Cover for your villa, apartment, finca, holiday home or rental — all explained in plain English. We arrange seguro de hogar with insurers who understand expat properties, mortgages, and the realities of owning in Spain.
The basics
Spanish home insurance — known as seguro de hogar — covers your property and its contents against damage, theft, liability, and a wide range of other risks. For expats who own property in Spain, the right policy is essential — whether the property is your main home, a holiday home, or a rental investment.
Spanish home insurance broadly divides into two components: buildings cover (seguro de continente), which protects the physical structure of the property, and contents cover (seguro de contenido), which covers the furniture, appliances, and personal belongings inside. Most comprehensive policies include both, though the proportions and limits vary considerably between policies and insurers.
Unlike the UK, where contents and buildings insurance are often sold as completely separate products, Spanish home insurance policies typically combine both in a single policy — though you can often adjust the split of cover between buildings and contents to reflect your property and your circumstances.
Home insurance in Spain is regulated by the Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones (DGSFP) — Spain's insurance and pension regulatory authority. 247 Expat Insurance is a fully registered agent under DGSFP, which means you have the consumer protections that come with dealing with an authorised intermediary.
Cover explained
Cover varies between policies and insurers, but a comprehensive Spanish home insurance policy typically includes the following.
Damage to the physical structure of the property — walls, roof, floors, fixed fixtures, plumbing, and wiring — caused by fire, flood, storms, subsidence, or accidental damage.
Cover for furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, and personal belongings inside the property against theft, fire, water damage, and other insured events.
Covers you as the property owner if a visitor or neighbour suffers injury or damage caused by your property. Includes cover for damage caused to neighbouring properties by water leaks.
24-hour emergency service for urgent situations — burst pipes, boiler breakdowns, electrical faults, locksmith call-outs, and emergency glazing. Especially useful if you are not in Spain year-round.
Legal expenses cover for disputes relating to the property — including rental disputes and neighbourhood conflicts. Increasingly important in areas where okupa (squatter) cases are common.
Depending on the policy: pool cover, garden cover, bicycle theft, accidental damage extensions, jewellery and valuables, and alternative accommodation if the property becomes uninhabitable.
Whatever you own in Spain — from a Costa villa to a city apartment, finca, or holiday home — we arrange home insurance with insurers used to expat property situations.
Standalone villas, plot insurance, pool cover, and high-rebuild-cost properties.
Learn morePiso, ático, and city apartments — contents and any extra structure cover you need.
Learn moreCountry properties, fincas, and rural homes with land — including outbuildings.
Learn moreCover for second homes that sit empty between visits — including unoccupied periods.
Learn moreCover for a UK or EU resident who owns a second Spanish property.
Learn moreLong-term rental cover — structure, contents, and landlord liability for tenants.
Learn moreShort-term let cover for Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo and licensed holiday rentals.
Learn moreBlock / building cover for community of owners — Comunidad de Propietarios policies.
Learn moreWhat we cover
We arrange home insurance for a wide range of property types across Spain. Whatever you own, we can help you find cover that fits.
Full cover for villas, detached houses, and larger rural properties — including pools, outbuildings, and gardens where required. See our villa insurance Spain page.
Cover for apartments, townhouses, and properties within comunidades de propietarios — including contents, personal liability, and legal protection.
Specialist cover for fincas, cortijos, and rural properties across Spain. Cover for more remote properties where standard policies may not apply without endorsements.
Insurance for properties that are unoccupied for extended periods. Standard home insurance policies often exclude or restrict cover for holiday homes — we find policies that cover them correctly. See our holiday home insurance Spain page.
Landlord cover for properties you let out in Spain — including contents cover where furnished, rental income protection where available, and landlord liability. See our landlord insurance Spain page.
Insurance for newly built properties and those undergoing major renovation. Cover can be arranged from exchange or completion, and adapted as building work is completed.
Is this you?
If you own property in Spain in any of the following situations, you need the right home insurance policy — and most likely, one that differs from what a Spanish-only insurer would offer as standard.
Whether you bought before or after Brexit, your property in Spain needs cover from a Spanish-registered insurer. We explain the policy in English and handle renewals on your behalf.
Owning a property you only use for part of the year creates specific insurance challenges. Most standard policies restrict or exclude cover for long-unoccupied properties. We find the right solution.
Spanish mortgage lenders require buildings insurance. Your bank will offer their own product, but you are legally entitled to insure with any DGSFP-registered provider — often at a better price.
Squatter (okupa) cases have become a growing concern for property owners in Spain, particularly for unoccupied properties. Legal expenses cover for okupa situations is increasingly sought by expat owners.
Full-time residents in Spain who rely on their home insurance as their primary protection. We explain exactly what is and is not covered — including what happens in the event of a claim.
Owning rental property in Spain creates specific liabilities. Standard residential policies do not cover rental activity properly. We arrange landlord insurance that covers your actual situation.
Why choose us
Spanish home insurance is not complicated — unless you are trying to arrange it in a language you don't speak, with an insurer that doesn't understand your property situation. We solve both.
Your policy, your documents, your renewal — all handled in English. No Spanish-only policy wording you can't interpret when you need it most.
Fully authorised agent under Spain's insurance regulator. You have the legal protections and accountability that come with dealing with a regulated intermediary.
Holiday homes, fincas, okupa cover, mortgage requirements, comunidad policies — we understand the specific situations expat property owners face in Spain.
Available Monday to Sunday by phone, WhatsApp, and email. If something goes wrong at your Spanish property on a weekend, we are here to help.
We are not your mortgage bank's preferred insurer. We advise on your options and recommend what suits your property — not what earns your bank the most commission.
If you need to make a claim, we help you navigate the process in English — whether it is a burst pipe, storm damage, or a more complex situation.
Watch out for these
A policy designed for a main residence will typically not cover a property left unoccupied for long periods. Similarly, a holiday home policy may not provide adequate liability or contents cover for a full-time residence. Using the wrong type of policy can leave significant gaps in your cover.
When you arrange a Spanish mortgage, your bank will offer — and sometimes push very hard — their own home insurance product. You are legally entitled to use any DGSFP-registered insurer. The bank's policy is often not the best value, and you do not have to accept it.
Spanish home insurance is based on the rebuild cost (valor de reconstrucción), not the market value. Many owners insure for the purchase price or market value instead, which leads to underinsurance. If you make a claim and you are underinsured, the payout will be proportionally reduced.
Okupa (squatter) cases are a genuine risk in Spain — particularly for unoccupied properties. The legal process of recovering a property from squatters can be lengthy and expensive without the right cover. Legal expenses insurance can help cover these costs significantly.
If you own an apartment in a comunidad de propietarios, the community policy typically only covers shared structural elements and common areas. Your personal policy is still needed to cover your individual apartment, contents, and personal liability.
If you let your property out — whether short-term holiday lets or longer-term rentals — a standard residential policy may not cover damage or liability arising from rental activity. Always disclose the property's use honestly when arranging cover.
As a specialist expat insurance agent, we cover all the main insurance needs you may have in Spain — not just one product.
Our English-speaking team will help you find the right policy for your property and situation — whether it's a main residence, holiday home, finca, or rental investment. No jargon, no pressure, no obligation.
Common questions
These are the questions we are asked most often by expats arranging home insurance in Spain. If yours is not listed, call or WhatsApp our team — 7 days a week.
Home insurance is not legally compulsory for all properties in Spain, but it is effectively required in practice in several common situations. If you have a Spanish mortgage, your lender will require buildings insurance as a condition of the loan. Some comunidades de propietarios also require it as a condition of living in the building.
Even where it is not legally required, the risks of owning uninsured property in Spain — particularly for a holiday home or unoccupied property — are significant. Water damage, subsidence, fire, and theft are real risks across Spain.
The cost of home insurance in Spain varies considerably depending on the property type, location, rebuild value, level of contents cover, and whether you include extras like legal expenses, pool cover, or okupa protection. As a general guide, a standard apartment in a coastal area might start from around €150–€300 per year; larger villas or properties with higher rebuild values will cost more.
The best way to get an accurate figure is to request a quote based on your specific property. Our team can advise on rebuild values and appropriate cover levels.
No. A UK home insurance policy covers property in the UK only. For a property you own in Spain, you need a Spanish home insurance policy issued by a DGSFP-registered insurer. This applies whether the property is your main home, a holiday home, or a rental investment.
Yes. Your comunidad de propietarios should hold a communal buildings policy covering shared areas and the overall structure. However, this does not cover your individual apartment, its contents, or your personal civil liability as an owner. You still need your own home insurance policy for these elements.
Check your community policy to understand exactly what it covers, then arrange a personal policy that fills in the gaps. We can advise on this based on your specific community situation.
Okupa refers to squatters — people who occupy a property illegally in Spain. The legal process for recovering a property from squatters can take considerable time and involves legal fees. Okupa or squatter legal cover is a legal expenses policy add-on that helps cover the cost of the legal process required to reclaim your property.
It is particularly relevant for holiday homes and investment properties that may be unoccupied for extended periods. See our dedicated okupa cover page for full details.
No. Spanish law entitles you to arrange home insurance with any DGSFP-registered insurer of your choice, even if you have a mortgage with a Spanish bank. The bank cannot legally force you to take their own insurance product. They may make it feel that way — but it is not a legal requirement to use their provider.
We can often arrange cover that is better suited to your property and your situation than the bank's standard offering, and at a competitive price. Your lender simply needs confirmation that a valid buildings insurance policy is in place.
No — and this is a very common problem for expats who own a holiday property in Spain. Most standard residential policies include an unoccupancy clause that restricts or voids cover after a property has been empty for 30 to 60 days. Holiday home insurance is specifically designed to cover properties that are unoccupied for extended periods.
See our holiday home insurance Spain page for full details on what to look for in a policy and how we can help.
Buildings insurance (seguro de continente) covers the physical structure of the property — walls, roof, floors, fitted fixtures, plumbing, and fixed installations. Contents insurance (seguro de contenido) covers the moveable items inside the property — furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, and personal belongings.
Most comprehensive Spanish home insurance policies bundle both together in a single policy, allowing you to set the insured value for each separately. For a holiday home with minimal furnishings, you might choose a lower contents sum; for a full-time residence or furnished rental, a higher contents figure may be appropriate.
Regional home insurance guides for Spain’s established expat property markets and the buying process.
Costa del Sol property — Marbella, Málaga city, Estepona, Mijas.
Mar Menor and Murcia property considerations.
Costa Brava and Catalonia property — CatSalut region.
Insurance considerations as you buy — mortgage requirement, exchange-to-completion gap, day-one cover.
