A Private Health Insurance for Spanish Visa or a Residency Application.

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We have issued over 1600 policies in the last 3 years for visa/residency applications. We have guided immigration lawyers and on many occasions been in direct contact with Spanish consulates.

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Our Insurer has issued over 22000 medical insurance certificates for visas.

 

Tailor Made Insurance Agency Spain - As an agency we are well versed with the medical insurance criteria.

 

When attending the Spanish Consulates when necessary we have assisted customers and made direct email with many Consulates who may raise questions that the applicant cannot answer.

 

We tend to contact the Consulate Legal departments to resolve issues and we are very aware that one member of staff will provide different criteria to another member of staff, which is very frustrating.

 

US Citizens moving to Spain - Are you applying for a Spanish visa, NLV visa, Golden Visa, DNV or residency ?

 

Here we provide some information to assist US citizens who may be looking to obtain a Spanish visa: NLV, Student visa, Nomad Visa or Golden Visa.

 

Over the years at Tailor Made Healthcare Spain have assisted many American citizens in setting up their Spanish Private Health Insurance.

 

Choosing the correct policy that meets the specific criteria set out by the Spanish authorities is key and some of the necessary questions and requirements to set up a policy can leave you confused.

 

We have dealt with many Spanish Consulates around the world and are very familiar with the differences and nuances of different consulates.

 

For instance we are aware that the Consulate in Los Angeles have different tick boxes to the Spanish consulate in Florida.

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Let us start off with the criteria and what exactly a Spanish medical insurance needs to include to meet the criteria.

If you tell us you need the policy for the purpose of a Visa then we have 7 policy levels we can offer that meet that criteria. We also offer three lower cost policies 3 policies that do not comply often take up by those who see Spain as a holiday home destination.

 

1. National Medical network across all of Spain.

2. Full Primary care.

3. Full Specialist Care.

4. Hospitalization.

5. No copago (no policy excess).

6. No limitation on treatment cost.

7. Annually contracted/Annually renewable.

8. Policy to be a Spanish Insurance in Spanish.

 

For residency/visa you will need to start the policy on a chosen month so it is already set up and active to present on appointment at the consulate.

 

This, for many, means having the policy issued perhaps a month or two before the actual move to Spain.

 

The policy needs to be an annual insurance and needs to be contracted for the full 12 month term.

 

The insurance must also be contractually renewable - this means that like many Spanish insurances from car insurance to home insurance it will simply auto-renew unless you have given the correct notice to terminate the policy at least a month before the expiry date. 

 

The Consulate will also ask to see proof that the policy has been paid upfront in full for the 12 months.

 

Having said that, occasionally we hear from clients who tell us they were approved even when opting for monthly premium payments but most officials will check the payment period and will insist on a policy with the term paid up in full.

 

The actual policy to be presented must be a Spanish Insurance, but for your convenience Tailor Made Healthcare will also will provide you with the English translated version of the policy's terms & conditions.

 

Tailor Made Healthcare will also provide the required "Certificado Garantias", arranged within minutes of the policy going live. This is a certificate the Spanish authorities expect to see, because it saves them the trouble of reading through all your policy documentation at the visa appointment.

 

Once you have agreed on which medical insurance policy you want to apply for, there are several potential obstacles you may need to work out in order to apply for the insurance. The main issue is that most Spanish Healthcare providers require an address in Spain.

 

There will be some reading this who will not have a Spanish address until they arrive in Spain to find one. 

 

We have a simple solution and we suggest to customers that you can use our address to set up the policy and then once you arrive and find accommodation we simply notify the Insurance Company of your change of address.

 

The next issue often seen is that the insurer will require to collect the payment direct from your bank account via the European Direct Debit system. The application process will normally ask you to provide your Spanish or European bank account IBAN number (an international account number with identifier).

 

Again we have a means to an end and Tailor Made Healthcare can offer you (if required) a Spanish IBAN account (where you can transfer the payment to just before the day the policy is due to start).

Then on the activation date the Insurer will collect the payment by direct debit from that account.

 

In addition to the medical insurance for US citizens, the authorities ask that you also arrange a repatriation insurance that repatriates you back to the USA in the event of death. Some of you may have been looking at several Spanish medical insurance policies and made a note that they do mention repatriation cover. 

 

Many US citizens present the Private Medical policy and show the representative at the Spanish consulate the clause/paragraph detailing that there is repatriation cover and the Consulate representative will nod in acceptance and move on to other things. However be aware that any reference to repatriation in a Spanish medical insurance is there only to repatriate you back to Spain! Many people seem to present the Spanish authorities with a medical insurance indicating it has repatriation and, through lack of checking, end up not needing it.

 

REPATRIATION POLICY

 

The only policy in Spain that offers repatriation back to the land of your birth/origin will be in the very low cost Spanish funeral policy. The Funeral insurance provides an option that if you do not require a funeral in Spain you can opt under the policy for repatriation to your homeland.

A Spanish Funeral Insurance for say a 60 year old living in Alicante will mean a single payment of just under 150,00 € for the first year's cover (price indicator as at April 2022).

 

Tailor Made Healthcare Spain will assist you and present you with the Private Health Policy prices and go through the various policy options with you answering all your questions by email or if you prefer at your request over the phone.

 

If you are taking any insurance in Spain and if you do not speak Spanish very well then always use an agency that will provide ongoing help and support beyond the start date of the policy. Good health and healthcare can only be achieved if you understand the policy and how to use it.

 

For all medical insurances in Spain be aware of the "Carencia" (Period of Grace) as ALL medical insurance policies have a few exclusions for certain things that will not be covered in the early stages of the policy. 

 

For our policy (DKVSeguros) we have probably the least exclusions in the Period of Grace of any other Spanish Insurer. 

 

The exclusions in the policies that we sell only include as follow:  NO surgery or hospitalization in first 6 months, no pregnancy cover in the first 8 months and no transplants in the first 12 months. Our nearest medical insurance competitor Sanitas will have more initial exclusions and they also add in a NO Oncology in first 9 months which DKV do not have.

 

So, knowing that there are these exclusions, if you find your visa appointment date is 2 months before your travel date then at least those 2 months eat into your Period of Grace.

 

As a very experienced Agency in respect of setting up Medical Insurance for a Visa we have encountered and successfully overcome many odd nuances that have arisen over the years. 

 

If you hit across a conundrum with your arrangements in connection with any issue eg dates, exclusions of pre-existing conditions, an address in Spain or the issue of a bank payment for the premium, please feel free to email myself or Andy and we will provide you with the answers that we know will work gleamed after many years of tried and adapted solutions.

 

If you want to check our credentials feel free to contact DKV Seguros quoting agency 001289. 

We are listed as one of their Agencies of Excellence. You can also Google ¨Tailor Made Healthcare Spain¨ and check out our customer Google Reviews.

 

Wishing you all the best with the application and process.

 

Francis Payne

Tailor Made Healthcare Spain

enquiries@tailormadehealthcarespain.org

www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org