Spain Student Visa Insurance Requirements: The Full 2026 Checklist

The official reviewing a Type D student visa application looks for four specific things: that the insurer is authorized to operate in Spain, that coverage is equivalent to the public healthcare system's service portfolio, that the policy has no copays and no waiting periods, and that it includes medical repatriation. If the certificate doesn't expressly mention any of these points, the application can be sent back for correction even if the insurance actually complies. That's why this policy's official certificate details all of them, point by point, and is issued in under 24 hours guaranteed, in Spanish or English depending on what your consulate asks for. The same document later works for university enrollment and, year after year, for renewing your TIE, so you don't have to switch policies partway through your studies.

No, if you hold a valid European Health Insurance Card, an Erasmus stay normally doesn't require private insurance: that's the key difference from non-EU students, for whom a policy with no copays and no waiting periods is a mandatory requirement of the visa and of every TIE renewal. That said, at our office we see quite a few European students who take it out by their own choice, because the European card gives you access to public healthcare with its waiting lists, while private insurance adds direct access to specialists, 24-hour video consultations, and no queues for emergencies. There are also gray areas, such as stays that span several academic years or combine studies and internships, where it's worth checking exactly what your card covers. Write to us with your situation and we'll confirm for free whether you need it or not.

Remote sign-up is the normal case, not the exception: the consulate requires the insurance before granting your visa, so almost all our students take out the policy from their home country, by email and video call, in Spanish or English. One detail that saves money: the policy is issued with an effective date of your arrival in Spain, so you don't pay for weeks of coverage you won't use while waiting for your consulate appointment. The official certificate arrives as a PDF in under 24 hours guaranteed, ready to attach to your application, and if your consulate requires the English version or proof of the annual premium paid, we prepare that too. It's often the parents who handle the process from the home country; we're happy to talk to them by WhatsApp or video call.

The most common bottleneck we see at the office isn't the initial visa, it's the renewal: the Immigration Office appointment arrives and the student discovers last year's certificate no longer works, because you have to prove the policy is still in force under the same conditions (no copays, no waiting periods, full coverage). Our system for avoiding this is simple: we track every policy's expiry date, notify you in advance, renew for the following academic year, and issue the updated certificate in under 24 hours guaranteed. What matters is that coverage stays continuous, without a single day's gap between one academic year and the next, because that continuity is exactly what the official checks. It's the practical advantage of having an office behind you instead of insurance bought online: someone remembers your renewal for you.

For non-professional university sports, yes: an injury playing on campus or training at the gym is covered just like any other medical care, with specialists, tests, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, 24-hour emergencies, and hospitalization with no limit on days if needed, all with no copays. The same applies to curricular internships at a company, even in another city, because coverage is nationwide and doesn't depend on where you study. The two exceptions worth knowing before signing up: federated competition and high-risk sports have specific conditions, since a federation license usually comes with its own mandatory sports insurance. If you compete at federation level or practice a high-risk activity, tell us before signing and we'll tell you exactly what's covered by the policy and what falls under your federation's insurance.

Yes, and it's the most common case: in most student visa applications we handle, it's the parents who take out and pay for the policy, from their home country, before the student travels. The whole process is handled by phone, WhatsApp, or video call, in Spanish or English: we explain the coverage, the consulate's specific requirements, and answer their questions just as if they'd come to our Majadahonda office. On the policy we list both the student and the family as contacts, so important notices — the annual renewal, the certificate for the TIE, any pending paperwork — reach both at once. For many families, that's the real reason to take out insurance with us: knowing there's a physical office in Madrid, with real people, keeping an eye on their child thousands of miles away.

The International Students young-rate plan is available up to age 29, with a reference premium of €58.50/month under the policy's terms. This age limit matters because many master's, PhD, and postdoctoral programs include students over 25, and it's precisely that age bracket that benefits most from the young rate compared to Sanitas's general pricing. The "from €42.65/month" price shown on this page is indicative and varies according to your exact age within that range, your postal code of residence in Spain, and whether you're traveling alone or with family members who also need insurance. To get your exact figure before booking your place or applying for the visa, use the calculator on this page: it doesn't ask for any personal data and gives you the real price in under a minute.

For the initial visa, the premium is paid annually, just as most consulates and Immigration Offices require for other residency insurance: they want to see the full first year's coverage secured, not just the first month. This means that when you submit your application, you'll have to pay the full annual premium in one go, although the monthly price shown in the calculator helps you estimate that total figure. From the following year's renewal onward, if your specific process no longer requires the annual premium paid in advance — for example, if you already hold the TIE and are only renewing health coverage — you can ask the office about switching to monthly or quarterly installments, which we do offer for renewals. Ask us about your specific case before the first sign-up so you can plan the initial outlay.

The official certificate for the consulate and university is issued in Spanish or English as needed, at no extra cost for choosing one language or the other and without delaying the under-24-hours-guaranteed issuance time. This is especially useful if your university requires documentation in English for the admissions process while your home country's consulate asks for the Spanish version, or vice versa: we can issue both versions if you need them. Beyond documentation, day-to-day sign-up, medical questions, and support for your parents or guardians are also handled in both languages, by phone, WhatsApp, or video call, so the whole family can follow the process without depending on the student to translate every step.

Yes. Coverage is valid across the whole of Spanish territory, not just the city where your university or initial address is, so you can do curricular internships in another province, move to a different residence partway through the academic year, or travel within the country on weekends and holidays without losing medical coverage at any point or having to notify the insurer. This includes access to consultations, specialists, emergencies, and hospitalization within the Sanitas network of whichever area you're in, not only your original city within Spain. It's one of the most common questions among students doing a semester-long internship in another region or combining studies with travel around the country: within national territory, coverage follows you wherever you are.

The policy renews every academic year, not all at once for the whole degree, because that's also how TIE renewal itself works, which happens annually for as long as your stay as a student lasts. The office tracks when your policy is due to expire and notifies you far enough in advance so that the insurance renewal and your TIE renewal appointment at the Immigration Office don't overlap or leave you without valid coverage for even a single day, which could put your residency status at risk. When you renew, we also issue the updated certificate you'll need for the appointment, and we reapply the young rate if you're still within the age range. If your degree lasts several years, this process repeats year after year until you finish your studies.