The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros: How Spain Pays for Catastrophes
When a DANA flood, an earthquake or a violent storm hits, it is not your insurer that pays — it is the Consorcio. Here is what this state body covers, the small surcharge you are already paying, and how to claim.
Most expats in Spain have never heard of the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (CCS) until a catastrophe strikes — and then they discover that the body paying for the damage is not their own insurer at all. The Consorcio is a public entity that covers "extraordinary risks": the floods, earthquakes and severe storms that ordinary policies leave to the state. The good news is that you are almost certainly already covered, because a small Consorcio surcharge is built into nearly every Spanish home, car and life policy. This guide explains exactly what it pays for, how, and what you must do to claim.
The Consorcio in brief
- What it is: a state-backed public body that pays claims for extraordinary risks — catastrophes private insurers do not cover.
- What it covers: major flooding (such as a DANA), earthquakes and seaquakes, atypical cyclonic storms (sustained winds over 120 km/h), volcanic eruptions, meteorite impact, terrorism, riots and actions of the security forces.
- How it is funded: a compulsory recargo (surcharge) already added to your home, car, life, accident and most business policies — collected by your insurer and passed to the CCS.
- You do not buy it separately — but you MUST hold an ordinary policy in force, with the surcharge paid, on the date of the loss.
- How to claim: directly with the Consorcio at consorseguros.es or by phone, as soon as possible after the event.
What is the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros?
The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros is a public business entity attached to the Spanish Ministry of Economy. Its best-known role is to act as the insurer of extraordinary risks — the catastrophic, large-scale events that the private market cannot price or absorb on its own. When one of these events is officially recognised, the Consorcio steps in and compensates policyholders directly, spreading the cost of national disasters across everyone who holds insurance.
It also runs other safety-net functions: it acts as a guarantee fund for road-accident victims where the at-fault driver was uninsured or untraced, and it insures risks that no private company will take. But for most homeowners and drivers, the part that matters is extraordinary-risk cover.
What "extraordinary risks" actually means
The Consorcio covers a defined list of natural and political events. If your property, vehicle or person suffers damage from one of these, the claim is the Consorcio's, not your insurer's:
- Flooding — extraordinary flooding, including the DANA (the cut-off-low storms that caused the catastrophic Valencia floods of October 2024) and sea storms.
- Earthquakes and seaquakes, and tsunami waves.
- Volcanic eruptions (relevant after the 2021 La Palma eruption).
- Atypical cyclonic storms — including tornadoes and sustained winds exceeding 120 km/h.
- Falling meteorites.
- Terrorism, rebellion, sedition, riot and civil commotion.
- Actions of the security forces in peacetime.
The cover applies across lines of business — buildings and contents on a home policy, vehicles on a motor policy, and the sums insured on life and personal-accident policies — provided the underlying policy is in force.
The surcharge you are already paying
You do not take out Consorcio cover as a separate product. Instead, a small mandatory surcharge (recargo) is added to your ordinary insurance premium. Your insurer collects it on every receipt and passes it to the Consorcio. That is why the protection is effectively automatic: if you hold a standard home, car, life or business policy in Spain, the extraordinary-risk surcharge is almost certainly already on it.
The surcharge is calculated as a rate applied to the sums insured and is typically a very small fraction of the total premium. You will see it itemised on your policy schedule as a line for the Consorcio. The crucial consequence: cover depends on having a valid base policy with the surcharge paid before the loss occurs. An uninsured property has no Consorcio protection.
Your insurer vs the Consorcio: who pays which claim
The dividing line is between everyday perils and recognised catastrophes:
| The event | Who pays |
|---|---|
| Burst pipe, localised storm damage, a household fire, theft with forced entry, an ordinary car accident | Your own insurer (e.g. Generali) |
| Major flood (a DANA), earthquake, volcanic eruption, winds over 120 km/h, terrorism, riots | The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros |
So if a tile blows off your roof in a normal gale, that is your insurer. If your street is inundated in a declared flood event, that is the Consorcio. For the everyday side, our home insurance in Spain guide explains what your Generali policy covers and the common mistakes expats make.
The October 2024 DANA: the Consorcio in action
The DANA that struck Valencia and the surrounding provinces in October 2024 became the largest catastrophe the Consorcio has ever handled, with hundreds of thousands of claims for flooded homes, businesses and vehicles. It is the clearest illustration of why the system exists: no private insurer could have absorbed a loss on that scale, but the Consorcio — funded by surcharges pooled nationally over decades — could. Affected policyholders claimed directly from the Consorcio rather than their own insurer, and the body published dedicated guidance and a claims portal for the event.
How to claim from the Consorcio
If you suffer damage from an extraordinary event, you claim directly with the Consorcio — not through your insurer's usual claims line (though your agent can guide you). The steps:
- Notify as soon as possible — ideally within seven days of the loss. Claims can be filed at consorseguros.es or by telephone.
- Have your details ready: your policy number and insurer, your NIF/NIE, the address or vehicle affected, and a description of the damage.
- Document everything — photograph and video the damage before you clear up, and keep damaged items where possible for the loss adjuster (perito).
- Track your file: the Consorcio issues an expediente (file) number by SMS or email; you can then check the status online using your NIF and that number.
- The adjuster visits, assesses the loss against your policy's sums insured, and the Consorcio pays the compensation.
For everyday (non-catastrophe) claims, the route is different — see our insurance claims in Spain page, and we can handle the whole process for you in English.
What the Consorcio does not cover
Extraordinary-risk cover is wide but not unlimited. It generally excludes:
- Damage that your ordinary policy should cover (everyday fire, water, theft) — that stays with your insurer.
- War, armed conflict (whether or not formally declared), and damage from nuclear reactions.
- Events that do not meet the regulatory definition — for example, flooding from a burst pipe inside the home (an ordinary water-damage claim), or wind below the 120 km/h threshold.
- Property that was not insured, or sums above the amount you declared on the underlying policy — under-insurance reduces the payout proportionally, just as it does on an ordinary claim.
- Losses where no base policy was in force, or the premium and surcharge had not been paid.
What it means for expats in Spain
Three practical takeaways for British, Irish and other foreign residents:
- You are probably already covered — check your policy schedule for the Consorcio surcharge line. There is nothing extra to buy.
- But cover hinges on having a policy at all. If you own a Spanish property mortgage-free and have skipped insurance to save money, you also have no catastrophe protection. Given the flood and seismic risk in parts of Spain, that is a serious gamble.
- Insure at the correct value. The Consorcio pays against your declared sums insured, so under-insuring your home or contents cuts your catastrophe payout too. Our home insurance guide explains how to set the right rebuild value.
If you are not sure whether your cover is right — or you hold no policy at all — we are happy to review it in plain English.
Make sure your catastrophe cover is in place
The Consorcio only protects you if you hold a valid policy with the surcharge paid. As authorised exclusive Generali agents in Jávea, we will check your home, car and business cover in English and make sure nothing leaves you exposed. Free, no obligation.
Get a free review → Home insurance in SpainFrequently asked questions
It is a Spanish state-backed public body that compensates policyholders for "extraordinary risks" — catastrophic events such as major floods, earthquakes, severe storms and terrorism that ordinary private insurance does not cover. It is funded by a small compulsory surcharge added to most insurance policies.
Not separately. A small surcharge (recargo) is already included in your home, car, life and most business policies, itemised on your policy schedule. Your insurer collects it and passes it to the Consorcio, so the catastrophe cover is effectively automatic — as long as you hold a valid base policy.
The Consorcio. A recognised extraordinary flood such as the October 2024 DANA is paid by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, not your home insurer. You claim directly with the Consorcio, but you must have had a home policy in force with the surcharge paid at the time of the loss.
File directly with the Consorcio at consorseguros.es or by phone, as soon as possible after the event (ideally within seven days). Have your policy number, NIF/NIE and damage details ready, photograph everything before clearing up, and keep the expediente (file) number you are sent so you can track the claim. Your agent can guide you through it.
Yes. If your vehicle is damaged or destroyed in an extraordinary event — a flood, earthquake or severe storm — the Consorcio compensates you, provided you hold a motor policy in force. The same surcharge funds it. An everyday collision, by contrast, is handled by your own motor insurer.
It excludes war and armed conflict, nuclear damage, anything your ordinary policy should cover (everyday fire, theft, internal water damage), wind below 120 km/h, and property that was uninsured or under-insured. As with any policy, declaring too low a sum insured reduces the payout proportionally.
No. The cover depends entirely on holding a valid ordinary policy with the surcharge paid before the loss. An uninsured home or vehicle has no Consorcio protection at all — which is why even mortgage-free owners in flood- or earthquake-prone areas should hold at least basic cover.
Yes. As your agent we can explain whether an event qualifies as an extraordinary risk, help you lodge the claim with the Consorcio, and deal with the paperwork and the loss adjuster in English. Call 966 461 625 or use our contact page.
Sources & references: Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (official site, English) — extraordinary-risk cover, surcharge and claims guidance, including its October 2024 DANA pages; Estatuto Legal del Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros and the Regulation on Extraordinary Risks Insurance (BOE). Cover definitions, thresholds and procedures can change — always confirm current details with the Consorcio or with us. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.