To move to live temporarily in another country, it is important to take out medical health insurance. In many circumstances it is a mandatory requirement to obtain the visa to enter the country (Spain) or the residence permit.
Spain and Andalucia have an excellent public health system and their services are free. However, unless you are Spanish or a resident foreign worker, you will not be able to benefit. For this reason, many immigration procedures require having private health insurance.
Before continuing, let's resolve a frequent question on the subject.
Do I need health insurance to live in Andalusia?
It depends on your country of origin and how long you are going to spend in the new country:
- 3-month stays: Non-EU citizens who are going to stay for a maximum of three months will only need travel insurance, also called tourist insurance. In contrast, EU residents are entitled to free Spanish assistance for the first 90 days of their stay by presenting the European Health Card (TSE).
- Stays of more than 3 months: it is necessary to have a private health insurance contract, both for EU citizens and for non-EU citizens.
How do I choose the health insurance that is best for me?
Before moving to Andalusia to telework, you should know that there are many insurance companies, offers and prices. It is normal that you have doubts to choose the insurance that best suits your needs. These are some keys that you should take into consideration to make your decision.
Prices
The health insurance that is required for the residence permit usually costs around €100 per month but if you contract the family package - which includes family members - the individual price per person is considerably cheaper.
It must be borne in mind that the cheapest insurance does not always meet the specific requirements to obtain a residence permit.
Insurance types
There are three types of health insurance:
1. Travel or tourist medical insurance for non-resident foreigners
If you go to Andalucia as a tourist to stay less than 90 days, you must have travel insurance that will be absolutely mandatory if you need a visa to enter Spain. The insurance must be valid throughout the EU, cover emergency hospitalization and repatriation.
To find out if you need a tourist visa, you can consult this list of countries subject to the visa obligation published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain.
2. Student health insurance
It must offer the same health coverage as the Spanish state health system and be valid throughout the country.
The list of benefits of the National Health System, included in article 7.1 of Law 16/2003, of 28th of May, includes the following:
- Public health
- Primary care
- Specialized care
- Geriatric care
- Urgent Care
- Pharmaceutical, ortho-prosthetic, dietary products and medical transport services
3. Private health insurance for resident foreigners
One of the requirements to obtain a residence permit is to have medical insurance. Not just anyone works and must meet a series of characteristics.
Paragraphs 1 and 3 of Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of July 13, 2009, establishing a Community Code on visas (Visa Code) establish that “The insurance must be valid in the territory of the Member States and cover the entire period of stay or transit that the person has foreseen. The minimum coverage will be €30,000 ”.
In summary, the medical insurance to start your new life in Andalucia without inconvenience must include the characteristics that are listed below.
Features of expatriate health insurance
Full comprehensive
The insurance coverage must be comparable to what is offered by the public health system and must cover hospitalizations, medical transfers and repatriation expenses for medical reasons or death.
No copayment
You don't have to pay every time you go to the doctor or hospital because your insurance already covers it.
Continuous and valid for the entire stay
Insurance benefits must be available for the entire period, with no time exceptions. If it is valid for the entire period of validity of your residence permit. Therefore, if it is the case that you have to renew your residence permit, you must also renew the medical insurance contracted.
Maximum coverage
The insurance must be valid throughout the territory of Andalucia and Spain and cover any type of illness and medical assistance. This includes emergency medical assistance or emergency hospital care.
What residence permits or visas require private health insurance?
• Non-profit residence visa
• Entrepreneur visa
• Visa as a family member of a community member
• Long-term residence
• Golden Visa
• Residence of more than 90 days for EU citizens
• Residence for university practices
• Residence permit to search for work or development of a business project
• Certificate of Registration of citizens of the European Union (better known as Community NIE. It refers to the type of residence that connects to the nationals of a country of the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland).
• Community card (called the family residence card of a citizen of the European Union)
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