Sanitas Health Insurance for a Work Visa in Spain

In this article

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
Issued and signed by Sanitas with everything your consulate or the Immigration Office (Extranjería) requires: under 24 hours guaranteed, and up to 48 h with pre-existing conditions or bank-transfer payment.
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 8 languages
We explain your policy, certificate and application requirements in Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Chinese, 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, ages 14 to 35)
Digital nomad and remote work visa
Family reunification

Complete health coverage

General medicine, specialists and pediatrics with no waiting
Hospitalization and procedures with no limit on days (psychiatric stays up to 50 days a year)
24-hour emergency care across Spain
Diagnostic tests, including high-complexity procedures

Application documentation

Sanitas 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"

Comparison

Visa insurance: why take it out with us

Residents Visado meets what consulates ask for residency: no copays, no waiting periods and full coverage. Taking it out with Oficina Sanitas Majadahonda gives you more: the certificate ready for your application, the same person from our team from start to finish and service in 8 languages for you and your family.

Swipe the table to see all columns

Coverage	Residents Visado with Oficina Sanitas Majadahonda	Standard health insurance	Travel insurance
Valid for the non-lucrative, digital nomad or family reunification visa		Not always
No copays and no waiting periods		Usually not	Not always
Hospital stays and surgery from day one		Usually not	Emergencies only
Repatriation in the event of death		Not always	Usually yes
Valid for renewing your NIE or TIE		Not always
Certificate with everything your consulate asks for	Yes, in under 24 h*	Worth checking
Your consulate's checklist reviewed before you sign up		Usually not	Usually not
The same person looks after you every time		Usually not	Usually not
Service in 8 languages for you and your family		Not always	Not always
Office in Madrid and remote service from your country	Yes, in Majadahonda and remotely	Not always	Usually remote only
Customer rating on Google	5.0 with 430 reviews	Worth checking	Worth checking

*Certificate guaranteed in under 24 h; up to 48 h with pre-existing conditions or payment by bank transfer. Indicative comparison from October 2026 based on public information. Always check the terms of each policy before you sign up. Sanitas is a registered trademark of Sanitas, S.A. de Seguros.

Common questions

Direct answers, the same we give at the office.

I already have annual travel insurance: why won't they accept it?

Because travel insurance (including Schengen insurance) only covers emergencies and limited temporary assistance. That falls short at the root of what the immigration authorities ask for when a residence procedure requires insurance. They ask for a full health policy, equivalent to the public healthcare service portfolio and taken out with an insurer authorized in Spain. It also has to have no copays and no waiting periods. At the office we see this often with people coming to work or start a business in Spain: organized people with a good annual travel policy already paid who assume it will do. It is one of the most common reasons for refusal. The worst part is when you find out: months later, with the fees paid and a negative decision. The only situation where Schengen travel insurance is the right document is a tourist stay of under 90 days. When your work visa asks for health insurance, it has to be a health policy like this one.

What checklist can I use myself to check if my insurance qualifies?

Before submitting anything, go through these six points. With small nuances depending on the country, they are the ones every consulate and immigration office checks: an insurer authorized to operate in Spain, full health coverage throughout Spain, no copays, no waiting periods, repatriation included and the annual premium paid in advance. If your current policy fails on any of them, the application may fail. There is a seventh detail many people overlook. Meeting them is not enough: the certificate must say so expressly, with the wording "no copays and no waiting periods" (sin copagos y sin carencias) that officials look for when they review it. This policy meets all six points and the certificate Sanitas issues mentions them one by one, along with the receipt for the annual premium paid and the policy conditions. And if your consulate has a particular requirement (some ask for the certificate in English), we check it with you against your consulate's list before requesting the certificate.

My consulate appointment is very soon: will I get the certificate in time?

Almost certainly yes: Sanitas issues the certificate in under 24 hours from sign-up (up to 48 hours if there are pre-existing conditions or you pay by bank transfer), and in practice it is often even faster. Antonio (one of our clients) mentions in his Google review that we sent it to him on the spot while he was on the phone with the office. You receive it by email as a PDF signed by Sanitas, with all the statements your consulate or immigration office asks for: full coverage, no copays, no waiting periods and repatriation included. With it comes the receipt for the annual premium paid, which most consulates require as proof of first-year coverage. If your consulate wants it on paper or in English, we handle that too; Sanitas issues it in both languages. One piece of office advice for tight appointment dates: check the certificate's details as soon as you receive it, because any typo is corrected and reissued immediately, but it is better to catch it with time to spare.

How much money should I have ready for the first year?

Plan to pay the full annual premium in one go: the first year cannot be split into instalments, because almost all consulates require proof of the annual premium paid in advance in the initial application. It is not a Sanitas commercial condition but a requirement of the procedure itself (they want to see coverage guaranteed for the full twelve months). The receipt for that annual premium is part of the documents we hand over with the Sanitas certificate. To do the math: Residents Visado costs €1,544.89 a year for a person aged 30 to 34 insured alone in Madrid (Sanitas rates of April 2026). The calculator gives you the figure for your age and province. For renewals we also recommend annual payment, although Residents Visado (the version with no waiting periods usually required for the visa) can be paid half-yearly or annually (not monthly or quarterly). At the office we make the payment schedule clear before you sign up so there are no surprises in your moving budget.

If Immigration ends up rejecting my application, do I lose what I paid for the insurance?

Not necessarily: if your visa is refused and the policy has not yet taken effect, the cancellation and premium refund are handled according to Sanitas's conditions. We deal with the insurer directly on that. It is a very reasonable question when you have just paid a full annual premium in advance for an application whose outcome isn't up to you. It is also where the difference between signing up with a physical office or with an online comparison site shows most: if the application goes wrong, you have a person you know by name who helps you with the cancellation and with reviewing what went wrong. If you decide to apply again, they also help you ask Sanitas for a new certificate, which it issues in under 24 hours (up to 48 hours if there are pre-existing conditions or you pay by bank transfer). Either way, our work goes in the opposite direction: we go through the consulate's list with you before requesting the certificate, precisely so that the application goes in complete and without surprises.

I'm coming with my partner and children: how is insurance for the whole family organized?

The rule the immigration authorities apply is one policy per person: each reunited family member must prove their own insurance with the same requirements as the main applicant (full coverage, no copays, no waiting periods and repatriation included), so a single generic "family" policy will not do. What you can do (and what we do at the office) is enroll the whole family in the same contract. The Sanitas rates have a lower price per person on policies with 2, 3 and 4 or more insured people. Sanitas issues an individual certificate for each member of the application, each in under 24 hours (up to 48 hours if there are pre-existing conditions or you pay by bank transfer). There is an added benefit you will appreciate years later: all the expiry dates are aligned when you sign up together, so we only notify you once before renewing each person's NIE or TIE. Bring us the name, date of birth and passport of each family member and we will prepare a joint quote with the certificates ready.

Which work visas require health insurance, and what is this policy for?

The requirements for each visa are published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on each consulate's website. That is the list that counts. For the work visas under Law 14/2013 (entrepreneurs, highly qualified professionals, researchers and intra-company transfers), its article 62.3 e asks for public insurance or private health insurance arranged with an insurer authorized to operate in Spain. According to the information as of January 2026, consulates also ask for insurance for the self-employed residence and work visa, and sometimes for the visa to look for a job or start a business project. For other work visas, check your consulate's requirements sheet. When the insurance is private, this policy meets what is required: no copays, no waiting periods and full coverage throughout Spain. If you already live in Spain and your route is arraigo (social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar or second chance), you do not have to take out private health insurance: our immigration lawyer confirms it. The international remote work visa (digital nomad) has its own requirements, which we explain in its guide. If you are coming to study, the visa is the student visa and the Sanitas policy is the International Students student insurance (ages 14 to 35). And residence by investment (the Golden Visa) has been abolished: since 3 April 2025 (Organic Law 1/2025) it is no longer granted. Anyone who holds one will have to switch to another of the existing residence permits when it expires. If you are unsure which category applies to you, tell us about your case and we will review the requirements with you before you submit anything.

Is coverage valid across all of Spain, or only where I apply for the visa?

The policy covers the whole of Spain, not just the province where you submitted your application or where your employer is based. You have 24-hour emergency care and hospitalization with no limit on days in whichever region you are in. This has an important practical implication if you are coming to work: if your job takes you to another city, you move for a new contract or you spend periods living in different provinces, you don't need to notify the insurer or take out anything extra. Coverage stays the same anywhere in Spain. As with all Sanitas health insurance, the only thing that changes is the pricing zone used to calculate your premium based on your declared postcode of residence. That affects the price, never the actual coverage you receive if you need to use the insurance.

Do I have to renew the insurance every year even once I have my NIE?

Yes. The policy renews annually. Every time you renew your NIE or TIE you need to submit an updated certificate proving the insurance is still in force on the date of your appointment: the original certificate from when you first applied for the visa is not enough. Many people find this out late, when their renewal appointment is already booked and the certificate they kept has expired. To prevent that, the office keeps track of when each policy is due and gives you enough notice before it expires, so the insurance renewal is completed and the new certificate is ready before your immigration appointment comes round. If you already have a NIE/TIE renewal appointment and you're not sure whether your insurance is still in force, contact the office and we'll check it with you.

How much does insurance for a work visa cost?

Under the Sanitas rates of April 2026 with annual payment, Residents Visado (the version with no copays and no waiting periods usually required for the visa) costs €1,544.89 a year for a person aged 30 to 34 insured alone in Madrid, and €1,562.91 from 35 to 39. The price depends on three things: age, province of residence (the postcode you declare in Spain) and the number of people on the policy, because the price per person goes down on policies with 2, 3 and 4 or more insured people; that matters if your family is coming with you. Each family member needs their own insurance with the same requirements. The premium is confirmed after the health questionnaire. The calculator on this page gives you your figure without asking for any personal data and with no obligation, so you can run the numbers before deciding.

Health insurance for a work visa in Spain