Can I use my UK prescription in Spain?

Generally no. Spanish pharmacies do not dispense against a UK prescription, and the UK is outside the EU cross-border prescription system. See a doctor in Spain for a Spanish prescription, or bring up to three months of supply in its original packaging with a copy of your prescription.

What about long stays of 90+ days?

Standard annual policies cap each trip, often at 30 to 90 days. For longer journeys you need a long-stay or backpacker policy, which we can arrange.

Travel Insurance for Expats in Spain: Beyond the GHIC Card

Q: How much does travel insurance cost for expats in Spain?

As a guide, annual multi-trip cover runs from about 25 to 180 euros a year, and a single trip costs less. The price depends on your age, the cover level, trip length and any pre-existing conditions.

Q: Is healthcare free in Spain for tourists?

Not as such. A UK GHIC or EHIC gives visitors access to state-provided, medically necessary care at public facilities on the same basis as a resident, but it is not travel insurance: it does not cover private hospitals, repatriation or a trip home. Travel insurance fills those gaps.

Q: Do I need to declare pre-existing conditions?

Yes, always. Undeclared pre-existing conditions are the most common reason a travel claim is refused. Declaring them keeps your cover valid.

By Andrew Turner — exclusive agent since 2007 · DGS Registry C0467B54657010 · Last reviewed May 2026

Most expats in Spain travel often — back to the UK, around Europe, sometimes further. The most common and most expensive assumption I see is that a GHIC card and a Spanish health policy together cover everything. They don't. Here's the gap, and how to fill it. When you're ready, see our travel insurance page or get a quote.

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Quick Answer. Travel Insurance for Expats

Does GHIC = travel insurance?No — state care only, no repatriation or cancellation

Best value for frequent trips?Annual multi-trip

Pre-existing conditions?Must be declared

Covers trips back to the UK?Yes — and worldwide options

Why a GHIC and a Spanish health policy aren't travel insurance

These two things feel like they should add up to full protection, but each has a specific, limited job:

Your GHIC entitles you to state healthcare in EU/EEA countries on the same terms as a local — it doesn't pay for private treatment, medical repatriation, or anything non-medical, and it's no use outside the EU/EEA.
Your Spanish health policy is designed for treatment in Spain. Cover abroad is usually limited to emergencies for short periods, if at all.

Neither one pays for the things that actually wreck a trip: medical repatriation (flying you home with medical escort can cost tens of thousands), trip cancellation or curtailment, lost or delayed baggage, travel disruption, or personal liability abroad. That's what travel insurance is for.

Single trip vs annual multi-trip

If you take more than two or three trips a year — which most expats do once you count visits back to the UK — an annual multi-trip policy is usually better value than buying single-trip cover each time. A single-trip policy makes sense for one big one-off journey. We'll work out which is cheaper for your pattern of travel.

What good travel insurance actually covers

Emergency medical treatment abroad plus repatriation
Cancellation and curtailment for insured reasons (illness, bereavement, jury service and similar)
Baggage, personal possessions and travel documents
Travel delay, missed departure and abandonment
Personal liability and legal expenses

Declare pre-existing conditions — always

This is the number-one reason travel claims are refused. Any pre-existing medical condition must be declared when you take out the policy. It may slightly increase the premium, but an undeclared condition can void the entire claim at the worst possible moment.

The US, winter sports, cruises and long trips

A few things to flag when you buy: travel to the USA, Canada and the Caribbean carries a higher premium because medical costs there are high; winter sports (skiing, snowboarding) need a specific add-on; cruises often need cruise cover for cabin confinement and missed ports; and long trips of 90+ days need a long-stay or backpacker policy rather than a standard annual one. Just tell us your plans and we'll match the cover.

Does my Spanish car insurance cover me driving abroad?

A Spanish comprehensive (todo riesgo) motor policy normally includes European driving cover for limited periods — but that's separate from your travel insurance, and a hire car abroad usually needs its own cover or an excess-reimbursement add-on. See our car insurance guide for how driving cover works across borders, and pair it with travel insurance for the personal side.

Travel with confidence, in English

As authorised Generali agents in Javea, we arrange single-trip, annual multi-trip, family and long-stay travel insurance for expats based in Spain — with English-speaking support. It complements your Spanish health insurance without duplicating it. For a free quote, see our travel insurance page, contact us, or call 966 461 625.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. A GHIC only covers state healthcare within the EU/EEA — it doesn't pay for private treatment, medical repatriation, cancellation, baggage or anything outside the EU/EEA. Travel insurance covers all of that.

Single trip covers one journey; annual multi-trip covers all your trips for a year up to a per-trip day limit. If you travel more than two or three times a year, annual multi-trip is usually cheaper.

Yes — always. Undeclared pre-existing conditions are the most common reason a travel claim is refused. Declaring them keeps your cover valid.

Only with the relevant add-on. Winter sports need a ski/snowboard extension, and cruises often need specific cruise cover. Tell us in advance and we'll include it.

Standard annual policies cap each trip (often 30-90 days). For longer journeys you need a long-stay or backpacker policy. We can arrange these.

A comprehensive Spanish motor policy usually includes European cover for limited periods, but it's separate from travel insurance, and a hire car abroad typically needs its own cover. Check both before you travel.

Usually not. Most UK travel policies require you to be a UK resident, so once you live in Spain a UK policy can be refused at claim time — and many only cover trips that begin in the UK. As a resident you need a policy written for residents of Spain, with trips starting from here. That is exactly what we arrange.

It is not a legal requirement for ordinary travel, but it is strongly recommended. A GHIC or EHIC only covers state emergency care — not repatriation, private treatment, cancellation or lost baggage. Some visas and organised trips do ask for proof of cover.

As a guide, annual multi-trip cover runs from about €25 to €180 a year, and a single trip costs less. The price depends on your age, the cover level, trip length and any pre-existing conditions. Ask us for a quote based on how you actually travel.

Yes. Some off-the-shelf policies cap the age, but cover is available for older travellers — including annual multi-trip — with a pre-existing conditions module where it is needed. We can often place cover where a standard UK policy would decline you.

Not as such. A UK GHIC (or EHIC) gives visitors access to state-provided, medically necessary care at public facilities on the same basis as a resident, but it is not travel insurance: it does not cover private hospitals, repatriation or a trip home, and it is no help outside the state system. Travel insurance fills those gaps.

Generally no. Spanish pharmacies do not dispense against a UK prescription, and the UK is outside the EU cross-border prescription system. You would see a doctor in Spain for a Spanish prescription, or bring up to three months’ supply in its original packaging with a copy of your prescription. Travel insurance can cover the cost of seeing a doctor while you are away.

No routine travel vaccinations are required for Spain, and no dengue vaccination is recommended for travel here. A small number of locally-acquired dengue cases have been recorded since 2018 (mainly from late summer into autumn), but the risk to travellers remains very low — normal mosquito-bite precautions are enough.

Sources & references

GOV.UK — Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) — what the card does and doesn't cover.
Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones (DGSFP) — the Spanish insurance regulator.

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This guide is general information, not personalised advice. Cover, limits and conditions vary by policy and circumstances. For advice on your situation, contact Turner Insurance.