Health Insurance for Your Spain Residency Application: Which Policy to Choose and What It Costs

What Kind of Health Insurance You Need for a Residency Application

For a Spanish residency application you need more than travel insurance — you need a full private seguro de salud (health insurance policy) with coverage inside Spain. It should include:

• primary care;
• specialist consultations;
• lab tests and diagnostic imaging;
• emergency care;
• surgery and hospitalization.

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in Spain

The most common question is what a residency-compliant policy actually costs. The exact premium is always calculated individually — age, province, insurer, and family composition all matter — but here are working ballpark figures for 2026:

Payment is usually monthly or quarterly — you generally don't need to pay a full year upfront. Private health insurance in Spain also tends to run cheaper than in much of Western Europe: full coverage with hospitalization for an adult typically costs somewhere in the range of €50–70 a month, though this varies by profile.

Comparing Spain's Health Insurers: DKV, Sanitas, Adeslas, and ASISA

These are the four insurers we work with most often. On the surface the plans look similar — doctors, lab tests, hospitalization, an app — but price, the medical network, how easy it is to book appointments, and language support all vary between them.

DKV Visado — a general-purpose option

A DKV Seguros plan built specifically for foreign nationals applying for a Spanish visa or residency permit. It runs sin copagos and sin carencias, and includes primary care and pediatrics, specialists, diagnostics, emergency care, hospitalization, physiotherapy, dental care, and video consultations. The network is described as more than 51,000 doctors and around 1,000 medical centers. It can be arranged without a Spanish bank account.

Good fit for: most applicants — families with children, anyone who expects to actually use the healthcare system, and anyone who hasn't settled on a city yet. Worth noting: clinic choice is more limited in smaller towns, and DKV runs several different programs — not all of them qualify for a residency application. The published cutoff for this plan is 75; in one case we arranged a policy under this program for a client aged 88. Acceptance and pricing at older ages are not guaranteed and are decided case by case by the insurer, based on age, city, and a health questionnaire.

Sanitas Residents — its own clinics and English-language service

Sanitas's main advantage is its own infrastructure: hospitals, multi-specialty centers, and dental clinics. The Mi Sanitas app is available in English, and you can filter doctors by the language they speak. The network is described as more than 58,000 doctors and 4,500 centers.

Good fit for: applicants settling in a major city who are willing to pay more for convenience. Worth noting: usually the priciest of the four; there are several Sanitas Residents plan versions, and only the one without copagos and carencias — with a residency-application certificate — is suitable for your filing.

Adeslas — a large network at a reasonable price

More than 50,000 specialists, 1,400 medical centers, and 200+ partner hospitals. Residency-visa plans run without co-pays or waiting periods, and include hospitalization and travel assistance. Pricing sits in the mid or affordable range, and is often particularly competitive for younger applicants.

Good fit for: applicants who want a wide network at a reasonable price and don't need English-language support as a priority. Worth noting: enrollment cuts off at 70, and the specific plan's terms should be checked before payment.

ASISA Health Residents — the budget option

A plan built for immigration procedures: no co-pays, no waiting periods, 24/7 emergency care, video consultations, and repatriation. It can be arranged remotely before you arrive in Spain.

Good fit for: applicants for whom price is the deciding factor. Worth noting: always check the doctor network against your actual future address — that's the main risk with budget plans.

A Closer Look: DKV Selección vs. ASISA Health Residents

To keep the comparison concrete, here are two plans we regularly arrange for clients, based on their official terms. Both are "residency-visa" plans — sin copagos, sin carencias — and both qualify for the non-lucrative visa, Digital Nomad, Startup, investor, and EU-family-member applications.

Notice how much the details differ under what looks like the same label — "a residency policy with no co-pays or waiting periods." DKV Selección has no age limit, but it doesn't operate in every province — if your city isn't on the list, you'll need a different plan. ASISA covers all of Spain and allows up to 10 people on one policy, but only up to age 70. Neither covers pre-existing conditions disclosed at enrollment, and an inaccurate health questionnaire gives the insurer grounds to cancel the contract.

Why You Shouldn't Choose Based on Price Alone

If several plans qualify for your application, it's tempting to pick the cheapest one. But once you've moved, the difference becomes obvious: one insurer might have several clinics near your home and 24/7 emergency care; with another, the nearest specialist you actually need is in the next town over. One lets you book through an app; another means a phone call to the clinic in Spanish.

So before we arrange a policy, we always check:

• the medical network in your specific city;
• whether hospitals and emergency care are nearby;
• how good the app is and what language support is available;
• age limits and exclusions for pre-existing conditions;
• refund terms if the residency application is denied;
• the renewal price for year two — it can differ from the first-year price.

The number of doctors quoted in an ad doesn't tell you much on its own. What matters is whether there's a suitable clinic near your future address. The right order to decide in: city and medical network first, then the policy terms, and only then price.

What to Verify Before You Pay

1. A named quote covering 12 months.
2. The certificate for your residency application.
3. Written confirmation of sin copagos — no co-pays.
4. Written confirmation of sin carencias — no waiting periods.
5. Hospitalization included in the coverage.
6. A list of clinics near your address.
7. Exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
8. Refund rules if the residency application is denied.
9. The renewal price for the following year.

How We Help Clients Get Insured

Sourcing insurance is part of our day-to-day residency-support work, and here's why clients go through us instead of applying directly:

• We work with Spain's major insurers — DKV, Sanitas, Adeslas, ASISA, and others. We aren't tied to one company, so we match a plan to your situation rather than "selling whatever's on the shelf."
• We request several named quotes and compare them — on price, network coverage in your city, and renewal terms. You see the full picture, not a single offer.
• We track which plan wording immigration offices currently accept — and how the certificate needs to be worded for your filing. A mismatched insurance certificate is one of the most common, and most avoidable, causes of a document request.
• We've arranged policies for clients from newborns to age 88 — including cases where the standard plans had already "run out": past 70–75, there's almost always a solution, but it takes a targeted search.
• This service is free — you pay only the policy itself, at the insurer's official rate. Our fee is a commission from the insurance company; the price doesn't change for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does health insurance cost in Spain for a residency application?

An adult aged 25–45 runs roughly €600–800 a year; a child, roughly €400–600. Past age 55–60, prices rise and vary a lot between insurers. Payment is usually monthly or quarterly.

Does travel insurance qualify for a residency application?

No. You need a full private health insurance policy with coverage in Spain, without co-pays (sin copagos) or waiting periods (sin carencias), including hospitalization.

Can I buy a policy before I arrive in Spain?

Yes — the residency-visa plans from DKV and ASISA can be arranged remotely; DKV's plan even without a Spanish bank account. The policy and certificate arrive electronically.

I'm over 70 — what are my options?

Standard residency-visa plans from Adeslas and ASISA cut off at 70; DKV Visado and Sanitas at 75. But solutions exist: DKV Selección has no age limit at all, and under DKV Visado we once arranged a policy for a client aged 88 — acceptance at that age is not guaranteed and is decided case by case by the insurer, by age, city, and health questionnaire. Reach out and we'll look into your specific situation.

Do I get a refund if the residency application is denied?

It depends on the insurer and the timing: before the policy takes effect, a refund is usually possible; after, the terms are more limited. We confirm refund rules in writing before payment.