Insurance for residence in Spain: UGE requirements and reasons for refusal

What kind of insurance is needed to permit a digital nomad: UGE claims

The law requires "seguro público o seguro privado de enfermedad concertado con una Entidad aeguradora autorizada para operar en España", i.e. public insurance or private insurance with an insurers who are entitled to work in Spain (art. 62.3 e Ley 14/2013) [1]The details are given by the UGE certificate and the consular pages, which together provide such criteria.

The law only lists the first criterion, the rest of which are recorded in the agency's statements and can be updated, so check the relevant UGE and your consulate pages before buying.

What is copago, carencia and reembolso and why they're bothering

Copago: the patient's allowance for each visit, procedure or medicine. Carencia: the waiting period after buying a policy during which the insurance does not work for a particular service. Reembolso: the policy returns money after you pay the doctor yourself, not directly.

UGE lists these three topics among those that make the policy unacceptable: "no se aceptan seguros de viaje, seguros basados únicamente en el reembolso de gastos medicos, seguros con copagos o períodos de carencia" [2]Logic is clear: SNS provides assistance immediately and without payment, and the agency requires the same from private replacement.

The franquicia (the fixed amount that the insured pays before payment) is not mentioned in the UGE certificate. Whether the franchise policy is accepted, we do not know from open sources: such a policy needs to be shown to the lawyer before filing.

Why the policies reject: that agencies explicitly exclude

We have not found official statistics on the reasons for the rejection of insurance, but below what UGE and consulates call an unacceptable straight text, not the frequency of errors.

• Travel policy or policy [2][3][5].
• Reimbursable policy without direct payment of assistance [2][3].
• Copago policy or carencias policy [2][3].
• Insuranceer not admitted to activities in Spain or not listed as an oversight body [1][6].
• The cover is already more than SNS [5][6].
• Policy shorter than permit: the consulates of Moscow and Istanbul require that the entire term be in effect [4][5].

If the policy does not comply with the requirement in its entirety, UGE recommends attaching an explanatory letter [2]It does not correct the discrepancy, but helps the inspector find the right condition.

How the UGE and Consulate language differs

Each agency has its own set of words, and they don't match word for word. If you serve through the consulate and then extend it through UGE, the same policy is read twice.

The rule is safe: if the policy goes through the most stringent of these options, any agency will have fewer questions. Which option your consulate or Inspector UGE will apply, we can't say in advance.

How to check insurance before buying: step by step

1. Open the current UGE document sheet and your consulate page: Check the criteria at the date of purchase [2][4].
2. Check that the insurers are admitted to work in Spain and are on the Supervisory Authority List (DGSFP) [1][6]We couldn't open the register ourselves, so look for it on the DGSFP website.
3. Ask the insurers to confirm in writing that the policy does not contain copago and carencias and that the assistance is paid directly rather than reimbursed.
4. The term for the consulate visa in Moscow and Istanbul is the term of the permit. [4][5]A permit from Spain, according to the consulate in Moscow, is issued for three years. [4]The authorities believe that the time limit for authorization from Spain is not stated in the public file.
5. Make sure that your name is on the certificate, as in your passport, period and cover list. If not in Spanish, the document needs to be translated: UGE and the consulate in Moscow require the translation of foreign documents. [2][4].

When insurance is not needed and what about family members

The UGE certificate says that insurance documents are not required if you join Spanish Seguridad Social (general regime for employees, RETA for self-employed persons) after obtaining permission [2]The consulate in Bogotá writes the same: insurance is not necessary if the public system is proven to be covered [6]For a foreign company, this usually means that the employer is registered with the Spanish Seguridad Social, and you are a member of it. Digital Nomad and Seguridad Social.

If the applicant country is bound by an international agreement with Spain that covers medical care, the policy is replaced by a certificate of eligibility from the competent authority of its country. [2]For citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, we have not confirmed the applicability of such a certificate to DNV, nor count on it.

For family members, UGE's certificate for familiares requires a policy if they don't get SNS as beneficiaries through your activities. [7]The document we found is old, so please specify the conditions for the family with the agency.

Where insurance is in the application and what to do when requerimiento

The UGE electronic form provides a separate line "seguro público o privado de enfermedad": file is downloaded with passport, income and duty receipts [8]The business manual describes the same interface, and we didn't cross-check the line list for telework.

If the insurance has asked a question, the requerimiento will come. Then do not send the same policy, but explain how it meets the criterion, or replace the policy. requerimiento UGEI. Common list of documents for request collected in List of residence permit documents.

What can we help you with?

The NEXO team can check the policy you have chosen against the UGE and your consulate criteria, tell them what points to ask the insurers in writing and prepare an explanatory letter to the application. The legal part is run by the team's lawyer. ConsultationIII. Service page: Digital nomad ’s residence permit. The entire route by steps is described in DNV route sheetAn overview of the move on the page Residence permit in Barcelona.

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The source is viewed on 02.10.2026 · NEXO · Drafting Draft · Sources do not replace individual legal advice.