966 461 625 info@turnerinsurance.es WhatsApp
Facebook

Professional Indemnity Insurance in Spain

Rated by our clients on Google
↓ Jump to Frequently Asked Questions

Essential protection for freelancers, consultants, architects, lawyers, accountants and all regulated professionals.

Get a Free Quote →
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 Generali agents in Spain since 2007, 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 framework, waiting periods, exclusions and sources every buyer should know. We link the sources inline to the BOE (Boletín Oficial del Estado) and the Spanish regulators.

Legal framework — when PI is mandatory

Professional indemnity insurance (Responsabilidad Civil Profesional) is mandatory in Spain for several regulated professions. Ley 34/2006 (Acceso a la profesión de abogado) requires lawyers to maintain professional liability cover. Architects under the LOE Article 19, engineers, healthcare professionals (under regional medical colegios), notaries and registrars must all carry PI. Ley 2/2007 de Sociedades Profesionales extends mandatory cover to multi-disciplinary professional partnerships.

Voluntary cover for non-regulated professionals

Even when not legally required, PI cover is strongly recommended for: consultants, project managers, IT contractors, marketing and design freelancers, and translators. Most British and Irish company contracts now require PI as a standard supplier-vetting term — €500,000–€2,000,000 indemnity is the typical contractual ask. Without PI, a single professional negligence claim can destroy a freelance business: legal-defence costs in Spain run €5,000–€20,000 even before any settlement.

What's covered

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

  • Defence costs — usually outside the limit on Spanish policies
  • Civil claims and settlements
  • Regulatory investigations and disciplinary proceedings
  • Reputational protection costs

PI works on a claims-made basis. Only claims reported during the policy period are covered, no matter when the work was done. That makes continuous cover and your retroactive date very important.

Run-off cover (extended reporting)

When a professional retires or stops trading, claims can still arise years later — most PI cover is claims-made not occurrence. Run-off cover extends the reporting window after the policy ends, typically for 6 to 10 years, matching the Spanish civil liability statute of limitations under Código Civil Article 1968.2 which gives 1 year for tort claims and longer for contractual claims. Always negotiate run-off when retiring or selling a practice.

Standard exclusions

PI usually does not cover:

  • Fraud and dishonest acts
  • Circumstances you already knew about when the policy started (the "circumstances clause")
  • Contractual liability beyond what the law would impose
  • Liabilities taken on under penalty clauses
  • Punitive damages
  • Fines and criminal penalties — fines for wrongful acts cannot be insured
  • 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 claims for losses suffered as a result of negligent advice, error, omission or breach of professional duty. Mandatory for many regulated professions in Spain.

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 providing professional services to clients

If you are self-employed, professional indemnity is one of four policies that between them cover almost everything an autónomo faces — alongside 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 right on the boundary between indemnity and ordinary liability and have their own pages: salons, spas and gyms, where treatment and instruction liability begins where public liability stops, and tradesmen and builders, where designing or specifying as well as installing pulls you into indemnity territory.

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 takes it out personally, not through a company. 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 costs all work exactly as described 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 present the plans that match your needs and budget. No pressure, no obligation.
  4. Your policy is set up — once you are happy, we arrange everything and send your certificate and English-language policy documents 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 professional sectors Large practices and regulated firms

📰 You might also be interested in

🚌 Fleet Insurance 🚛 Transport Insurance 🏗️ Constructor's Liability 💼 Autónomo Package 🔨 Tradesman & Builder 💇 Salon & Gym 📰 Read our blog 📞 Get a quote

Approximate Professional Indemnity Pricing

Annual premiums depend on profession, turnover and required 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 typical Spanish market starting points and depend on age, area, cover level and your individual circumstances. Contact us for a free personalised quote. High-risk professions (medical, financial advice, structural engineering) attract higher premiums.

Frequently Asked Questions — Professional Indemnity Insurance in Spain

Professional indemnity (responsabilidad civil profesional) protects qualified professionals against negligence claims. Some Spanish professions require it by law; for others it is contractually required by clients.

Yes, in almost every case. Personal indemnity is the informal name for the same Spanish policy, responsabilidad civil profesional, bought in your own name rather than through a company. It protects you when a client claims your advice, design or service caused them a financial loss, and it pays your legal defence costs. It does not pay you anything for your own injury or illness. Cover for your own injury is personal accident insurance. Cover for lost earnings while you are signed off sick is income protection insurance for the self-employed.
Spanish law requires PI insurance for: architects (LOE / Código Técnico de la Edificación), engineers in regulated practice, lawyers (Estatuto de la Abogacía), doctors, dentists, veterinarians, financial advisors (regulated investment advice), property managers (administradores de fincas), and notaries. The minimum sum insured is set by each profession's regulating body (Colegio Profesional).
Not required by Spanish law for most digital/IT consultants, but increasingly required by client contracts. Larger Spanish corporate clients routinely require PI cover of €300,000-€1m for IT consultants and developers. UK and US clients of Spanish freelancers often demand PI cover as a contractual condition. Premium cost is moderate (€350-€600/year for a typical freelancer).
It covers claims made against you for negligent advice or service, errors and omissions, breach of professional duty, failure to deliver to specification, and defamation in professional capacity. It pays damages awarded, claimant's legal costs, your defence costs and expert witness fees. Covers acts/omissions during the policy period or — in most claims-made policies — claims first reported during the policy period.
Most Spanish PI is 'claims made' — the policy that responds is the one in force when the claim is FIRST notified, regardless of when the alleged error occurred. This means continuous cover from year to year is essential; gaps cause uninsured exposure. 'Occurrence' policies (where the policy when the act happened responds) are rare in PI but exist in some niches.
Run-off cover continues PI protection for claims arising from past work AFTER you stop practising or change practice. Critical for: retiring practitioners (claims can emerge years after retirement); practitioners changing jobs and discontinuing freelance activity; firms being wound up. Typical run-off period is 6-10 years. Premium is typically 200-300% of one year's standard premium for the full run-off period.
Three factors: regulatory minimums for your profession (Colegio Profesional); typical client contract requirements (often €600,000-€1m); and the maximum potential exposure of any single project. Architects on residential builds: €600,000-€1m typically suffices. Architects on commercial/industrial: €2m-€5m. IT consultants on enterprise software projects: €1m-€2m. We work through your specific exposure.
Standard PI covers your direct employees and partners. Subcontractors and freelancers acting on your behalf may be covered if specifically declared. For consultancies that subcontract significantly, a 'vicarious liability' extension is essential. Each subcontractor should also hold their own PI cover for their direct work — your policy is your safety net, not a substitute.
Most modern PI includes defamation as an extension — covering libel/slander claims against you in your professional capacity. Reputation/PR cover is increasingly available as an add-on, paying for crisis management and PR support after a public incident affecting your professional reputation.
Standard PI excludes intentional dishonest, fraudulent or criminal acts. The policy covers errors and negligence — not deliberate wrongdoing. Some policies include 'employee dishonesty' cover where one employee defrauds clients without your knowledge. Director/owner dishonesty is never covered.
Standard Spanish PI covers Spain and EU territories. For UK, US, Australia and other non-EU jurisdictions, an extension is needed and premium is typically 30-50% higher due to higher litigation risk. US jurisdiction is the most expensive due to legal cost levels. Always check geographic scope before signing international contracts.
Any written or oral notification from a client (or their lawyer) suggesting they may bring a claim against you must be reported to the insurer immediately — even if you think the claim is unfounded. Under most claims-made policies, late notification voids cover. Keep a copy of all client communication, contracts and project documentation for 7-10 years post-completion.
Yes at renewal, but with care. The new policy must include 'retroactive cover' back to a date before any known potential claims, otherwise gaps emerge. We help arrange retroactive dates that match your previous cover. Switching mid-year is generally not advisable in PI because of the claims-made structure and prior-acts complications.
A clean PI record over 5+ years earns lower premiums and broader cover terms. A single notified claim (even if defended successfully) can increase next year's premium 25-50%. Multiple claims can make cover unobtainable. This is why notification-only-when-necessary discipline matters — but never delay legitimate notifications, as that's worse.
Yes — PI premium for professional practice is a legitimate business expense in Spain, deductible against IRPF for autónomos and corporate income tax for companies. Personal-use components (rare in PI) are not deductible. The deduction is straightforward if the policy is held 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 make an informed choice. These figures are typical Spanish-market starting points and depend on age, area, cover level and individual circumstances.

Generali Responsabilidad Civil Profesional vs Hiscox and AIG

How Generali's professional indemnity cover compares to the specialist insurers Hiscox and AIG, 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 publicly available product literature and our experience placing policies across the Spanish market. Premium estimates assume a healthy applicant on the Costa Blanca with no significant claims history. Contact us for a personalised, 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:

Protect Your Professional Reputation

AUTHORISED GENERALI AGENTS · FREE ADVICE · ENGLISH-SPEAKING TEAM IN JAVEA

Read our Google reviews
Get a Free Quote →📞 966 461 625Get a Quote