Applying for your TIE card to become a resident in Spain can be a daunting process, with a long list of necessary documents and strict rules on what exactly is needed. If you are applying for your TIE as pre-retired or not working in Spain, you have come to the right blog post, because private health insurance will be on your list of requirements for the application.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about the insurance in various, more digestible parts, so you can fully understand exactly what you need and what you are signing up for.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about the insurance in various, more digestible parts, so you can fully understand exactly what you need and what you are signing up for.
What is private health insurance?
Spain has an abundance of health insurance providers, with a variety of different policy options, although you will only be looking at one type of policy to meet the TIE application requirements. Private health insurance in Spain covers you to use its private doctor’s network and facilities and has options for added extras, like dental insurance, although this is not required for TIE applications.
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What type of private medical insurance do I need to get the TIE?
With various policy options available from a wealth of providers, it can be difficult to sometimes work out the best policy option for your applications, but really there is only 1 type of policy that is suitable, and that is full comprehensive without co-payments.Fully comp insurance gives you the same level of coverage as you would have in the Spanish national health service (Sistema Nacional de Salud or SNS), including hospitalisation and surgery. This type of coverage is one of the three main factors needed for the application. Alongside hospitalisation and surgery, you will also have access to GP’s, specialists and A&E.
The second most important factor in getting the right type of policy is that it cannot include excess or co-payments. Co-payments are financial contributions every time you see a doctor or go to a hospital.
This usually makes the annual premiums cheaper, but cannot be included in the policy for TIE purposes, as stated before, you need to have the same level of coverage as the SNS, where co-payments are not involved. Finally, the third part of getting the right policy, is ensuring the payments are made annually if you are new to private medical insurance.
This is to ensure you have covered your medical needs for at least the first year, but you must remain on the policy for the duration of the temporary TIE card, unless you find employment, as you will need to prove you have been covered when you apply for the permanent TIE.
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The benefits of a fully comprehensive policy without co-payments
Fully comp policies are by far the most widely used health insurance policy in Spain. Without co-payments, you have everything included in the premium without any additional costs, which can end up being very costly if you do not have the co-payments capped, so no nasty surprises later on. Aside from the financial part, fully comprehensive health policies give you access to private medical assistance across Spain. You are not obligated to go to a certain GP or specialist in your area and you can visit a hospitals of your choosing within the insurance provider’s network.This is especially important to those who do not speak Spanish, as private clinics either have multilingual doctors or translators, which is essential to understand health problems and treatments. The waiting time for treatment within private facilities is much less than that of the SNS, so it ensures you have access to the best medical care and fast.
Additionally, private medical facilities have the most up to date equipment, some notably have state of the art technology not widely available. New technology can detect illnesses earlier and treat patience faster with a higher success rate, so this is a very big added bonus.
Most policies have the option of adding dental as well for a small extra cost, which normally includes a variety of treatments in the cost and some treatments discounted or with excess payments that greatly reduce the overall cost. Aside from that, discounted prescriptions is also another optional add on.
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Additional information
Aside from the actual policy itself, you will also need a certificate from insurance company stating that the policy is fully comprehensive without co-payments and is paid annually, as well as your details.This can be requested from your insurance provider and most companies have a template ready made for TIE applications. You will also need to provide a certificate from the bank you paid your health insurance with, showing the full years payment.
For more information on private medical insurance for TIE, contact us!