What is the cheapest compliant health insurance for a Spanish visa?
The two cheapest fully compliant options in 2026 are Caser and ASSSA, both starting from approximately €55/month for a healthy adult in their late 30s to mid-40s. Both plans are zero-copayment, cover full Spanish territory, and have been accepted at Spanish consulates worldwide.
However, "cheapest" is not a fixed number — it shifts significantly with age. The cheapest option for a 35-year-old may not even be available to a 65-year-old. The table below shows why this matters in practice.
Two important caveats before diving into prices:
- Caser's maximum entry age is 69. Above 69, you must look at ASSSA or Sanitas.
- The cheapest option is not always the safest option for your specific consulate. US, Australian, and Canadian consulates have been more demanding about documentation and insurer credibility. See section 7 below.
Price comparison table
Indicative monthly premiums for a healthy adult on a zero-copay plan, applying for the NLV. Prices vary by age, region, and health declaration. All prices are monthly.
| Insurer | From (age ~40) | From (age ~60) | Dental included | Max entry age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caser | ~€55/mo | ~€110/mo | Yes | 69 |
| ASSSA | ~€55/mo | ~€90/mo | No | 75+ |
| DKV | ~€60/mo | ~€100/mo | No | 65 |
| ASISA | ~€65/mo | ~€105/mo | No | 70 |
| Sanitas | ~€68/mo | ~€107/mo | No | 80 |
| Adeslas | ~€70/mo | ~€115/mo | No | 75 |
Prices are indicative for a single adult, zero-copay plan. Actual premiums vary by age, health declaration, and region. Get a personalised quote →
Adeslas is often cheapest at first glance but locks you into a 36-month non-breakable contract. If you switch in year 2, you will have been locked in since day 1. Every other major insurer operates on annual contracts with normal cancellation rights.
A policy with copayments (ticket moderador) — even as low as €3 per visit — fails the NLV visa requirement. Many cheap plans found through general comparison sites include copayments. Always confirm the plan is "sin copago, sin franquicia, sin coseguro" before purchasing.
Is cheapest always best for a visa application?
No — and this is the most important point in this guide. Consulate acceptance matters more than the monthly premium. A rejected application wastes the cost of the policy anyway, plus the consulate fee and the time lost.
The general picture by consulate type:
- EU and UK consulates (Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga) — Caser is accepted widely and is excellent value. A solid choice for applicants from EU and UK who want to minimise cost.
- US consulates (Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago) — ASSSA has a particularly strong track record here and is the cheapest option with that standing. Sanitas also accepted; Caser less consistently reported.
- Australian and Canadian consulates — Sanitas has the most consistent reported track record. ASSSA also accepted. Caser has a mixed record at some locations.
Sanitas costs more — typically €12-15/month more than Caser at age 40 — but has the strongest documented track record across all consulate types. For many applicants, paying that difference is worth the reduced risk.
What makes a cheap policy still compliant?
To be accepted at a Spanish consulate for the Non-Lucrative Visa, a health insurance policy must meet all of the following:
- No copayments — zero per-visit or per-prescription charges
- No deductible / excess — the policy must pay from the first euro
- No co-insurance (coseguro) — no percentage-share cost to the policyholder
- Full Spanish territory coverage — including the Canary Islands, Balearics, Ceuta, and Melilla
- Minimum 12-month duration — tied to the visa period
- Private insurer — public or state schemes are not accepted
- Repatriation included — medical repatriation to home country
- Certificate issued in Spanish — the visa certificate must be in Spanish
All six major insurers listed in the table above have compliant products. The risk with very cheap policies found through general comparison sites is that they may be with-copay domestic plans that look similar but do not meet consulate requirements. Always confirm the policy is specifically a seguro médico sin copago para visado de residencia.
Cheapest for under 50
For applicants aged under 50, Caser is typically the cheapest or joint-cheapest option. The dental inclusion adds real value — dental is not offered by most competing plans at any price point, making Caser particularly good value in its age band. ASSSA is similarly priced and is worth quoting alongside Caser for comparison.
For EU and UK consulate applicants under 50 who are healthy, Caser is the strongest budget recommendation. Get a quote at 247expatinsurance.com.
Cheapest for over 60
From age 60 onwards, the market narrows and price differences between insurers tighten. The table below shows approximate monthly premiums by age band:
| Age | Caser | ASSSA | Sanitas | Adeslas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60–64 | ~€95/mo | ~€80/mo | ~€100/mo | ~€105/mo |
| 65–69 | ~€110/mo | ~€90/mo | ~€107/mo | ~€115/mo |
| 70–74 | Not available | ~€130/mo | ~€140/mo | ~€150/mo |
| 75+ | Not available | Available | Up to 80 | Available |
Prices indicative. Obtain quotes directly for your exact age and health profile.
For the 60–69 age band, ASSSA is typically the cheapest option. For 70+, ASSSA remains the most accessible and competitive. Sanitas accepts up to age 80 at entry and is available for this group as a premium option.
Cheapest if applying at a US consulate
For applicants going through a US consulate (Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, Houston, or San Francisco), the advice is specific: use ASSSA.
ASSSA has a proven track record with US consulates, competitive pricing (comparable to Caser for the 40–65 age band), and an English-speaking customer team who can assist with certificate queries. Their prices are typically lower than Sanitas while offering comparable consulate credibility for US applications.
Sanitas is the premium option at US consulates and is also accepted — but ASSSA gives you the best balance of price and track record for this route. Get a quote at our comparison tool.
Can I switch to a cheaper insurer after my visa is approved?
Yes. Once you are living in Spain and your visa is active, you are free to review your insurance and switch to a different plan or insurer. Many applicants choose a slightly more expensive or better-known insurer for the application itself, then reassess once they are on the ground and have a clearer picture of their actual healthcare use.
One important exception: Adeslas locks you in for 36 months. If you buy Adeslas for your visa, be aware you cannot easily exit that contract for three years. Every other major insurer operates on annual contracts with normal cancellation rights at renewal.
If you know you want to switch after approval, avoid Adeslas entirely and choose any of the other five insurers — all of which operate on annual terms.
Frequently asked questions
No official minimum is stated in Spanish immigration law. The requirement is that the policy is with a private insurer, has no copayments, no deductible, covers full Spanish territory, runs for at least 12 months, and includes repatriation. The cheapest compliant policy available is currently around €55/month for applicants in their late 30s to mid-40s.
For applicants aged under 69, Caser is typically the cheapest or joint-cheapest fully compliant option, starting from around €55/month for a healthy adult in their 40s. Above age 69, Caser does not accept new applicants, so ASSSA and Sanitas become the relevant options.
At age 65, the cheapest fully compliant option is usually ASSSA, from around €90/month. Caser is available up to age 69 but quotes vary; ASSSA is more competitive for older applicants. Sanitas is available up to age 80 from around €107/month at that age band.
Not by itself — if the policy is fully compliant the consulate should accept it regardless of premium amount. The risk with budget options is less about price and more about which insurers have a strong track record at specific consulates. For US, Australian, and Canadian consulates, Sanitas and ASSSA have the strongest established records.
For most adult applicants in 2026, under €50/month for a fully compliant no-copay plan is not realistic. The floor for compliant no-copay plans is currently around €55/month for younger healthy applicants. Plans under €50/month are almost always with-copay domestic plans that do not meet consulate requirements.
No — provided the policy is fully compliant, the consulate should accept it regardless of the premium amount. The real risk with budget options is choosing an insurer with a weaker track record at your specific consulate, not the price itself. For US, Australian, and Canadian consulates, Sanitas and ASSSA are the established safe choices.
Yes — the health insurance requirements for the Digital Nomad Visa are identical: no copayments, no waiting periods, full Spain coverage, repatriation, and a Spanish-language certificate. Because DNV applicants are often younger, the cheapest compliant options are typically Caser or DKV at around €45–55/month for healthy adults in their 30s.
Yes — you can switch insurer at each annual renewal. Each new insurer will require a new health declaration, and any pre-existing conditions that have emerged since your original policy will need to be declared. If your health has not changed, switching to a cheaper insurer at renewal is straightforward and can save meaningfully on your annual premium.
Cheapest health insurance for the Digital Nomad Visa
The good news for DNV applicants is that the same insurers work for the DNV as for the NLV — Sanitas, Caser, DKV España, ASISA, Adeslas, and ASSSA all issue compliant certificates for the Digital Nomad Visa. And because DNV applicants tend to be younger (the typical applicant is 25–45, working in tech, creative, or consulting), premiums generally sit in the lower half of the cost scale.
Best budget options for employed DNV holders
If you are employed by a foreign company on the DNV, your insurance requirements are identical to the NLV throughout: no copayments, full Spain-wide coverage, private insurer. The cheapest fully-compliant options for most employed DNV applicants are:
Autónomo DNV holders: cheaper top-up policies at renewal
If you register as autónomo in Spain, your Social Security contributions (cuota de autónomos, approximately €230+/month depending on declared income) satisfy the health insurance requirement at renewal. For the initial application, you still need a full private insurance policy — but once you are on Social Security, you have the option to downgrade to a private top-up policy that does not need to meet the strict visa-grade standard.
Top-up policies for autónomos can include copayments and standard waiting periods — they just need to provide you with the practical benefits (faster specialists, dental, English-speaking doctors, family coverage) that Social Security alone does not. Sanitas and DKV both offer popular top-up options in this range. The combined cost of Social Security + top-up is typically higher than a standalone private policy, but the autónomo registration brings pension and sick pay entitlements that the private-only route does not.
Cheapest health insurance for the student visa
Students are typically among the youngest Spanish visa applicants — many are 18–25 — which means premiums are at their lowest. A student in this age group can expect to pay €40–65/month for a fully visa-compliant no-copay policy. Some consulates accept copayment plans for students, which can bring the cost even lower.
Cheapest insurers for 18–25 age group
ASISA and Caser are consistently the lowest-cost options for young applicants. Both issue compliant student visa certificates and have good acceptance rates at consulates worldwide. Sanitas is slightly more expensive but offers the fastest certificate issuance — useful if your consulate appointment is approaching.
| Insurer | Age 18–22 | Age 23–27 | Copay option? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caser Adapta | ~€40–45/mo | ~€43–48/mo | No (for visa-grade) |
| ASISA | ~€42–47/mo | ~€45–51/mo | Consulate-dependent |
| Sanitas Residents | ~€52–58/mo | ~€55–62/mo | No (for visa-grade) |
| ASSSA | ~€48–53/mo | ~€51–57/mo | Consulate-dependent |
Indicative prices for visa-compliant no-copay policies. If your consulate accepts copay plans, ASISA and Caser offer cheaper options in the €28–38/mo range for students.
Short-course policies: saving money on duration
If your course is shorter than 12 months — a semester abroad, a 6-month language programme, or a short postgraduate certificate — you do not need to buy a full annual policy. Most consulates accept a policy that covers the exact duration of your course. Some insurers offer pro-rated pricing for short-course students, which can reduce the overall cost significantly. Always confirm the minimum policy duration accepted by your specific consulate before purchasing.
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