Every time you are boarding a plane after wonderful days spent in Spain you are thinking if you really need to fly back to your country or you could stay longer. If that is the case it probably means that it’s time for you to apply for a residence permit.
The requirements of the Department for Foreign Citizens (Extranjería) to different nationalities vary in this respect. In some cases a private health insurance is compulsory to obtain an official permission to live in Spain. If that is your case and you need to get a private insurance, please take into account that there is a number of requisites to the policy you must present. The most important is that your insurance should provide the coverages similar to the public healthcare system, which means your insurance plan should have no restrictions on emergency medical care and should not imply any extra charges for medical services provided.
Medical insurance for residence permit
Theoretically, it is possible to get a medical insurance for these purposes in your country, however, this solution is far from being optimal. Firstly, the insurance policy to present to Extranjería must be in Spanish, which means it you have contracted it abroad it should be officially translated into Spanish, and it significantly increases your expenses, and secondly, applying for medical assistance via foreign insurer may require getting authorizations outside of Spain, which is extremely inconvenient from a practical point of view. The best option is to contract a health insurance with an insurance company in Spain. Please note that Just Insurance will guide you you on the appropriate coverage and initiate the issuance procedure online.
What does private health insurance cover in Spain?
The medical coverage offered by Spanish insurers is very extensive. The top companies offer a wide list of local private hospitals you may apply to in Spain, as well as a comprehensive list of medical services you may access. The only minor drawback of the first health insurance you contract in Spain is that for some services there are waiting periods, which means that you can only use them several months after your insurance policy goes into effect. The waiting periods and list of these services are specified in the contract. However, a good insurance policy does not imply any restrictions on the emergency medical assistance, which fully complies with the requirements to the insurance for a residence permit.
There are basically 2 types of health insurance solutions offered in Spain:
“Cuadro Médico“, which implies medical assistance in the hospitals collaborating with the insurance company.
Such insurance allows you to be attended by the doctors from a list of collaborating clinics specified by the insurer. Normally, a list of doctors and clinics in breakdown by specialization and region is available on websites of insurance companies. There are 2 options to contract “Cuadro Médico”: with and without co-payments. Please note that if you opt for “Cuadro Médico” to get your residence permit you must contract the policy without co-payments.
“Reembolso“, which implies worldwide medical assistance with a free choice of hospitals
(no matter if the clinic is included in the list of the affiliated network of the insurance company or not) with the reimbursement of medical expenses.
“Reembolso” option is more expensive, but it offers you global worldwide assistance which is really very convenient especially for foreigners: such insurance allows you to be attended in the local hospitals included in “Cuadro Médico” in Spain with 100% cover of medical expenses, as well as in any hospital in in the world with reimbursement of your medical expenses (from 80% to 100%). This means that, being insured as a resident in Spain, you can carry out diagnostics and treatment, for example, in Germany or Israel with your Spanish insurance.
Repatriation insurance
Apart from health insurance in order to obtain a residence permit Extranjería may require an insurance covering the costs of repatriation. Spanish insurance companies have a special product for expats and we may help you to select the one with the best conditions.
It is worth mentioning that if a private health insurance is a requisite for a residence permit in your case, it will be required not only for initial residence but also for renovations of your permit. Therefore, it is important to contact a plan that would meet your personal requirements and ensure your day-to-day comfort.
Applying for health insurance in Spain
Just Insurance will be you guide in the health insurance market and will help you to choose a high quality policy at the best rate that will suit you both in terms of the coverage and the budget. We do not charge extra fees for the selection, issuance and servicing your policy. You can request a quote without any obligation on your part and completely free of charge on our website www.justinsurance.es/en, by e-mail info@justinsurance.es or call us on +34677455883
And, of course, we will continue sharing useful information on various health insurance products on our blog. Subscribe to @justinsurance.es on Facebook and don’t miss anything! Take care of yourself!
