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🇪🇸 Spain's "no co-pay" insurance rule, explained
Last checked: July 2026 · Source: official government site
The direct answer: for the Spain digital nomad visa you need full private health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments (sin copagos) and no waiting periods (sin carencias). Travel insurance and standard nomad policies do not qualify — this single requirement rejects more Spain applications than the income test does.
⚠️ Insurance requirements are set by each government and change. We summarise them to help you shop, but the consulate has the final say on whether a specific policy is accepted. Confirm the wording of any policy before you buy.
Why Spain is different
Most European nomad visas use the Schengen benchmark: show a policy with at least €30,000 of medical coverage and you're fine. Spain doesn't. It requires coverage equivalent to its public health system — which means comprehensive care, not emergency-only cover, delivered with zero cost-sharing. Any deductible, per-visit fee or waiting period disqualifies the policy, no matter how high the coverage ceiling is.
The three words the consulate checks
- Sin copagos — no co-payments. The certificate must say it, not just imply it.
- Sin carencias — no waiting periods. Cover must start in full from day one.
- Authorised in Spain — the insurer must be licensed to operate in Spain, which is why most international travel policies fail even when their coverage is generous.
Before you pay for any policy, ask the insurer to confirm in writing that the certificate will carry this wording. If they hedge, walk away — the consulate won't.
What usually passes
- Spanish health insurers: full policies from the domestic providers (Sanitas, Adeslas, ASISA, DKV and similar) sold specifically as visa-compliant, without co-payments.
- Full international health plans authorised in Spain, at comprehensive tiers with cost-sharing removed:
Comprehensive international private health plans — the kind of cover strict countries like Spain expect.
Check Cigna Global →What gets rejected
- Travel insurance of any kind, including annual multi-trip policies.
- Nomad-style travel-medical subscriptions — the ones that work well for Portugal, Croatia or Estonia. Their deductibles and claim structure fail the "sin copagos" test.
- Full health policies bought at a discount tier with co-payments — the cheap tier of the right product is still the wrong policy.
- Policies with a waiting period for anything other than accidents.
Frequently asked
What does "no co-payments" (sin copagos) mean for the Spain digital nomad visa?
It means the policy cannot charge you anything at the point of care — no per-visit fees, no deductibles, no cost-sharing of any kind. The consulate looks for the words "sin copagos" (without co-payments) on the insurance certificate. A policy that is otherwise excellent but has a €50 deductible will be refused.
Does travel or nomad insurance (like SafetyWing or Genki Traveler) qualify for the Spain digital nomad visa?
Generally no. Travel-medical policies are built around deductibles, claim limits and temporary cover, and they are not issued by insurers authorised to operate in Spain. Spain requires full private health insurance equivalent to the public system. Budget nomad policies work for €30,000-minimum countries like Portugal or Croatia — not for Spain.
Which insurance is accepted for the Spain digital nomad visa?
A comprehensive private health policy from an insurer authorised in Spain — either a Spanish health insurer (for example Sanitas, Adeslas, ASISA, DKV) or an international plan that is authorised there — with full coverage, no co-payments and no waiting periods, valid for your entire requested period.
Does the policy need to cover repatriation for Spain?
The core requirement is coverage equivalent to the Spanish public health system with no co-payments and no waiting periods. Repatriation is commonly included in international plans and is worth having, but the make-or-break wording the consulate checks is "sin copagos" and "sin carencias" (no waiting periods).
Related
Full Spain insurance guide →
Spain digital nomad visa requirements (income €2,849/mo) →
SafetyWing vs Genki — where each one actually works →
Compare Spain with the other countries →