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Professional Indemnity Insurance in Spain

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Quick Answer — Professional Indemnity Insurance in Spain
Mandatory forLawyers, doctors, architects, engineers
Typical premium€350–€1,500+ / year
CoverNegligence, errors and omissions
Legal defenceIncluded as standard
Run-off coverAvailable — extended reporting

Answered by Turner Insurance Specialists — exclusive insurance agents in Spain since 2007, Generali since 2024, based in Javea (Alicante). Talk to a real adviser in English: 966 461 625.

Spanish Insurance Law: Professional Indemnity — Key Facts, Limits & Exclusions

The legal rules, waiting periods, exclusions and sources every buyer should know. Each source links straight to the BOE (Boletín Oficial del Estado) or the Spanish regulator.

Legal framework — when PI is mandatory

In Spain, many regulated professions must hold professional indemnity insurance (Responsabilidad Civil Profesional) by law. Ley 34/2006 (Acceso a la profesión de abogado) makes it a must for lawyers. Architects need it under LOE Article 19. So do engineers, health professionals (via their regional colegios), notaries and registrars. Ley 2/2007 de Sociedades Profesionales extends the duty to professional partnerships.

Voluntary cover for non-regulated professionals

Even where the law does not demand it, PI is a wise buy. That goes for consultants, project managers, IT contractors, marketing and design freelancers, and translators. Most British and Irish firms now ask for PI before they sign up a supplier. The usual contract ask is €500,000–€2,000,000 of cover. Without PI, one negligence claim can sink a freelance business. Legal-defence costs in Spain run €5,000–€20,000 before any settlement.

What's covered

A PI policy covers claims for negligent acts, errors and omissions in your work. It pays for:

  • Defence costs — often paid on top of the limit in Spain
  • Civil claims and settlements
  • Regulator inquiries and disciplinary cases
  • Reputational protection costs

PI works on a claims-made basis. It covers claims reported while the policy is live. When the work was done does not matter. So unbroken cover and your retroactive date matter a lot.

Run-off cover (extended reporting)

Claims can still arrive years after you retire or stop trading. Most PI is claims-made, not occurrence. Run-off cover keeps the reporting window open after the policy ends. It usually runs for 6 to 10 years. That matches Spain's civil time limits under Código Civil Article 1968.2. Tort claims get 1 year; contract claims get longer. Always ask for run-off when you retire or sell a practice.

Standard exclusions

PI usually does not cover:

  • Fraud and dishonest acts
  • Problems you already knew about when the policy started (the "circumstances clause")
  • Contract terms that go beyond what the law would impose
  • Liability taken on under penalty clauses
  • Punitive damages
  • Fines and criminal penalties — these cannot be insured by law
  • Work outside your declared scope — for example, an accountant giving legal advice

Professional Indemnity Insurance in Spain

Professional indemnity insurance Spain (Seguro de Responsabilidad Civil Profesional) protects professionals against client claims. It covers loss caused by negligent advice, an error, an omission or a breach of duty. Many regulated professions in Spain must hold it by law.

Who Needs Professional Indemnity?

  • Architects, engineers, surveyors and technical professionals
  • Lawyers, solicitors and legal consultants
  • Accountants, auditors and financial advisers
  • Healthcare professionals — doctors, dentists, physiotherapists
  • IT consultants and technology professionals
  • Marketing, PR and management consultants
  • Estate agents and property advisers
  • Freelancers who sell their skills to clients

If you are self-employed, professional indemnity is one of four key policies. Together they cover almost every risk an autónomo faces. The other three are public liability, income protection insurance in Spain for the self-employed and private health. Our autónomo insurance package page shows how they fit together and what each costs. Two sectors sit on the line between indemnity and plain liability, so they have their own pages. Salons, spas and gyms: treatment and instruction claims start where public liability stops. Tradesmen and builders: once you design or specify as well as install, you need indemnity too.

Personal Indemnity Insurance in Spain: Is It the Same Cover?

Plenty of people search for personal indemnity insurance in Spain. In almost every case they mean this policy. Personal indemnity is simply professional indemnity bought in your own name. A sole trader buys it as a person, not through a firm. The Spanish contract is the same one, responsabilidad civil profesional. It follows you and your work, not your employer. Limits, run-off and legal defence all work as set out on this page.

The difference that matters is what the claim is about. Personal indemnity pays when your work causes a client financial loss. It does not pay you anything for your own injury. Cover for your own injury is personal accident and disability insurance in Spain. Illness that stops you working is a third risk again. Read our guide to income protection insurance in Spain for the self-employed.

What Professional Indemnity Insurance Covers

Optional Extras

How to Get a Quote

  1. Call or email us — ring 966 461 625 or email info@turnerinsurance.es. Our English-speaking team is available Monday to Friday, 09:30–15:00 (09:30–14:00 in July and August).
  2. Tell us your situation. We will ask a few quick questions. What do you need to cover? Your age, your location, and any policies you already hold.
  3. We compare options. As authorised Generali agents, we show you the plans that fit your needs and budget. No pressure, no obligation.
  4. Your policy is set up. Once you are happy, we arrange it all. Your certificate and English-language policy documents follow promptly.

Professional Indemnity Cover Levels

Cover level What is included Best for
Estándar — €300,000 Negligence, errors and omissions and legal defence, plus a higher liability limit and data protection claims Established consultants, surveyors, IT professionals
Professional — €1,000,000 Full PI cover, civil liability, €1,000,000 limit — required by many professional bodies in Spain Architects, lawyers, healthcare professionals
Corporate — €5,000,000 Bespoke high-limit cover for complex projects and regulated sectors Large practices and regulated firms

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Approximate Professional Indemnity Pricing

Yearly premiums depend on your profession, turnover and cover sum:

Freelancer / sole practitioner
from €350/yr
  • €300,000 cover
  • IT consultant, designer, writer
  • Spain coverage
  • Legal defence included
  • Run-off cover available
Most Popular
Small practice / consultant
from €800/yr
  • €600,000-€1m cover
  • Architects, engineers, accountants
  • Subcontractors covered
  • Worldwide jurisdiction option
  • Reputation/PR cover
Medium practice
from €2,500/yr
  • €2m+ cover
  • Full multi-disciplinary practice
  • 5+ professionals
  • High-value contracts
  • Cyber + PI combined

Prices shown are usual Spanish market starting points. They depend on age, area, cover level and your own case. Contact us for a free tailored quote. High-risk fields (medical, financial advice, structural engineering) pay more.

Frequently Asked Questions — Professional Indemnity Insurance in Spain

Professional indemnity (responsabilidad civil profesional) protects you against negligence claims. Some Spanish professions must hold it by law. For others, clients demand it in the contract.

Yes, in almost every case. Personal indemnity is the informal name for the same Spanish policy, responsabilidad civil profesional. You buy it in your own name, not through a firm. It protects you when a client says your advice, design or service cost them money. It also pays your legal defence costs. It pays you nothing for your own injury or illness. Cover for your own injury is personal accident insurance. Cover for lost earnings while signed off sick is income protection for the self-employed.
Spanish law requires PI for architects (LOE / Código Técnico de la Edificación), engineers in regulated practice and lawyers (Estatuto de la Abogacía). The same goes for doctors, dentists, vets, financial advisers (regulated investment advice), property managers (administradores de fincas) and notaries. Each profession's own body (Colegio Profesional) sets the minimum sum insured.
Spanish law does not require it for most digital or IT consultants. Client contracts more and more often do. Larger Spanish firms routinely ask IT consultants and developers for €300,000-€1m of PI cover. UK and US clients of Spanish freelancers often make PI a condition of the contract. The cost is modest: €350-€600 a year for a typical freelancer.
It covers claims against you for negligent advice or service, errors and omissions, and breach of duty. It also covers failure to deliver to spec, and defamation in your professional role. It pays damages, the claimant's legal costs, your defence costs and expert witness fees. Most policies are claims-made. They cover claims first reported while the policy is live.
Most Spanish PI is 'claims made'. The policy that pays is the one in force when the claim is FIRST notified. When the alleged error happened does not matter. So unbroken cover from year to year is vital. Any gap leaves you uninsured. 'Occurrence' policies respond based on when the act happened. They are rare in PI but exist in some niches.
Run-off cover keeps PI in place for past work AFTER you stop or change practice. It is vital if you retire, as claims can emerge years later. It also matters if you change jobs and stop freelancing, or wind up a firm. The usual run-off period is 6-10 years. The price is usually 200-300% of one year's premium for the whole run-off period.
Three things drive it. First, the minimum set by your profession's body (Colegio Profesional). Second, what client contracts usually ask for (often €600,000-€1m). Third, the worst-case loss on any single project. Architects on homes: €600,000-€1m is usually enough. Architects on commercial or industrial work: €2m-€5m. IT consultants on enterprise software: €1m-€2m. We work through your own exposure with you.
Standard PI covers your direct employees and partners. Subcontractors and freelancers working for you may be covered if you declare them. If you subcontract a lot, a 'vicarious liability' extension is a must. Each subcontractor should still hold their own PI for their own work. Your policy is your safety net, not theirs.
Most modern PI includes defamation as an extension. It covers libel and slander claims made against you in your professional role. Reputation or PR cover is now often on offer as an add-on. It pays for crisis management and PR help after a public incident harms your name.
Standard PI excludes deliberate dishonest, fraudulent or criminal acts. The policy covers errors and negligence, not wrongdoing on purpose. Some policies add 'employee dishonesty' cover. That applies where one employee defrauds clients without your knowledge. Director or owner dishonesty is never covered.
Standard Spanish PI covers Spain and the EU. For the UK, US, Australia and other non-EU countries you need an extension. It usually costs 30-50% more because the risk of being sued is higher. The US is the dearest because legal costs there are so high. Always check the territory before you sign a contract abroad.
Any written or spoken hint from a client (or their lawyer) that they may claim against you must go to the insurer at once. That applies even if you think the claim is baseless. Under most claims-made policies, a late report voids cover. Keep copies of all client emails, contracts and project papers for 7-10 years after the job ends.
Yes at renewal, but with care. The new policy must include 'retroactive cover' back to a date before any known risk. Otherwise gaps open up. We help set retroactive dates that match your old cover. Switching mid-year is rarely wise in PI. The claims-made structure and prior-acts issues make it messy.
A clean PI record over 5+ years earns lower premiums and wider cover. One notified claim can raise next year's premium by 25-50%, even if you win. Several claims can make cover impossible to buy. So think before you notify a trivial matter. But never delay a genuine notification; that is worse.
Yes. A PI premium for your practice is a valid business expense in Spain. Autónomos deduct it against IRPF; companies deduct it against corporate tax. Any personal-use part (rare in PI) is not deductible. The deduction is simple if the policy is in the practice name.

More questions? Contact us for free English-speaking advice — or call 966 461 625.

Running a business in Spain? Our guide to insurance in Spain for expats covers the personal and commercial cover foreign owners need. The Spanish insurance glossary explains the Spanish policy terms behind it.

How This Compares to the Competition

Honest comparisons help you choose well. These figures are usual Spanish-market starting points. They depend on age, area, cover level and your own case.

Generali Responsabilidad Civil Profesional vs Hiscox and AIG

How Generali's professional indemnity cover compares to the specialist insurers Hiscox and AIG. Both are popular among consultants and architects.

Feature Generali RC Profesional Hiscox Responsabilidad Civil Profesional AIG Lexington Profesional
Negligence / errors & omissions Standard Standard Standard
Legal defence costs Included — outside the limit Included — outside the limit Included — within the limit
Run-off cover (extended reporting) Up to 10 years Up to 6 years Up to 6 years
Retroactive cover Yes Yes Yes
Cyber liability bolt-on Optional Yes — combined product Yes — combined product
Geographic scope Spain + EU standard Worldwide ex US Worldwide ex US
Premium freelance consultant €300k ~€480/year ~€620/year ~€650/year
Premium architect / engineer €600k ~€1,400/year ~€1,800/year ~€1,750/year

Comparisons are based on public product literature and our own experience placing policies in Spain. Premium estimates assume a healthy applicant on the Costa Blanca with no major claims history. Contact us for a tailored, like-for-like quote.

Sources & References

This page references the following official Spanish regulatory and legal sources. These are the authoritative bodies and laws governing insurance products in Spain:

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