Is health insurance necessary for international students in Spain?

With Spain becoming one of the most prolific countries, especially in Europe, for international students to flock to, there are many things that students need to keep in mind if they want to make the decision to study there. With that being said, one of the main requirements for a student seeking a Spanish visa is to show proof of insurance to receive the visa. Unless the student intends on staying for a temporary period of 90 days or less, in which case any other private or travel insurance would probably suffice. 

Health insurance for europeans

It is not strictly required for European students to have specific Spanish insurance, but they can make additions to their current insurance policies that can provide coverage for specific situations in Spain. Students from other European countries can rest easy knowing that their European Health Insurance Card will be able to cover many things in Spain. That means that any free things included in a student's current insurance will cross over to Spain. However, anything that the insurance does not cover must be paid out of pocket. It is recommended to take out a student insurance policy for Spain in order to get money back for unwanted expenses for public healthcare facilities. 

Requirements for student insurance in Spain

While the requirements vary based on different countries, there are still some general requirements that most countries have in common when taking out student insurance for Spain. First, it must be valid for the entirety of the stay, it must have no co-pays, cover hospitals fully, and repatriate in case of an injury. It is also important to choose insurance that has coverage all over Spain and packages that include coverage all over the country. Luckily, getting good insurance means better coverage and better professionals available to treat the student in case of any kind of emergency. 

Private insurance in Spain

Private insurances have their own requirements that may not be applicable to Spanish insurance but are still available all over the country and may be just as good, if not better, depending on the insurance chosen. It is also important to note that certain private insurance is not accepted by the Spanish consular offices. Students who are looking for private health insurance would be wise to get started sooner than later in the hunt for the proper insurance. 

General pricing of private insurance

Speaking in the most general terms, most plans cost around 45-55 euros a month, with dental often being an additional, but not necessary, fee. A good health insurance that has great coverage and will allow any student to rest easy is Caser’s Adapta+Dental, which is a plan that covers everything in full and is surely valid for obtaining a visa. This plan has no co-pay and allows for students to have the best and fullest ability to insure themselves. 

Things to keep in mind

Generally speaking, much of the insurance does not cover dental, ambulance rides, or medical prescriptions. Mental health is also a big question mark with many policies including it, but others do not. Also, any insurance should be able to cover any kind of medical stay, especially since Spanish doctors are legally required to help regardless of insurance or not. They are even more present in college areas or other more densely populated places. Most insurances also cover a lot of other countries as well, making traveling around Europe a very easy trying to do for anyone looking to move around on their international trip. Also, it is important to know that with the pandemic and cases of COVID-19 not going anywhere, many hospitals and insurance policies have specific statements in their plans that accommodate for COVID protection. 

If you dream to study at ESIC, contact us and we will guide you through the whole process. We have personalized help for international students. Get in touch!