Insurances in Spain can be a mine field and you should not have to pay extra for a firm to deal with your insurance needs who speak English. You will need Spanish insurance for your car, home, contents, health, life, breakdown and pets.
Over the next few weeks we will address these issues and find the right companies to use whereby you can have policies both in Spanish (legally necessary) and English ( personally recommended). Insurance standards are very different to the UK and thus you must chose wisely. If you have any queries in the meantime just send me your queries to
Car Insurance in Spain
Car insurance in Spain is a contract between you and the insurance company, protecting you against financial losses if you have an accident. Both parts make an agreement: you pay the premium and the insurance company pays the cost as defined in your policy: property, liability and medical coverage.
Car Property: the policy covers for damage to your car or theft of your car. Liability: the policy covers for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage. Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.
Types of car insurance in Spain:
Third-party liability insurance (seguro de terceros o de responsabilidad civil obligatoria): The policy covers you for any claim against you made by anyone who could suffer a personal injury and damage in an accident (driver and passengers in another car with which you may collide, passengers in your car who are not members of your family…) if you are responsible for the accident.
This type of basic car insurance in Spain does not cover you and your car. Most of the people in Spain choose this third party insurance adding extra Insurance clauses in order to cover their own car, their family passengers and of course themselves.
In case of personal injury, the responsible part will not be forced to pay indemnity when proving that the injuries resulted from the injured party negligent operation or from force majors.
This type of insurance will not cover the damages caused in any of the following cases:
If the driver were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Where the vehicle is driven by a person not authorize by the insured. Where the driver does not have driving license. In these cases, the insurance company will pay the indemnity to the injured party, which may be claimed against the insured
All-risk insurance coverage (seguro a todo riesgo). The All-Risk Insurance (Seguro a todo riesgo) covers the injuries and damages non-covered in the third party liability insurance: The injuries to the insurance taker, the car owner, driver and the spouse, ascendants, descendants, relatives and the car passengers. Damages to the vehicle regardless of who was responsible for the damage, including fire and broken windows when the car is parked on the street. Damages of the car contents. Theft in the vehicle Legal cost involved in court process against you.
FOREIGN CARS IN SPAIN Non residents living in Spain for long periods can keep their cars with the foreign plates, but the Law requires that the car should be insured in the country of registration. The car owners can not longer insure the cars with Spanish companies as in the past.
The solution is to select an International Insurance company with a Spanish branch, and your car will be insured once it has passed the Vehicle Safety Inspection (ITV), compulsory in Spain.
Home and Contents Insurance in Spain
There are two broad types of home insurance; homeowners (hogar) and content policies (contenido).
Security
Policy prices will depend on the declared value of the home and will also be influenced by security features such as barred windows and alarm systems.
Home provides cover for:
The structure of the house The windows The floors All fixtures Policies can include:
Loss of frozen food Loss of rental income and the cost of alternative accommodation Civil liability; Legal defence Damage to interior decoration; water and gas pipes. Burglary and theft; replacement of locks and keys in the case of burglary, theft and loss of keys Breakage of glass cooker hobs and broken windows Acts of God. The more comprehensive the policy, the more expensive, with all risk being the most costly (todo riesgo). Such a policy would cover both the entire building and its contents.
Content policies cover all movable objects in the home. Portable objects are not covered when lost or stolen outside of the home.
Policies for second homes and rental properties may be more expensive as a standard homeowners policy can only be applied to a property that is inhabited eleven months a year as a main residence.
Medical Insurance in Spain
When you start living in Spain, you will most probably be interested in how the Spanish Social Security system works. Your 'Gestor' will organise the mountain of paperwork that is need to get your Spanish Social Security card organised, if you don't wish to do it yourself.
Spanish social security plan
If you are a Spanish resident you will be entitled to free medical assistance, just like any Spanish national. Visiting the doctor, dentist or the hospital are all covered under this plan, although, you will be assigned a medical professional in your area, you will not be free to choose. · Car insurance links · Health insurance links Spanish speaking doctors It is quite possible that your assigned doctor will speak only Spanish. Although this is not a problem for most of their patients, it may be for you. It is quite acceptable to take along a friend to help translate for you. Most doctors on the Costa Blanca are used to having expatriate patients, be they British, German, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, etc. Please don't 'expect' them to speak English, although many do.
Disclaimer
The information on these pages is intended as a general guide only and in no way is intended to be definitive. For more information you should contact a legal authority. Private medical insurance Many residents decide on taking out private medical insurance while in Spain. There are many insurance companies here in Spain who offer health insurance for expatriate residents. A good idea is to find a doctor with whom you feel comfortable and ask him or her which insurance companies they are associated with. That way you can be sure to get the doctor of your choice.
Private medical insurance cost
You may not need to pay much for your medical insurance here in Spain. Obviously it depends on you current state of health and any special needs you may have. It is worth shopping around and weighing up the pros and cons of the services offered and those you are likely to need. Spanish private hospitals and clinics There are many insurance agents here on the Costa Blanca who specialise in these schemes, so take your choice. Many of them have their own clinics and hospitals, with the latest facilities available to their clients.
Breakdown Insurance in Spain
Usually included in your car insurance quote as a nominal extra.
Life Insurance In Spain
A contract of life insurance (seguro de vida) provides that, in consideration of the premium to be paid, the insurer promises to pay the beneficiary an agreed sum upon the death of the person whose life is to be insured.
The person whose life is insured is generally called the "insured". The person named in the policy to benefit from the death of that person is called the "beneficiary". Where the policy contains the identity of the beneficiaries, they will not have to wait for the estate partition to be made in order to perceive the indemnity.
The insurance company normally requires a medical exam from people who are applying for life insurance.
The company may specifically exclude certain coverage, such as the coverage of death by suicide.
Pet Insurance in Spain
Now that the EC regulations have eased regarding quarantine, an increasing number of people are either bringing their pets with them when they move to Spain, or else acquiring them here, reassured by the fact that, if they have to move for any reason, their pet doesn't have to be left behind. Veterinary surgeons are well trained in Spain where it's a popular profession and emergency veterinary care is available in animal clinics, many providing 24-hour service. There are also several multi-lingual professional practices which can be located by picking up one of the English language publications. If you intend to live permanently in Spain you should have your pet vaccinated and issued with a health certificate from a veterinary surgeon in you home country 15 days before your departure.
It is also advisable to have dogs vaccinated against rabies and other diseases such as distemper and hard pad, and cats immunised against feline gastroenteritis and typhus. Most airlines will transport domestic animals in a suitable transporting cart provided it has a rabies vaccination not more than 30 days before the flying date and a veterinary examination and a paper signed by the vet saying that the animal is in perfect condition to fly and doesn't have contagious diseases.
The cost from the UK is around 5 € per kilo. Animals travel in a special hold which is heated and lighted. Be sure to book on time because there is a limited amount of places for the animals.
Domestic pets in Spain should be chipped by a local vet. Health insurance is available from a number of insurance companies.
