Pet Insurance in Spain for Expats: The Dog Law & What's Covered

Dog liability is now compulsory in Spain

Since the Animal Welfare Law (Ley 7/2023), every dog owner in Spain must hold third-party civil liability insurance. It's actively enforced by the Guardia Civil and local police, and fines for an uninsured dog can reach €10,000. The most common claims aren't dramatic attacks — they're everyday accidents: a dog bolting on a busy promenade and tripping a cyclist, a fence pushed into a neighbour's garden, a nip at a visitor.

Note: your home insurance family-liability section may cover some dog incidents, but it does not satisfy the Ley 7/2023 requirement on its own — you need dedicated dog liability cover, which a pet policy provides.

What a pet policy covers beyond the law

Liability is the legal baseline; a full pet policy adds the cover most owners actually want:

• Civil liability (the mandatory part) — typically up to €300,000
• Vet fees for accident and illness, up to an annual limit
• Lost-pet location assistance and a 24-hour vet helpline
• Optional add-ons: dental, behavioural therapy, physiotherapy, and death-by-illness compensation

Premiums on the Generali ON Mascotas product are banded by weight — small (up to ~9kg, including cats), medium (9–15kg) and large (over 15kg).

Spain also has seasonal hazards worth knowing about — see our guide to pine processionary caterpillars, a serious and sometimes fatal danger to dogs that makes vet-fee cover well worth having.

Potentially Dangerous Dogs (PPP) — extra rules

Eight breeds are classed as Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos (Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Dobermann, American Staffordshire Terrier, Akita Inu, Tosa Inu, Bull Terrier and Brazilian Mastiff). PPP owners must hold a higher minimum civil liability (commonly €120,000), plus a special licence from the local Ayuntamiento, and follow muzzle and lead rules in public. We won't issue a PPP policy without sight of that licence, since cover is void without it.

Microchips, registration and cats

A microchip and registration are compulsory for dogs in Spain, and some regions require an owner's course. Cats can be added to a pet policy too (cover is mainly vet fees and assistance rather than liability). Pre-existing conditions are generally excluded, and routine/preventive treatments (vaccinations, worming) usually aren't covered unless you add a wellness extension.

Get your pet covered, in English

As authorised Generali agents in Jávea, we arrange Ley 7/2023-compliant dog liability, full pet cover with vet fees, PPP policies (with licence) and cat cover — with English-speaking support. For a free, no-obligation quote, see our pet insurance page, contact us, or call 966 461 625.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references

• Ley 7/2023 de protección de los derechos y el bienestar de los animales (BOE) — the Animal Welfare Law.
• Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones (DGSFP) — the Spanish insurance regulator.

This guide is general information, not personalised advice. Cover, limits, breed rules and regional requirements vary and change. For advice on your situation, contact Turner Insurance.