Dental is not included with Adeslas or DKV
Neither Adeslas nor DKV include dental cover in their standard NLV-compliant health insurance products. Dental can be added to both as a separate module at additional cost. Only Sanitas (and Caser, which is not in this comparison) include dental as standard. If dental is a key requirement, Sanitas is the appropriate choice from this group of three.
Adeslas vs Sanitas vs DKV: at a glance
| Feature | Sanitas | Adeslas | DKV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan name | Residents Visa / Platinum Visa | SegurCaixa Adeslas (NLV plans) | DKV Integral / DKV Modular |
| From price (age 35) | €67.76/month | ~€50/month ✓ | ~€45/month ✓ |
| Max joining age | 75 ✓ | ~65 (confirm at quote) | ~65 (confirm at quote) |
| No copayments | ✓ | ✓ (confirm per plan) | ✓ (confirm per plan) |
| No waiting periods | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Repatriation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental included | ✓ Standard — 45+ free services | ✗ — add-on only | ✗ — add-on only |
| Certificate speed | Auto on payment ✓ | 24–48 hrs via broker | 24–48 hrs via broker |
| Digital health app | BLUA — English 24/7 ✓ | No equivalent | MyDKV — Spanish |
| English support | Full — app, support, doctor filter ✓ | Limited — primarily Spanish | Limited — primarily Spanish |
| Network model | Owned hospitals + clinics ✓ | Contracted (large — 47,000+ prof.) | Contracted (40,000+ prof.) |
| Owned hospitals | 5 (Madrid + Barcelona) ✓ | None | None |
| Network strength | National (owned infra in MAD+BCN) | Broadest national contracted ✓ | Strongest in Catalunya |
| Advance contracting | Up to 6 months ✓ | ~60–90 days | ~60–90 days |
| Corporate backing | Bupa (UK) group | Mutua Madrileña | Ergo / Munich Re (Germany) |
| DGSFP authorised | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Price: DKV cheapest, then Adeslas, then Sanitas
On entry-level price for a 35-year-old, DKV is typically the cheapest of the three — starting from around €45/month. Adeslas follows at approximately €50/month. Sanitas Residents Visa starts from €67.76/month. All prices increase with age.
However, comparing on price alone is misleading here. Sanitas includes dental cover as standard; Adeslas and DKV do not. If you add a dental module to Adeslas or DKV, the price differential with Sanitas narrows. Sanitas also includes BLUA (24/7 English GP app), automatic certificate delivery, up to 6 months advance contracting, and a 50/50 payment split option — none of which are available through Adeslas or DKV.
For applicants who don't need dental cover and are comfortable in Spanish, Adeslas or DKV provide solid NLV-compliant coverage at a lower headline cost. For applicants who want dental included and English-language healthcare support, Sanitas's higher price reflects genuine additional value.
Dental: only Sanitas includes it here
This is the clearest differentiator in this comparison. Sanitas includes more than 45 free dental services in its standard Residents Visa and Platinum Visa plans — consultations, X-rays, preventive care, fillings, and extractions — with 20%+ discounts on all other treatments across 216+ owned dental clinics, with no waiting periods.
Neither Adeslas nor DKV include dental in their NLV-compliant health products. Both offer dental as a separate add-on policy (Adeslas Dental and DKV Dental respectively), which can be purchased alongside the main health insurance. If dental is important to you and you want it bundled with health cover in a single policy, Sanitas is the appropriate choice from this group of three. (Caser via 247 Expat Insurance is also worth considering — dental included from €46.95/month.)
Network: three different models
Sanitas owns its infrastructure. Five hospitals (Hospital Universitario Sanitas La Zarzuela and Hospital CIMA in Barcelona, among others), a national chain of Sanitas Milenium outpatient clinics, and 216+ owned dental centres. When you use Sanitas, you are using facilities that Sanitas designs, staffs, and operates directly. The integration of care — GP to specialist to hospital — can flow entirely within Sanitas's own estate in Madrid and Barcelona.
Adeslas has the broadest contracted network. With 47,000+ contracted healthcare professionals, Adeslas covers more of Spain by raw network size than any other insurer on this comparison. For applicants based outside Madrid and Barcelona — in smaller cities, towns, or coastal areas — Adeslas's contracted network breadth is a genuine advantage. Adeslas is backed by Mutua Madrileña, one of Spain's largest mutual insurance groups, which provides significant financial and operational stability.
DKV's network is strongest in Catalunya. DKV (owned by Ergo, part of the Munich Re group) has approximately 40,000+ contracted professionals across Spain. Its network density is particularly strong in Barcelona and the wider Catalan region — a meaningful advantage for applicants who will be based there. Outside Catalonia, DKV's network is adequate in major cities but less comprehensive than Adeslas in more rural areas.
Digital platforms and English support
This is the dimension where Sanitas is most ahead of Adeslas and DKV. BLUA is Sanitas's integrated digital health platform — available in English, 24/7, with video GP consultations, digital prescriptions, physiotherapy booking, and specialist referrals. For a new arrival who doesn't yet speak Spanish, BLUA provides a meaningful first line of healthcare access that requires no Spanish at all. The Mi Sanitas app also allows you to filter for English-speaking doctors within the Sanitas network.
Adeslas offers digital appointment booking and an online customer portal. These operate primarily in Spanish. There is no English-language digital health consultation equivalent to BLUA.
DKV offers MyDKV, a mobile health platform for appointment management, claims, and basic health information. MyDKV is available in Spanish (and to some extent in Catalan). DKV's German corporate heritage means documentation standards are high and the policy is technically well-structured, but day-to-day customer operations are in Spanish. There is no English 24/7 video GP service equivalent to BLUA.
For applicants who will be functioning in Spanish from day one, the digital platform gap matters less. For those who need English-language healthcare access immediately on arrival, Sanitas is the appropriate choice.
Certificate speed: Sanitas is the fastest by far
Sanitas sends the carta para visado automatically the moment the policy is activated and payment is received. No manual step, no agent delay. For applicants with a consulate appointment in less than 48 hours, Sanitas is the only insurer in this comparison that can reliably deliver the certificate in time.
Both Adeslas and DKV require a broker or agent to handle the certificate request. Typical turnaround is 24–48 hours from policy activation, which is reasonable but not guaranteed. If your timing is tight, factor in this difference.
Who should choose each insurer?
- You want dental included as standard
- You need English-language healthcare from day one
- You have a tight consulate deadline (auto certificate)
- You're aged 66–75 (Adeslas/DKV may not accept)
- You want to contract 3–6 months in advance
- You value owned hospitals in Madrid or Barcelona
- You're under 65 and price is the priority
- You're based outside Madrid/Barcelona (broad national network)
- Dental is not a requirement
- You're comfortable navigating healthcare in Spanish
- You want the backing of a large, established Spanish mutual
- You're based in Barcelona or Catalunya
- Dental is not a requirement
- You value German-standard policy documentation
- You want the MyDKV digital platform for appointments
- Price is important and you're under 65
About Adeslas
Adeslas (SegurCaixa Adeslas) is a joint venture between Mutua Madrileña and VidaCaixa (the insurance arm of CaixaBank). It is one of Spain's largest private health insurers by policyholders and by contracted network size. Mutua Madrileña is one of Spain's most established mutual insurance groups — its involvement provides substantial financial backing and operational depth.
For visa applicants, Adeslas offers NLV-compliant plans with no copayments, no waiting periods, and repatriation included. The network of 47,000+ contracted professionals is the broadest of the three insurers in this comparison, making Adeslas particularly strong for applicants who will be living in smaller cities, coastal towns, or rural areas where Sanitas and DKV have less coverage. The main trade-offs are no dental, no English digital platform, and certificate issuance that requires a broker rather than being automatic.
About DKV
DKV Seguros is the Spanish subsidiary of DKV (Deutsche Krankenversicherung), a German health insurer that is part of the Ergo Group, itself owned by Munich Re. The German corporate heritage is relevant in two ways: policy documentation and technical standards are typically meticulous, and there is some legacy of multilingual documentation — though day-to-day Spanish customer operations are in Spanish.
DKV is particularly well-established in Catalonia and Barcelona. For applicants who know they will be based there, DKV's network density in that region is a genuine advantage over Adeslas. Outside Catalonia, Adeslas typically has a broader contracted network. DKV Modular and DKV Integral both meet NLV requirements and include repatriation. The MyDKV app provides a functional digital platform for appointment management, though it does not offer the same level of English-language healthcare access as Sanitas BLUA.
Use our free enquiry form. Tell us your age, visa type, where in Spain you'll be based, and whether dental matters. We'll recommend the right plan from all six specialist insurers.
Get a free personalised quote →Frequently asked questions
Sanitas is the strongest overall option for most visa applicants. It has the most comprehensive policy (dental included, BLUA English app, 5 owned hospitals, automatic certificate delivery) and accepts applicants up to age 75. Adeslas is the best choice among the three if you want a large national network at a mid-range price — but does not include dental. DKV is a strong option particularly in Catalunya — also without dental. Neither Adeslas nor DKV has a digital health platform comparable to BLUA.
No. Adeslas does not include dental cover as standard in its NLV-compliant health insurance product. Dental is available as a separate Adeslas Dental policy at additional cost. Of the six insurers reviewed on this site, only Sanitas and Caser include dental as standard. If dental is important to you, Sanitas or Caser (via 247 Expat Insurance from €46.95/mo) are the appropriate choices.
No. DKV does not include dental as standard in its NLV-compliant products. Dental can be added as a separate module (DKV Dental) at additional cost. As with Adeslas, if dental is a priority, Sanitas or Caser are the more straightforward options.
Both are legitimate NLV-compliant products. Adeslas has a broader national network — best outside Catalonia. DKV is particularly strong in Barcelona and Catalonia. Neither includes dental. The choice typically comes down to geography: applicants based in Catalonia often find DKV's network coverage better; those based elsewhere typically find Adeslas has the more comprehensive contracted network. Prices are similar. Use our free quote form to compare specific options for your situation.
Adeslas is typically cheaper — from around €50/month versus Sanitas from €67.76/month for a 35-year-old. However, Sanitas includes dental as standard. Adding dental to Adeslas narrows the gap. Sanitas also includes the BLUA digital health app, automatic certificate delivery, owned hospitals, and a 6-month advance contracting window. The price difference reflects genuine added value, not just brand premium.
Sanitas, by a significant margin. The BLUA app provides 24/7 video GP consultations in English, digital prescriptions, and physiotherapy booking — all in English. Sanitas customer service is available in English, and Mi Sanitas lets you filter for English-speaking doctors. Adeslas and DKV operate primarily in Spanish. For applicants who need consistent English-language healthcare from day one, Sanitas is the appropriate choice.
Yes. Use our free enquiry form at spanishvisahealthinsurance.com/compare/get-a-quote/ — we compare across all six specialist insurers including Adeslas, Sanitas, and DKV, and recommend the most appropriate plan for your specific age, visa type, and where in Spain you'll be based.