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Related guide: Arraigo in Spain 2025: the five new routes
Arraigo and health insurance, made clear
None of the five routes requires private insurance
The Immigration Regulation approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024 (in force since 20 May 2025) sets out five arraigo routes: social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar and second chance. None of them requires you to take out private health insurance: our immigration lawyer confirms it.
What changes from one route to another are the procedure's own requirements, which are set by the immigration authorities. We explain what sets each route apart in our arraigo 2025 guide, with the official sources from the BOE and the Ministry of Inclusion.
If you would still like private healthcare
We explain the Sanitas options in your language (we work in eight) with their exact price and no obligation. If you decide to sign up, we take care of the insurance side from start to finish. It is your decision: it is not an arraigo requirement.
As there is no requirement to meet, you choose the policy for what suits you: the cover you are looking for, your budget and the way you prefer to pay.
General information, not legal advice. Our immigration lawyer confirms that arraigo does not require private health insurance (October 2026); the requirements of each route are set by the immigration authorities and may change, so it is worth confirming them in the official sources linked at the end.
Common questions
Direct answers, the same we give at the office.
Does any of the five arraigo routes require private health insurance?
No. For arraigo (social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar or second chance) you do not have to take out private health insurance: our immigration lawyer confirms it. What varies between the five routes 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). Those requirements are set by the immigration authorities. For the exact details of your route, check the official website or ask an immigration lawyer before gathering your documents.
I already have travel insurance or a policy with copays: do I have to change it for arraigo?
Not for arraigo: as private health insurance is not required, you do not have to change your insurance to file the application. The cover you want while you live in Spain is another matter: travel insurance mainly covers emergencies and temporary assistance, and with a copay policy you pay part of each consultation or test. If you like, we compare what you have with the Sanitas options, but it is your decision, not an arraigo requirement.
If I want private healthcare while my arraigo is processed, how much does it cost?
It depends on the policy you choose, your age, your postcode and how many people are on it. As a reference, under the Sanitas rates of April 2026 with annual payment, Residents Visado (the version with no copays and no waiting periods) costs €1,544.89 a year for a person aged 30 to 34 insured alone in Madrid. Sanitas Residents (the version with waiting periods) is somewhat cheaper and can be paid monthly or quarterly. As arraigo does not require insurance, you do not have to stick to any particular version. The calculator on this page gives you your figure instantly and without asking for any personal details.
My arraigo is familiar: does each family member need their own insurance?
No: for arraigo familiar, as for the other routes, you do not have to take out private health insurance. If you would still like private healthcare, you can all be on the same policy. With Sanitas Residents and Residents Visado the price per person goes down with two or more insured (a couple aged 30 to 34 in Madrid pays €2,895.55 a year between the two of them for Residents Visado, compared with €1,544.89 for one person alone). We help you choose it, but it is not an arraigo requirement.
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. It also changed the required length of residence and who each one covers. None of the five routes requires you to take out private health insurance, as our immigration lawyer confirms. 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.