/emergency only. No outpatient, dental, or wellbeing cover. Not a substitute for full private health insurance on a visa application.

Choose Essential Health →

Major Medical

From $721/yearabout $60/mo billed annually

Hospital-focused cover: inpatient treatment, surgery, and emergencies, worldwide outside the US.

  • US$1,000,000 overall plan limit per year
  • Semi-private hospital room & board
  • Theatre, ICU, and emergency-room cover (full)

Scope: No outpatient, dental, or wellbeing benefits at this level.

Choose Major Medical →
  • Treatment is covered worldwide, excluding the United States.
  • Pre-existing conditions are excluded — including conditions you did not know about.
  • Evacuation & repatriation is an optional benefit that costs an additional premium.
  • Prices are Regency’s 2026 rates for the EU region: per person, per year, billed annually, starting at adult age 18 — your exact price depends on age. Children 0–17 pay a flat rate on every plan.
  • Plans run in 12-month terms and renew at the anniversary; the age limits shown apply to new applicants.

Common questions

Does Spain accept travel insurance for a student visa?

No. The consulate specifically excludes travel insurance and an insurance card alone; you need a private health insurance certificate from an insurer authorized in Spain that meets all four no's and the €30,000 minimum.

How far back must my Spain student insurance start?

Your cover needs to begin one month before your programme's start date and continue until 15 days after it ends, not just the academic term dates on your acceptance letter.

What does the €30,000 minimum actually cover?

It is the minimum sum insured for 100% of medical, hospital, and out-of-hospital expenses, with no deductible, copayment, waiting period, or coverage limit for the full length of your authorization.

Can I use my university's own insurance plan?

Only if it independently satisfies the consulate's wording, dates, and €30,000 floor. Many university plans are built for enrollment, not the visa checklist, so confirm it against your consulate's list before relying on it.

Get a certificate that meets the published rule

Tell us your destination, visa, and who’s moving. Our team reviews it against the current requirement and calls you with a quote — no obligation.

Cover underwritten by Regency Assurance · every rule on this site cited and dated · a person calls back within one business day.

Before you request a quote: cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States, and pre-existing conditions are not covered — including conditions you did not know about. We say this up front so a quote is worth your time.

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