Sanitas health insurance in Spain for expats, in English

Private medical insurance from Sanitas, part of the Bupa group, sold and serviced in English. Plans accepted for visa and residency applications. Apply online in minutes, no medical exam.

Sanitas, part of the Bupa group Authorised Sanitas agent 22395, regulated in Spain Visa & Residency options English-speaking office in Marbella

Get an instant quote

Plans from €22,10 a month.

No obligation - your price appears instantly.

Get an instant quote

Plans from €22,10 a month.

How it works

Get covered in three simple steps

No waiting around for a callback - get your price online and apply in minutes.

  1. 1

    Get your instant quote

    Enter your plan type, region and date of birth, and see suitable Sanitas plans and prices straight away.

  2. 2

    Choose and tailor your plan

    Compare cover levels, add extras like dental, or pick a plan with worldwide cover. See all the add-on options. Our English-speaking team is on hand whenever you need it.

  3. 3

    Apply online and get covered

    Sign up online in minutes, with no medical exam required, and your cover can start right away.

Private medical insurance in Spain: what it is and who needs it

Private medical insurance in Spain pays for private doctors, specialists, tests, surgery and hospital care through the insurer's network, with no public waiting lists. Sanitas is the only insurer we sell, and it is part of the Bupa group.

You need it if you are applying for a Spanish visa from outside the European Union (EU), or if you are an EU citizen registering as a resident without working here. Both ask for full private cover with no co-payments. If you work in Spain and pay social security, you are covered by the public system, and private cover is optional, for faster access and a choice of doctor.

HealthPlan Spain is an English-speaking Sanitas health insurance agency in Marbella, authorised by Sanitas as agent 22395. We sell all 15 Sanitas plans to expats, residents, international students and self-employed people across Spain. Our native English-speaking team supports you and your family for the life of your policy, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm by phone or email.

Sanitas health insurance in Spain at a glance

  • Sanitas has insured people in Spain since 1954, has been part of the Bupa group since 1989 and has more than 3 million members.
  • Sanitas runs the largest medical network in Spain, with more than 58,000 doctors and specialists and 4,500 centres, plus its own hospitals in Madrid and Barcelona.
  • Every Sanitas health plan we sell gives private health cover in Spain through the Sanitas network.
  • Sanitas plans without co-payments, such as Sanitas Mas Salud and Top Quantum, are accepted for every visa and residency application, with the certificate issued once the policy is activated.
  • Sanitas Residents Visa has no waiting periods, includes repatriation and comes with the certificate the consulate asks for.
  • Sanitas International Students covers international students aged 14 to 35 with no co-payments and no waiting periods, and meets the student visa rules.
  • There is no medical examination to apply for Sanitas health insurance, only a short health questionnaire on the application.
  • The app runs in English, and the Residents Visa and Students policy conditions are published in English.

Reviewed by Sean Guy, authorised Sanitas agent, code 22395. Updated 18 September 2026.

Health insurance in Spain for every situation

Non-EU visa, EU residency, student visa or self-employed: pick your situation and see the Sanitas plans that qualify.

Spanish passport with a visa approved stamp

Health insurance for a Spanish visa (non-lucrative, digital nomad, work)

Applying for a non-lucrative, digital nomad or work visa? Consulates ask for full private cover with no co-payments from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no waiting periods on the cover they care about. Our plans without co-payments meet those rules, and we arrange the certificate consulates ask for.

Visa cover
Family walking together in Spain

Health insurance for Spanish residency (EU, EEA & Swiss citizens)

Registering as a resident as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen? If you are not working in Spain, the residency registration (registro) asks for private cover with no co-payments. Sanitas Mas Salud, Mas Salud Family, Top Quantum, Mas 90 and Premium 500 all qualify.

Residency cover
International students in Spain

Health insurance for international students in Spain (student visa)

Applying for a Spanish student visa? Sanitas International Students is built around the consulate rules: no co-payments, no waiting periods, Dental 21 and repatriation included, for students aged 14 to 35.

Student cover
Self-employed person working in Spain

Health insurance for the self-employed (autonomo)

Registered as an autonomo and paying social security in Spain? Sanitas Professional (no co-payments) and Sanitas Professional Plus (capped co-payments) are built for the self-employed. Both include work and road accident cover and Total Protection, which pays up to 3 monthly premiums or €200 a year after more than 72 hours in hospital or signed off work.

Self-employed cover

Is Sanitas any good? Read our review

Our verdict: yes, for most people moving to Spain. Sanitas is the only insurer we sell, so we review it the way a customer would: where it is strong and which plan fits your situation.

The review covers the visa and residency rules, what is included and what is excluded, how switching from Bupa or another Spanish insurer works, and the questions we are asked most.

Read the Sanitas review
Hospital Universitario La Moraleja in Madrid, one of the hospitals Sanitas owns

Transfer from Bupa

Move your policy to Sanitas and keep your cover history. We'll do the paperwork.

Bupa Transfer

Switch to Sanitas

Switch with minimal disruption. We'll guide you step-by-step.

Switching guide

Why choose Sanitas health insurance in Spain?

The largest medical network in Spain

More than 58,000 doctors and specialists and 4,500 centres, plus hospitals Sanitas owns in Madrid and Barcelona. You book the specialist yourself, without a referral, and consultations and everyday tests are covered from the day the policy starts. Check the doctors near you.

Sanitas in English

The app runs in English, the Residents Visa and Students policy conditions are published in English, and our native English-speaking team looks after you for the life of your policy. Talk to us in English.

Accepted for visas and residency

Plans without co-payments, such as Sanitas Mas Salud and Top Quantum, are accepted for every visa and residency application, with the certificate issued once the policy is activated. You do not need an NIE, your Spanish foreigner identity number, to start. Apply online with no medical exam, and 24-hour emergency video consultations are included through the app. Read the full review.

Health Library

Learn before you buy

Quick guides that answer the questions expats actually ask.

A paper cut-out family protected by four hands on a blue background

Best health insurance in Spain in 2026

The four big insurers in Spain, why Sanitas is the best choice for an English speaker, what the cheaper prices elsewhere actually buy, and which Sanitas plan fits a visa, a family or the over 60s.

Read guide

Explore all guides

Find doctors & centres near you

Over 58,000 medical professionals and 4,500+ medical centres across Spain. Choose your province to browse the doctors, clinics and hospitals near you.

Frequently asked questions about private medical insurance in Spain

How much does private medical insurance cost in Spain?

On the 2026 Sanitas tariff, a healthy adult aged 30 to 39 living in mainland Spain pays from €29.00 a month on Sanitas Accede to €116.82 on Sanitas Mas Salud for private health insurance.

Sanitas plans start from €22,10 a month.

The price depends on your age, your province and the plan. Full cover with no co-payments costs more than an outpatient plan with co-payments, which charges a small fee each time you use a service. Enter your date of birth and province in the quote box above for your exact monthly price, or read what Sanitas costs in 2026 by age.

Is Sanitas a good health insurance in Spain?

For most people moving to Spain, yes. Sanitas is the Bupa group's Spanish insurer, with more than 58,000 doctors and specialists and 4,500 centres in its network, the largest in Spain. Its plans without co-payments, such as Sanitas Mas Salud and Top Quantum, are accepted for every visa and residency application, and both the app and our own support work in English. HealthPlan Spain is an authorised Sanitas agent (agent code 22395) in Marbella that arranges Sanitas policies in English, at the same price as buying direct from Sanitas. Read our full Sanitas review.

Who owns Sanitas?

Sanitas is owned by the Bupa group and has been its Spanish insurer since 1989. It has sold private medical insurance in Spain since 1954 and has more than 3 million members today. The policy you buy is a Spanish policy issued by Sanitas, backed by the Bupa group. Existing Bupa members can transfer to Sanitas and keep their cover history, with the waiting periods waived except for childbirth.

Do expats need private health insurance to live in Spain?

Expat health insurance in Spain is required for non-EU visa applicants and for EU citizens registering as residents who are not working or paying Spanish social security. Consulates require full cover with no co-payments for a visa, and the residency registration asks for the same. If you work in Spain and pay social security, you are covered by the public system, and private cover is optional for faster access to specialists and a choice of doctor. See health insurance for a Spanish visa and health insurance for Spanish residency.

Is healthcare free in Spain for EU and British citizens?

Only if you are entitled to the public system, and living here does not give you that automatically. Entitlement comes through one of four routes: working in Spain and paying social security, or holding a United Kingdom (UK) S1 form as a state pensioner. The other two are paying into the Convenio Especial once you have been registered long enough, or being the dependant of someone covered. A European or Global Health Insurance Card (EHIC or GHIC) covers temporary visits only and is not accepted as proof of cover for a visa or residency application. Early retirees and the economically inactive are expected to arrange private cover instead. Read public and private healthcare in Spain.

What does private health cover in Spain from Sanitas include?

Private health cover in Spain from Sanitas means private doctors, specialists, tests and treatment through the Sanitas network, with no public waiting lists. Outpatient plans such as Sanitas Accede cover doctor and specialist visits and tests, and full plans such as Sanitas Mas Salud add hospital cover. Compare every plan on the Sanitas health plans page.

Which Sanitas health insurance plans can I buy?
Which Sanitas plans are accepted for a Spanish visa or residency?

For a visa, Spanish consulates ask for full private cover with no co-payments from an insurer authorised in Spain. Sanitas Residents Visa, Top Quantum, Mas Salud, Mas Salud Family, Mas 90 and Premium 500 meet those rules, and Sanitas International Students meets the student visa rules. Sanitas Residents Visa is built for applying from abroad, with no waiting periods and the consulate certificate issued once the policy is activated. For EU residency registration, Top Quantum, Mas Salud, Mas Salud Family, Mas 90 and Premium 500 qualify, and so does Sanitas Professional if you are already registered as autonomo. Plans with co-payments are not accepted for either. See the full visa cover guide and residency cover guide.

How do Sanitas waiting periods work?

Any life-threatening emergency is covered from day one, and so are consultations with a family doctor or any specialist, everyday tests and outpatient emergencies. On Sanitas Mas Salud, outpatient surgery waits 3 months, complex diagnostic tests and psychology 6 months, childbirth 8 months, and hospitalisation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy 10 months. Sanitas Residents Visa, Sanitas International Students and Sanitas Accede have no waiting periods, and neither do company-paid business plans. If you have held private health insurance in Spain with another insurer for at least a year, or with Bupa, Sanitas waives the waiting periods when you switch, except childbirth. See every Sanitas waiting period.

What is the difference between plans with and without co-payments?

A plan with co-payments charges a small fixed fee each time you use a service, such as a consultation or a test, in return for a lower monthly premium. A plan without co-payments has one monthly premium and nothing to pay when you see a doctor. Both use the same Sanitas network, and only plans without co-payments are accepted for a visa or residency. Read how co-payments work, or compare the plans without co-payments and the plans with co-payments.

How do I apply for Sanitas health insurance in English?

Get an instant quote on this page, choose your plan and complete the online application in minutes. There is no medical examination, only a short health questionnaire on the application. Our English-speaking team in Marbella is available Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm by phone or email, and supports you for the life of your policy.

See all FAQs

Ready to find your plan?

Get an instant online quote, or talk to our English-speaking team about the right cover for you.

HealthPlan Spain is an authorised Sanitas agent (code 22395), regulated by the Direccion General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones (DGSFP), registration C0320X5769518Z. English-speaking office in Marbella, open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm by phone or email.

Get a quote Compare plans