Related guide: Arraigo in Spain 2025: the five new routes and the insurance each one requires
What you need to know
The key details explained without fine print, just as we explain them in the office.
Certificate in under 24 hours
An official Sanitas document with every mention your consulate or the Immigration Office (Extranjería) requires, ready in under 24 hours guaranteed.
No copays, no waiting periods
The two most common reasons for rejection are ruled out: full coverage from day one and zero payments per medical visit.
Coverage across all of Spain
Valid nationwide with Sanitas' full network of doctors, equivalent to the service portfolio of the public healthcare system.
Repatriation included
Medical and remains repatriation as required by your visa type, another clause consulates scrutinize closely.
Support in English
We explain your policy, certificate and application requirements in Spanish or English, and review the consulate's checklist together with you.
Renewals without surprises
To renew your NIE or TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) you need to prove continuous insurance. We notify you before it expires and issue the new certificate.
What the policy covers (and what it doesn't)
Indicative coverage based on the general terms. Our office team provides the complete policy terms before you sign anything.
Valid for these procedures
- Non-lucrative residence visa
- Student visa and permit (Type D) (via Sanitas International Students up to age 35)
- Social, work and family roots settlement (arraigo)
- Digital nomad and remote work visa
- Family reunification and Golden Visa
Complete health coverage
- General medicine, specialists and pediatrics with no waiting
- Hospitalization and procedures with no limit on days
- 24-hour emergency care across Spain
- Diagnostic tests, including high-complexity procedures
Application documentation
- Official certificate in Spanish (and in English if required)
- Receipt for the paid annual premium, required by most consulates
- Policy terms with an explicit statement of "no copays and no waiting periods"
Why not just any insurance will do for your visa
It's the costliest mistake we see: submitting travel insurance or a policy with copays, only to be rejected months later. This table sums up what Immigration requires and what each type of insurance actually meets.
Swipe the table to see all columns
| Coverage | Residents Visado | Residents Platinum | Sanitas Students | Standard policy | Travel insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid for residency (non-lucrative, studies, roots settlement…) | Student visas and permits only | Only if it has no copays or waiting periods | |||
| Age limit | Up to 75 years old | Up to 64 years old | Up to 35 years old | Depends on plan | Depends on policy |
| No copays | Usually not | Not applicable | |||
| No waiting periods | Usually not | ||||
| Coverage equivalent to public healthcare | Emergencies and limited assistance only | ||||
| Repatriation included | Depends on policy | ||||
| Free choice of doctors (reimbursement) | Yes (90% reimbursement up to €500,000) | Depends on policy | |||
| Certificate specific to the consulate | Under 24 h | Under 24 h | Under 24 h | Depends on insurer | |
| Valid for renewing NIE/TIE | Yes, for students | Depends on terms |
Indicative comparison prepared in June 2026 based on public information from each entity and general market conditions. Exact coverage and premiums depend on each policy and may vary: always verify current conditions with each insurer. Sanitas is a registered trademark of Sanitas, S.A. de Seguros; all other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Have questions about your situation?
Tell us your case and we'll help you choose the right option for free, no obligation.
Common questions
Direct answers, the same we give at the office.
Does the insurance have different requirements depending on the arraigo route (social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar or second chance)?
No: as far as the health insurance goes, the requirement is identical for the five arraigo routes recognised by RD 1155/2024 since May 2025 — social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar and second chance: a policy with no copays, no waiting periods, full healthcare coverage throughout Spain and repatriation included. This policy meets those conditions equally for all five, so you do not need a different plan depending on the route. What does vary between them are the procedure's own requirements — length of residence, type of employment, family or training link, or whether you come from a previous permit that was not renewed — and that does not depend on the insurance: it is set by the immigration authorities. For the exact details of your route, check the official website before gathering your documents; at the office we handle the insurance side, and for the legal side we always recommend confirming with the official source or an immigration lawyer.
I have travel insurance or a policy with copays: will it be accepted for arraigo?
No. Travel insurance — including Schengen insurance — only covers emergencies and limited temporary assistance, and a policy with copays means you pay for every consultation or test: neither meets what the immigration authorities require for arraigo, which is comprehensive healthcare coverage, equivalent to the public health system's range of services, with no copays and no waiting periods. It is one of the most frequent reasons for refusal we see at the office, and the worst part is when it is discovered: months later, with the fees already paid. The only situation where Schengen travel insurance is the right document is a tourist stay of under 90 days, which has nothing to do with an arraigo application. Before filing, check that your current policy meets these requirements or switch to one that does.
How much does insurance for arraigo cost?
From €67.76/month, with the full annual premium that most procedures of this kind require. The exact price depends on your age, your declared residential postcode and the number of people in the application if you are applying for arraigo familiar together with your partner or children. The calculator on this page gives you your exact figure instantly and without asking for any personal details, so you can work it out before deciding whether to take out the policy.
How quickly do I get the certificate to file with my arraigo application?
In under 24 hours from taking out the policy, guaranteed. We send it to you by email as a PDF signed by Sanitas, stating expressly full coverage, no copays, no waiting periods and repatriation included, which is what is checked when the application documents are reviewed. If your immigration office asks for an additional wording, we go over it with you before issuing the final document, so you do not have to repeat the procedure over a typo or a missing mention.
Do I have to pay the full annual premium or can I pay in instalments?
In the first year, the annual premium is paid in a single payment: it is a requirement of the procedure itself, not a commercial condition of Sanitas, because you must prove full coverage for the twelve months, not just the first month. Together with the certificate we give you the receipt for that paid annual premium, which is usually part of the application documents. From the renewal onwards, if your specific situation no longer requires the annual premium paid in advance, you can ask at the office about switching to monthly or quarterly payments.
My arraigo is familiar: does each member need their own insurance?
Yes, each person included in an arraigo familiar application must prove their own insurance with the same requirements: full coverage, no copays, no waiting periods and repatriation included. A single generic policy for the whole family is not accepted. What we do at the office is enrol all the members in the same contract, applying the multi-insured discount of 5-8% that Sanitas's official prices include depending on the number of people, and we issue an individual official certificate for each of them, in under 24 hours guaranteed. Also, by taking out the policies together, all the expiry dates are aligned for future renewals.
If my arraigo is refused, do I lose what I paid for the insurance?
If the decision is negative and the policy has not yet come into force, the cancellation and refund of the premium are handled in accordance with Sanitas's conditions, and we deal with that procedure with the insurer directly. It is a very reasonable concern when you have paid a full year in advance for an application whose outcome does not depend on you. At the office we review the documents with you before they are filed precisely to minimise that risk, but if the decision is still unfavourable, you do not have to handle the cancellation of the insurance on your own.
Why are there now five arraigo routes and not the three there used to be?
Because Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025, replaced the previous regulation and reorganised arraigo from three routes (social, employment and family) to five: social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar and second chance, with changes to the required length of residence and to who each one covers. For the health insurance you file with the application, the requirement does not change: it is still a policy with no copays, no waiting periods and full coverage, whatever route you apply for. If you want to understand exactly what sets each of the five new routes apart, what changed from the 2011 regulation and who arraigo familiar no longer covers, we have a dedicated guide: Arraigo in Spain 2025: the five new routes, with the official sources from the BOE and the Ministry of Inclusion.