New Expat Insurance Checklist Spain — Your First Year
A practical first-year insurance checklist for new expats settling in Spain. We walk through the 30+ insurance arrangements you typically need to consider over the period from arrival to month 12, in the order they tend to arise. We cover health, home, car, travel, pet, funeral, life, mortgage and the niche covers that come up in normal expat life. Requirements vary by visa, age, region and personal circumstances. We don’t recommend specific insurers on this page; we explain options based on your situation, in plain English, seven days a week.
New to Spain?
Tell us where you are in your move — visa stage, arrival or settled. English-speaking advisers, seven days a week.
Visa-stage health insurance — Spanish DGSFP-regulated, sin copago, sin carencias, annual upfront, repatriation, bilingual EN/ES certificate
Travel insurance for the move — covering the flight, transit period, lost-luggage / cancellation / repatriation
Pet entry preparation — microchip, rabies vaccination 21+ days before travel, Animal Health Certificate / EU Pet Passport
Home contents in transit — international relocation removals insurance (typically arranged with the moving company)
UK / home-country home insurance run-off — arrange end-date or transition to landlord cover if retaining the property
UK / home-country car insurance run-off — if not driving the car to Spain
First 30 days
TIE within 30 days of arrival — the foreigner identity card. Carry passport and your visa-stage health insurance certificate
Empadronamiento at local Ayuntamiento — required for many subsequent steps
Spanish SIM card — emergency contact for insurance claim lines
Spanish bank account — for direct debit of insurance premiums
Activate health insurance certificate locally — register with nearest plan-network doctor
First 90 days
Spanish home insurance — continente + contenido + civil liability for your new property
Spanish car insurance — if you have a Spanish-registered car (Spanish-plated cars must be insured with Spanish authorised insurer)
Driving licence exchange or IDP — depending on country of origin and reciprocity
Local healthcare registration — SNS regional health service if entitled (S1 holders, employees, etc.)
Spanish pet insurance — standard cover and (if applicable) PPP-compliant cover
Tax adviser engagement — before the tax year-end if relevant
First 6 months
Beckham Law election — if DNV or HQP, within 6 months of social security registration
Spanish will preparation — for Spanish assets, with EU Succession Regulation 650/2012 election if relevant
Funeral insurance (Seguro de Decesos) — particularly relevant for older expats
Spanish life insurance — for mortgage holders, families with dependants
Travel insurance for trips outside Spain — annual multi-trip or single-trip as needed
School enrolment and family-related covers — private school fees insurance, family-related
First year
Annual home insurance review — continente rebuild valuation check, scheduled items, claim history
Annual car insurance review — no-claims bonus build-up, vehicle value reassessment
Annual travel insurance arrangement — particularly if international travel is regular
Annual pet insurance renewal
Health insurance renewal review — tier, network, ongoing fit
Spanish income tax declaration — the first one if tax resident
Modelo 720 declaration — foreign assets above thresholds, due before March 31
By visa type
NLV
Health insurance is the central requirement at visa stage. Annual upfront cover, no copago, repatriation. Renewal continuity matters meaningfully for residency.
DNV
Health insurance is central. Beckham Law election within 6 months. Travel insurance important given likely frequent home-country trips.
Student
Health insurance for the visa, plus typical travel cover. Many students also choose Spanish home insurance as renters.
Family Reunification / EU Family Member
Primary applicant’s cover position governs. Dependants may have alternative health insurance arrangements depending on social security entitlement.
HQP / Work / Autónomo
Social security registration usually provides public healthcare access. Private cover often retained as top-up. Spanish car and home insurance as standard.
By life stage
Single professional
Health, home (renter or owner), car, travel. Life insurance optional. Funeral insurance not typically needed yet.
Couple without dependants
Two health policies (or one with two members), home, car(s), travel. Some couples add life insurance for mortgage protection.
Family with children
Family health policy with paediatric cover, home, car(s), travel, family-level travel. Some add private school fees insurance.
Retiree couple
Health with age-band underwriting, home, car(s), travel, funeral (Seguro de Decesos), comprehensive review of UK / home-country pensions and Spanish tax implications.
Niche covers worth knowing
Boat / Jetski insurance — if you own or hire watercraft regularly
Yacht insurance — serious sailors
Cycle insurance — serious road cyclists with valuable bikes
Mobile phone insurance — particularly for expensive Apple devices
Cyber / identity insurance — growing relevance
Business insurance — if running a Spanish business or autónomo activity
PPP dog civil liability insurance — mandatory for Potentially Dangerous Dog owners
Autónomo professional liability — for self-employed professionals
Common mistakes
Using home-country private health insurance for the visa application
Buying cover with copago when sin copago required
Forgetting TIE within 30 days of arrival
Forgetting empadronamiento
Letting visa-stage health insurance lapse before residency renewal
Buying property before living in the area for 6–12 months
Driving a Spanish-plated car on home-country insurance
Continuing to use home-country driving licence beyond IDP validity
Missing the Beckham Law 6-month election window
Not making the EU Succession Regulation 650/2012 election in the Spanish will
Missing Modelo 720 declaration deadlines
Underestimating PPP dog civil liability requirements
Buying property assuming holiday-let income without verifying tourist licence position
Continuing to use UK travel insurance after becoming Spanish resident
Not registering with municipal pet registry post-arrival
Year-One Insurance Help
Walk through your insurance arrangements with our English-speaking advisers, seven days a week.
Spanish-regulated visa-stage health insurance (NLV/DNV/Student), travel insurance for the move, pet entry preparation, removals insurance, home-country run-off arrangements.
How quickly should I sort home insurance?
Within the first 90 days — immediately on moving into your Spanish property (whether rented or owned).
When do I switch to Spanish car insurance?
Once you have a Spanish-registered vehicle — Spanish-plated cars must be insured with a Spanish authorised insurer.
What about my UK home insurance after I move?
End-date the UK policy when you no longer reside there, or transition to landlord cover if retaining the property.
When should I engage a tax adviser?
Before becoming Spanish tax resident (typically before the 183-day mark or the calendar year-end of arrival). For Beckham election within 6 months of social security registration.
Is funeral insurance important?
Particularly relevant for older expats — Spanish funeral procedures are different from many home countries. Funeral insurance (Seguro de Decesos) simplifies for surviving family.
What is Seguro de Decesos?
Spanish funeral insurance covering funeral arrangements, repatriation if required and surviving family support.
Do I need Spanish life insurance?
If you have a Spanish mortgage, often. If you have family dependants, often valuable. Compare independently of any lender’s tied offer.
Should I retain UK / home-country travel insurance?
Generally no — most home-country travel insurance requires residency. Once Spanish resident, switch to Spanish-purchased or expat-broker travel cover.
How long does the first-year setup typically take?
The core insurance arrangements (health, home, car, pet, travel) typically complete within months 1-3. The tax, will and longer-term financial protection arrangements typically complete by month 6-12.
247 Expat Insurance — First-Year Support
English-speaking advisers, seven days a week. Spain +34 868 290 730 / UK +44 203 925 8884 / USA +1 646 222 5288.
Reverse mortgages need a personal consultation. Our specialist team will discuss eligibility, amounts and what suits your situation — in clear English.
