Caser maximum joining age: 69 — applicants aged 70+ cannot use Caser
Caser's maximum joining age for the Adapta + Dental + Repatriation product is 69. If you are aged 70 or over, Caser is not available to you. Sanitas accepts applicants up to age 75. If you are in the 70–75 age bracket, Sanitas is the appropriate choice — and the rest of this comparison should be read with this limitation firmly in mind.
Sanitas vs Caser: at a glance
| Feature | Sanitas | Caser |
|---|---|---|
| Plan name | Residents Visa / Platinum Visa | Caser Adapta + Dental + Repatriation |
| From price | €67.76/month | €46.95/month ✓ |
| Contract length | 12 months, renewable | 12 months (auto-renews; 1 month notice to cancel) |
| Max joining age | 75 ✓ | 69 — lowest of all major insurers |
| No copayments | ✓ | ✓ |
| No waiting periods | ✓ | ✓ |
| Repatriation | ✓ | ✓ (included in product name) |
| Dental cover | Included — 45+ free services, 216+ owned clinics ✓ | Included — Sonrisa Esencial bundled ✓ |
| Certificate | Auto-sent on payment ✓ | 48–72 hrs via agent |
| Advance contracting | Up to 6 months ✓ | ~90 days max |
| Payment options | Full upfront or 50/50 split ✓ | Full upfront only |
| Digital health app | BLUA — English 24/7 ✓ | No equivalent |
| English support | Full — app, support & doctor filter ✓ | Via 247 Expat Insurance (agent); Caser corporate is Spanish |
| Network model | Owned (hospitals, clinics, dental) ✓ | Contracted third-party (45,000+ professionals) |
| Owned hospitals | 5 (Madrid + Barcelona) ✓ | None |
| NIE required to apply | Confirm at quote stage | Not required ✓ |
| Worldwide cover option | Platinum plan ✓ | No |
| DGSFP authorised | ✓ | ✓ |
Price: Caser is cheaper — but both include dental
Caser Adapta + Dental + Repatriation is sold via 247 Expat Insurance from €46.95/month. Sanitas Residents Visa starts from €67.76/month. That is approximately €21/month more for Sanitas — around €252/year at entry level. This is a real price difference worth acknowledging.
Crucially, however, both policies include dental cover as standard. This puts Caser in a different bracket from DKV, ASISA, and ASSSA — which all exclude dental — and makes the Sanitas vs Caser comparison a more genuine like-for-like on that dimension. Sanitas includes a more comprehensive dental package: 45+ free services across 216+ owned dental clinics, with 20%+ discounts on all other treatments and no waiting periods. Caser includes Sonrisa Esencial — a bundled dental benefit that provides baseline dental access as part of the standard package.
The price gap between the two reflects real differences in what is provided beyond dental. Sanitas includes the BLUA 24/7 English-language digital GP app — a level of accessible healthcare that has no equivalent through Caser. Sanitas sends the certificate automatically on payment; Caser takes 48–72 hours via agent. Sanitas allows contracting 6 months in advance; Caser allows approximately 90 days. Sanitas can accept a 50/50 payment split; Caser requires full upfront payment. And Sanitas has five owned hospitals; Caser has none.
For applicants aged under 70 who want dental included and are comfortable with a contracted-only network, Caser is a legitimate option. For anyone aged 70 or over, it is simply not available.
Sanitas optional add-ons — not available through Caser
Sanitas offers 10 optional add-ons that can be built on to the base policy. None of these are available through Caser Adapta:
| Add-on | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy & Home Services | 50% pharmacy reimbursement (up to €300/year), medication delivery (6/year), home blood tests (2/year), home physiotherapy (6 sessions/year) |
| Optical Cover | 50% reimbursement on prescription glasses and contact lenses, up to €600/year per insured person |
| Family Assistance | Qualified home help during hospitalisation or illness — household tasks, childcare (under 16), school accompaniment, medication delivery |
| Reimbursement Cover | Access any specialist or hospital outside the Sanitas network — Sanitas reimburses a high percentage of costs |
| Pharmacy Cover | 50% medication reimbursement from day one, up to €200/year per insured person |
| Genomic Health | Advanced preventive medicine based on your genome — for future health planning |
| Sanitas Renta | €60/day cash benefit during any hospitalisation for illness, surgery, or accident |
| USA Cover | 100% reimbursement for treatment at world-leading US centres — Sanitas handles all administration |
| Accident Cover | Lump-sum payment (€30,000 or €60,000) in the event of death or permanent disability through accident |
| Enhanced Dental Add-ons | Additional dental coverage beyond the standard 45+ free services already included in the base policy |
None of these add-ons are available through Caser. For applicants who want to build a comprehensive health and wellbeing package in Spain beyond the standard policy, Sanitas offers significant customisation that Caser does not provide.
Dental: both include it — but Sanitas includes more
This is the dimension where Caser is most competitive with Sanitas — and unusually, both policies are ahead of the rest of the field. DKV, ASISA, and ASSSA do not include dental as standard. Caser includes Sonrisa Esencial as part of the Adapta + Dental + Repatriation bundle — a genuine baseline dental package that covers routine dental care and is available from day one.
Sanitas's dental provision is more comprehensive. Both the Residents Visa and Platinum Visa plans include more than 45 free dental services — consultations, X-rays, preventive treatments, fillings, and extractions — with 20%+ discounts on all other dental treatments and no waiting periods. Sanitas Platinum Visa includes a more extensive dental package than Residents Visa. Sanitas operates 216+ owned dental clinics across Spain, so the dental network is part of the same integrated infrastructure as the rest of the policy — not a contracted third-party arrangement. For applicants who use dental services regularly, the depth and accessibility of Sanitas's dental provision is ahead of Caser's bundled offer.
Network: owned infrastructure vs contracted providers
Sanitas owns its network. Five hospitals (including Hospital Universitario Sanitas La Zarzuela in Madrid and Hospital Universitario Sanitas CIMA in Barcelona), a national chain of Sanitas Milenium outpatient clinics, and 216+ owned dental centres. When you join Sanitas, you are accessing facilities that Sanitas designs, operates, and quality-controls directly. The integrated care pathway — from GP consultation through to specialist referral, hospital admission, and aftercare — can happen entirely within Sanitas's own facilities.
Caser has no owned hospital infrastructure. Its network of 45,000+ professionals is built entirely from contracted relationships with third-party providers — independent GPs, private clinics, independent specialists, and hospital groups. Caser does not own or operate any of these facilities. For routine consultations and most outpatient care, the contracted network is adequate in most major Spanish cities. For complex inpatient care or emergency surgery, Caser policyholders are directed to contracted third-party hospitals, which means the quality and integration of care depends on the individual provider, not on Caser.
Certificate & process: Sanitas is faster
Sanitas sends the visa certificate automatically once the policy is activated and payment is received. No manual step, no agent delay — the certificate arrives as soon as the transaction completes. For applicants with a tight consulate deadline, this is the most reliable process of any insurer on this comparison.
Caser issues the certificate within 48–72 hours, delivered by your agent (247 Expat Insurance) after acceptance and payment have been confirmed. In practice this works smoothly for most applicants — but the delay is a real consideration if your consulate appointment is within 48 hours of your payment being confirmed.
Tight consulate deadline?
If your consulate appointment is within 48 hours, choose Sanitas. The automatic certificate delivery on payment confirmation is the safest option when timing is critical.
Advance contracting: Sanitas gives you 6 months
Sanitas allows you to contract up to 6 months before the required start date. Caser (via 247 Expat Insurance) can normally be contracted approximately 90 days in advance. For applicants planning their move well in advance, Sanitas provides the flexibility to lock in cover and secure the certificate long before the policy needs to start. This is a meaningful practical advantage for applicants preparing their visa application 3–6 months ahead.
English support: different models
Sanitas provides comprehensive English-language support through its own channels — the BLUA app operates in English with 24/7 GP access, customer service is available in English, and the Mi Sanitas app lets you filter doctors by the language they speak. For new arrivals who do not yet speak Spanish, this is a genuine practical advantage from day one. BLUA in particular provides a level of accessible English-language healthcare — video consultations with a GP, digital prescriptions, physiotherapy — that no other insurer on this comparison can match.
Caser's corporate customer service and online platforms are primarily in Spanish. English support for the visa product is provided by 247 Expat Insurance, the specialist English-speaking agent through whom the product is sold and managed. 247 Expat Insurance provides a good English-speaking interface for policy administration — purchasing, certificate handling, claims support. But for day-to-day health queries, appointment booking, and GP access in English, you do not have the equivalent of BLUA's integrated digital platform through Caser.
Caser practical note: Caser does not require a NIE to apply, which can be useful for applicants who have not yet received their NIE. Payment requires a Spanish or European IBAN. Caser auto-renews annually with 1 month's notice required to cancel. The policy is sold via 247 Expat Insurance for the English-speaking market.
Who should choose Sanitas?
- Applicants aged 70–75 — Caser does not accept above age 69; Sanitas accepts up to 75
- Anyone who wants a 24/7 English-language digital GP — BLUA has no equivalent at Caser
- Applicants with a tight consulate deadline — certificate auto-sent on payment
- Planning 3–6 months ahead — only Sanitas allows contracting this far in advance
- Applicants relocating to Madrid or Barcelona — owned hospital access is a meaningful advantage
- Applicants who prefer flexible payment — 50/50 split not available through Caser
- Anyone who wants worldwide cover — Sanitas Platinum adds 90% reimbursement outside Spain
- Anyone wanting the most comprehensive dental — 45+ free services, 216+ owned clinics, more than Caser's Sonrisa Esencial
Who should choose Caser?
- Applicants aged under 70 who want dental included at the lowest available from-price (€46.95/month)
- Applicants who do not yet have a NIE and value that Caser does not require one to apply
- Applicants who want an English-speaking specialist agent managing the relationship (247 Expat Insurance) and are comfortable that Caser corporate is Spanish-language
- Budget-focused applicants under 70 in good health who primarily need the certificate and basic dental-included coverage to satisfy visa requirements
Our verdict
The Caser vs Sanitas comparison is more evenly matched than most Sanitas comparisons on this site — because unusually, both insurers include dental cover as standard. For applicants aged under 70 who want dental included at a lower premium, Caser Adapta + Dental + Repatriation (via 247 Expat Insurance) is a legitimate and well-structured option. The English-speaking agent relationship with 247 Expat Insurance provides a level of supported service that makes the product accessible for English-speaking expats despite Caser corporate being Spanish-language.
However, Sanitas is the stronger overall policy. The BLUA app's 24/7 English-language GP access is a genuine differentiator that Caser cannot match — for new arrivals managing their health in a new country and language, this is a practical daily-use advantage. Five owned hospitals in Madrid and Barcelona provide integrated care infrastructure that Caser's contracted-only network does not. The automatic certificate on payment is the most reliable process for applicants with tight timelines. The ability to contract 6 months in advance, the 50/50 payment split, the 10 optional add-ons, and worldwide cover on the Platinum plan all represent capabilities that Caser does not offer. And Sanitas's dental provision — 45+ free services across 216+ owned clinics — is more comprehensive than Caser's Sonrisa Esencial bundle.
Most importantly: if you are aged 70 or over, the Caser comparison is moot. Caser's maximum joining age is 69 — the lowest of any major insurer on this comparison. Applicants in the 70–75 age bracket have one obvious choice: Sanitas. For younger applicants, Caser is worth getting a quote for alongside Sanitas and comparing your actual premiums — but the product quality and infrastructure gap is real, and the BLUA app alone may represent a compelling reason to pay the higher premium.
Caser is available via 247 Expat Insurance — not through a standard general insurance broker. Visit 247expatinsurance.com for a Caser quote. For Sanitas quotes, use our comparison form. Always compare actual personalised premiums before making a final decision.
Frequently asked questions
Sanitas is the stronger overall choice for most applicants. It accepts up to age 75 (Caser caps at 69), includes a more comprehensive dental package, provides the BLUA 24/7 English-language digital GP app, sends the certificate automatically on payment, and has owned hospital infrastructure. Caser includes dental at a lower price (from €46.95/month vs Sanitas from €67.76/month) and is managed via the English-speaking agent 247 Expat Insurance — making it a reasonable option for under-70 applicants who are primarily price-sensitive.
Caser's maximum joining age is 69 — the lowest of any major insurer on this comparison. Applicants aged 70 or over cannot use Caser. Sanitas accepts applicants up to age 75. If you are in the 70–75 bracket, Sanitas is the appropriate choice on this comparison.
Yes. The Caser Adapta + Dental + Repatriation product includes dental (Sonrisa Esencial) as standard — making Caser and Sanitas the only two policies on this comparison to include dental as standard. Sanitas includes a more comprehensive dental package (45+ free services, 216+ owned dental clinics, 20%+ discounts on other treatments), but Caser's bundled dental is a genuine positive versus DKV, ASISA, and ASSSA which all exclude it.
The Caser visa product for English-speaking applicants is sold via 247 Expat Insurance — a specialist English-speaking agent. Visit 247expatinsurance.com for a Caser quote. For Sanitas quotes, use our comparison form at spanishvisahealthinsurance.com/compare/get-a-quote/.
No. Caser's network of 45,000+ professionals is built entirely from contracted third-party relationships. Caser does not own or operate any hospitals. Sanitas owns and operates five hospitals in Madrid and Barcelona, a national Milenium clinic chain, and 216+ dental centres — providing integrated owned infrastructure at every level of healthcare.
Sanitas sends the certificate automatically once payment is received — no manual step. Caser issues the certificate within 48–72 hours via 247 Expat Insurance. For tight consulate deadlines, Sanitas is the more reliable choice.
Yes. Sanitas can be contracted up to 6 months before the required start date. Caser can typically be contracted approximately 90 days in advance. For applicants planning their move more than 3 months ahead, Sanitas gives you significantly more flexibility to secure cover early.
Caser does not require a NIE to apply for the visa product. A Spanish or European IBAN is required for payment. This can be useful for applicants who have not yet received their NIE. Confirm requirements at time of application with 247 Expat Insurance, as terms may change.
Sanitas offers a full upfront payment or a 50/50 split — 50% now and 50% after 6 months. Caser requires full upfront payment. Sanitas's split-payment option is a practical advantage for applicants managing their initial outlay, which Caser does not provide.
Get an accurate quote for your age and situation
From-prices are a starting point. Your actual premium depends on your age, province, and underwriting outcome. Compare Sanitas side by side, or get a Caser quote via 247 Expat Insurance.
Pricing shown is sourced from each insurer's own published pages and is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Caser visa products are sold via 247 Expat Insurance — visit 247expatinsurance.com for Caser quotes. Premiums are individually underwritten and confirmed at quote stage. Always verify current terms directly with the insurer or your specialist before purchasing.