Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
A question on private health insurance during the Spain Non Lucrative Visa renewal, on years 2-3 can we pay monthly or do we need to buy it outright as was done for first year?
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
Planning your move to Spain?
Get the free step-by-step roadmap used by 10,000+ expats — covering visas, budget, housing, and the mistakes to avoid.
Start the Moving to Spain Hub →“Officially, you need to pay annually. Most insurers won’t issue a health certificate without an annual payment.
There are a couple that will issue it on monthly payments but there’s a 50/50 chance that you’ll be asked at your appointment for the receipt of the full year’s payment. I wouldn’t risk it if I were you and pay the year.”
“I have just done mine and had to pay the year and provide proof of payment.”
“For years 2/3 monthly payments are acceptable.”
Not sure which city is right for you?
Compare cost of living, weather, expat community size, and lifestyle across 13 Spanish cities in our free guide.
Explore Cities →
“Yes, you can switch to monthly, but you will need to advise your agent well before your renewal date if you intend to stay with the same carrier.
We also switched to a policy with copays after the first year and never had a problem with renewals. The copays are tiny. We’ve spent maybe 100€ on copays in five years.”
“We paid monthly for our years 2/3 renewal and there was no issue.”
Conclusion
Some members suggest that an annual payment is often required to obtain a health certificate necessary for visa renewal, others have successfully transitioned to monthly payments without issues.
This indicates that while the safer approach might be annual payments, monthly payments are also viable, depending on the insurance provider and possibly the specific circumstances of the applicant.
Join our community!
Make sure to join our dedicated Spanish Non Lucrative Visa group here!
Get your free step-by-step Spain move plan
10 emails over 2 weeks covering visas, budget, housing & the mistakes to avoid.
Join 10,000+ expats who used this roadmap.
100% free · No credit card · Unsubscribe anytime
