The time it takes to get approval for your health insurance in Spain may be critical if you are looking to use it for a Spanish non-lucrative visa, Golden Visa or Digital Nomad visa.
Health insurance companies will restrict how far in advance you can apply for a policy. This is because clearly, your health might change as time goes on. Most companies allow you to apply for a Spanish health insurance policy up to 2 months ahead of the start date. Some allow as much as 3 months. After that period the insurance company may want a signed letter that your health has not changed and in some cases new health declarations from all the applicants.
You need to consider “What date do I start my health insurance?” and not leave applying for it until the last minute. Think about where you are in the visa application process. What documents do you still have to collect or translate and how quickly is your consulate providing appointments? Remember you need to take proof of insurance with you to the consulate meeting.
How long does health insurance in Spain take to get?
If you are fortunate and your health history consists of a few bumps and scrapes then the process is straightforward. However, if you, or one of the other beneficiaries of the policy, have suffered a serious illness then the underwriters will want to take a closer look at your application. This may also include a request for medical reports and your last test results.
In very straightforward cases it is sometimes possible to get approval for health insurance on the same day. However, even with that efficiency the client still needs to transfer funds. The insurance company then needs to allocate them and produce the certificate you need to present. So if the system runs very smoothly it can happen extremely quickly. But we do not recommend taking the risk. Whilst you may have a clean bill of health other factors may come into account. Something in your medical history that you feel is innocuous is deemed more problematic by the medical underwriters at the insurance company. The insurance company could have a systems problem. There might be a national holiday. Perhaps sickness in the department has left the staffing levels reduced.
Plan to speak to your agent or broker early in the process. If you have serious pre-existing conditions then this is a must. Otherwise, you are going to spend a lot of money on documents, and translations to then find out there are difficulties getting health insurance coverage.
If you would like to chat with us about any concerns then you can make a telephone appointment for a free 20-minute health insurance policy chat by using this link
I am applying for health insurance but I do not need it for a Spanish visa
If you are not looking for health insurance as part of the Spanish visa process then there is probably less of a hurry. The approval of health insurance policies can be as quick as the same day, if the situation is uncomplicated. However, we recommend allowing three to four days minimum. If you have had medical issues that need to be assessed by the underwriters then this will delay the application. They will want to study your questionnaire. If they are fairly routine then the response from the underwriters is likely to come through in a day or two. If there are a number of health issues or complicated health problems for the company to assess then the timescale may be longer. They may require you to submit more information may be required.
