From the Royal Palace and Prado museum in Madrid to the medieval castle and Roman aqueduct in Segovia, Spain offers diversity of geography and cultures throughout the country. This European country shares its border with Portugal and France, and was the second most visited country in the world in 2019, according to the European Union.
Whether you’re making a short visit to the country or planning an extended stay, you may need to consider visa options before jetting off to the country. Spain provides a multitude of visa options for travelers, including the popular Schengen visa that is valid in 26 countries across Europe.
We will break down the most popular types of Spanish visas and what each visa application requires. (Hint! Some of them may require you to purchase a medical travel insurance plan, so we’ll also highlight Spanish visa travel insurance requirements.)
Before jumping into the insurance requirements for Spanish visas, let’s break down two of the most popular types of visas available for visitors to Spain:
Travelers visiting Spain who are NOT citizens of a visa-exempt country will need to apply for a Schengen visa before visiting the country. (Keep in mind, citizens who are from visa-exempt countries will still need to fill out a European Travel and Information Authorization System (ETIAS) Visa Waiver starting in 2023 before entering the country.)
A Schengen visa will give visitors access to Spain and these 25 other Schengen countries too. To apply, you will need to submit:
View your country’s Spanish Consulate website for more information about the application process or visit our Schengen Visa page for more details.
These visas are for those wishing to study abroad in Spain for longer than 90 days. They also include those who are taking part in a student exchange or unpaid internship. Students must fill out the National Visa Application form and provide:
Visit the Spanish Consulate website for your country for more details.
Your home country health insurance may provide limited or no coverage once you leave your home country. If your health insurance doesn’t provide coverage abroad for your trip to Spain, you may be left responsible for any medical expenses you incur from an unexpected injury or illness.
Travel medical insurance is an emergency medical insurance plan you can use to help cover unanticipated medical costs when traveling through Spain. For example, the Atlas Travel plan from WorldTrips covers eligible expenses including:
Your travel medical insurance for a Spain visa may also provide other travel-related benefits, like Trip Interruption, Travel Delay, Lost Checked Luggage, and Crisis Response. It’s important to note that some Spanish visas require travelers to provide proof of valid travel medical insurance that meets Schengen visa requirements in order to apply for a visa. (More on that in the next section.)
You may be googling phrases like “health insurance for Spain visa” or “best travel health insurance for Spain.” Or you may be asking yourself questions like “Do I need travel medical insurance for Spain?” If you plan on entering the country with a Schengen visa or a Spain student visa, the answer is yes! Health insurance is required for these travelers.
Let’s break down the requirements for a valid Schengen visa health insurance plan and valid Spain health insurance for a student visa.
A Schengen visa, sometimes referred to as a Europe visa, allows individuals to travel freely between the 26 participating Schengen Area countries, including Spain. Those traveling between these countries with a Schengen visa can avoid border checks for easy international travel.
Travelers who are not from the eligible Schengen visa-exempt countries must apply for a Schengen visa in order to visit the Schengen Area. One of the main requirements for the application is proof of valid travel medical insurance that meets specific minimum requirements.
The minimum requirements for health insurance for a Schengen visa include:
A travel medical insurance plan like WorldTrips’ Atlas Travel insurance offers the coverage you need for a Schengen visa. It meets Schengen visa insurance requirements and provides you with access to a visa letter you can use as proof of valid insurance when applying for your Schengen visa for Spain.
Health insurance for visitors to Spain, like Atlas Travel, can provide the coverage you need for your visa application.
Medical insurance for international students is required as part of the Spain student visa. Students must provide proof of health insurance from an insurer recognized and authorized to operate in Spain. The plan must also provide coverage for the entire duration of stay.
Those looking for a health insurance for their Spain student visa may want to consider a plan like StudentSecure, a student health insurance plan specifically created for individuals studying abroad. This international student health insurance plan meets or exceeds most government and visa requirements as well as the requirements of many programs and schools.
StudentSecure offers important medical benefits like outpatient prescription drug coverage, mental health coverage, and much more. This policy offers four levels of coverage – Elite, Select, Budget, and Smart – allowing you to select a plan that meets your program requirements, personal needs, and budget.
Before choosing private health insurance for students, make sure you:
Then choose the travel medical insurance for Spain that works best for you!
Travelers visiting Spain must also consider the impact of COVID-19 on the country’s travel restrictions and requirements. You may have typed “travel insurance Spain coronavirus” or “Schengen travel insurance Covid” into a search bar, curious how it has impacted travel to the country and what coverage you might need.
As of October 18, 2022, Spain requires most non-Spaniards and non-EU visitors to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to enter the country. It no longer requires visitors to fill out the previously mandatory health control form.
Though travel insurance or travel medical insurance is not required to enter the country (unless it’s required for your visa, of course), travelers may want to consider purchasing an insurance plan that covers COVID-19 medical expenses.
A travel medical insurance plan like Atlas Travel offers coverage for unexpected medical expenses related to COVID-19. These are covered up to the policy’s maximum amount for injury or illness.
And if you upgrade to Atlas Premium, your plan will also include an Emergency Quarantine Indemnity – COVID-19 benefit, though there are stipulations. This quarantine benefit will pay $50 a day for each day you are quarantined outside of your home country (up to 10 days). You must have proof of quarantine mandated by a physician or governmental authority and quarantine must be due to you experiencing symptoms and waiting on diagnostic test results or testing positive for COVID-19/SARS-CoV2.
Let’s say you’re traveling to Spain from one of the Schengen visa-exempt countries. You want coverage for your trip, but you’d prefer a plan that offers a Trip Cancellation benefit as well as other travel-related benefits in case you need to cancel your trip unexpectedly. However, you still want some emergency medical coverage, too.
This is where a travel insurance plan – also referred to as a trip cancellation plan – could help you out. A trip cancellation plan could mean your prepaid and nonrefundable trip deposits (like a hotel or Airbnb deposit, your flight payments, your tourist destination tickets, etc.) could be reimbursed if you cancel your trip or end it early due to a covered reason, like falling ill with COVID-19 and being unable to travel.
On top of trip cancellation coverage and other travel-related benefits, many plans, like WorldTrips’ Atlas Journey, offer coverage for emergency medical expenses, included those related to COVID-19.
Those looking for the ultimate trip cancellation coverage can look at policy upgrades such as a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) benefit. Atlas Journey offers a CFAR upgrade for those who want the assurance of partial reimbursement of their total trip cost—50% or 75%—if they decide to cancel their trip for a reason not already covered by their Trip Cancellation benefit.
This means you could cancel if you are concerned about getting sick or COVID conditions in your destination. Just be sure to read through your policy documents so you understand the stipulations of this benefit upgrade and your other travel insurance benefits.
A trip cancellation plan like might be the coverage you need for your trip to Spain. While no one wants to consider having to cancel their trip, things happen. Making sure you have a policy that will provide coverage for unexpected emergencies is key.
Finally, you may be wondering what healthcare in Spain for tourists is like. Spain has a top-tier healthcare system with health facilities available throughout the country. The country is known for having a health system whose services are superior to most of the world’s countries.
Here are a few quick facts to know about healthcare in Spain for tourists:
Keep in mind, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Spain and Andorra strongly advise travelers visiting Spain to purchase a supplemental medical insurance plan to cover medical evacuation. The U.S. Embassy states, “If you plan to spend any time in Spain, you should consider purchasing a policy that specifically covers expenses incurred overseas.”
Learn more about emergency medical evacuation coverage and why you may need it.