The Spanish Golden Visa offers residency to individuals who make a real estate investment in Spain of €500,000 or more.  The Spanish Golden Visa scheme has been in existence since September 2013 when legislation for the ‘residency by investment scheme’ was passed.  The aim being to attract foreign investors at a time when the economy of Spain was not in a very good place.  Since it’s inception, over 25,000 foreign investors have benefited from the scheme.

The main nationalities benefiting have been Chinese, Russian and US.  However now that the UK is no longer in the EU, Spain is now receiving significant numbers of Spanish Golden Visa applications from British Nationals who wish to enjoy their holiday residence, without the 90 day Schengen limitation.

What does the Spanish Golden Visa Offer UK British Nationals?

Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa is now available following the passing of the new Startups Law, ‘Ley de Startups‘. This visa which allows the holder to live in Spain and work remotely or online, can be applied directly in Spain, or via the Spanish Consulate in the country in which you currently reside.

A Private Medical insurance policy for Spanish visas and residency has to provide a level of healthcare cover equivalent to that provided by the state healthcare system.  For a lot of private medical insurance providers this will mean taking out their top level fully comprehensive policy.  Co-payments policies that have much lower monthly or annual premiums and you pay a small fee when you need treatment or to see a doctor, are not acceptable.

The general requirements for Private Medical Insurance for Spanish visas and residency are much the same across all the different types of residency, however that are some differences between what’s needed for some.

Private Medical Insurance for the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa

A Private Medical Insurance for a Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa, has to pass the equivalent to state healthcare test.  The policy has to be annual most Spanish Consulates expect the policy to be paid in full up front.  Some even insist on there being a full year paid up front from the date you expect to enter Spain with your visa.  When you don’t know exactly how long your Non-Lucrative Visa will take to process, getting the Private Medical Insurance policy start date right can be tricky, and sometimes if there are delays, extra months of insurance have to be paid for added to the end of the policy to make up a full 12 months of cover.

For a Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa application, it is best to take Private Medical Insurance with a Spanish provider.  Policies from other countries may provide an acceptable level of cover, but if the policy documents are not in Spanish, it can end up quite costly getting the policy documents translated into Spanish to prove this.

Get a quote for Private Medical Insurance for the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa

Private Medical Insurance for the Spanish Golden Visa & Investor Residency

Along with the general requirements of Private Medical insurance for Spanish visas and residency, a Private Medical insurance for the Spanish Golden Visa and investor residency, has to be from either a Spanish insurance provider or an insurance provider that is authorised to operate in Spain.  So, international or global healthcare policies which may even have superior cover to a Spanish policy, will not be accepted, unless the provider is registered with Spain’s insurance regulator the DGSFP. (Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones).  Foreign insurance companies registered in Spain can be searched on their website: http://www.dgsfp.mineco.es/en/Entidades/Paginas/rrpp.aspx

Get a quote for Private Medical Insurance for the Spanish Golden Visa or Investor Residency

Private Medical Insurance for Spanish Residency for Citizens of EU Countries

The requirements of a Private Medical Insurance Citizens of EU countries applying for their Spanish Residency Certificate, are much the same as for the Non-Lucrative visa, i.e. the policy just needs to meet the general criteria.  Because the EU citizen Residency Certificate application is handled on a municipal level at the National Police station, there are variances from place to place as to what may be accepted, and the proof of insurance documents that will be required.

In most places a certificate of cover for a residency application from the provider along with proof of payment of the policy is sufficient.  In some places however, they insist on a copy of all the policy documents including the lengthy terms and conditions!

Taking Out Private Medical Insurance for Spanish Visas & Residency

Taking out the wrong Private Medical Insurance policy for your Spanish visa or residency application, can end up in a lot of wasted time and money.  We recommend that you use an insurance broker that has lots of experience arranging Private Medical Insurance for Spanish Visas and Residency, as well as knowing which policies are suitable, they will most likely also know a fair bit about the variances in requirements for the different type of visa and residency, the differences from one Spanish consulate to the next, and from place to place.

We handle all the above types of Spanish Visa and Residency applications, and work with a specialist insurance broker to arrange suitable Private Medical Insurance for our clients.  If you need to take out Private Medical Insurance for your Spanish Visa or Residency application, we can help you.

Click the link below and fill in the short enquiry form.

Get Private Medical Insurance for Spanish Visas or Residency

(+34) 951 77 55 44 / (+44) 033 000 10 777

The Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa offers residency to British nationals who have the financial means to support themselves without working.  The Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa scheme is therefore ideal if you are retired or have passive income, for example from a portfolio of properties or other investments.  The Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa is for full-time residency in Spain.

What does the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa Offer UK British Nationals?

There are two ways to check your non-lucrative visa application.  The Spanish Consulate has an online portal where you can check the progress of your visa application, and on the Spanish immigration website you can check the status of your residency application.

Spanish residency requirements for British citizens / UK nationals changed on January 1st 2021 when the UK left the EU.

British citizens / UK nationals now have to follow the same process as other non-EU national citizens of third countries to get Spanish residency, i.e. there is a requirement to first obtain a visa.

The minimum income required for a British Citizen / UK national to obtain a residency visa, is a lot higher than it was to get residency before Brexit.  In most cases a single applicant needs to have at least €28k per year, whereas previously less than €6k income would have been sufficient.

You also have to obtain a police criminal check report, and medical certificates are also required for most visa applications.

There are two main healthcare requirements for the Non-Lucrative Visa.   Firstly you must be free from any of the diseases listed under the International Health Regulations 2005, and secondly you need to have unrestricted access to healthcare in Spain.

Doctors Letter or Medical Certificate for a Non-Lucrative Visa Application

The first requirement is satisfied by obtaining a Doctors letter or medical certificate.  The Doctors letter or medical certificate can be provided by your own GP, or a private Doctor either in the UK or Spain.  The letter or certificate has to be signed by the issuing doctor, have their medical practice stamp, and their registration number.  In the UK this is known as a GMC (General Medical Council) number.

Updated 15/10/2021

The Spanish Consulate in London covers the southern counties of the UK, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.  So if you live in East Anglia, the South East or the South West, you’ll need to go to the Spanish Consulate in London to apply for a Spanish residency visa.

Locations Served by the Spanish Consulate in London

The Spanish Consulate in Manchester covers Central UK.  So if you live in the Midlands, the North West, Isle of Man or Wales, you’ll need to go to the Spanish Consulate in Manchester to apply for a Spanish residency visa.

Locations Served by the Spanish Consulate in Manchester

There are three Spanish Consulates in the UK that handle Spanish residency visa applications.  The Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh covers the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  So if you live in one of these areas, you’ll need to go to the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh to apply for a Spanish residency visa.

Locations Served by the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh