Questions that come up specifically for expat owners.
Questions that come up specifically for expat owners.
Insuring a home in Spain as a foreign owner brings a particular set of questions — about language, paperwork and how the Spanish system differs from home. The reassuring answers: cover can be arranged and run entirely in English, many policies don't require residency, and we work with British, Irish, American, Dutch, German, French and Scandinavian owners every day.
The answers below cover English-speaking support, the NIE question, switching from a bank's policy, and who underwrites the cover.
A Spanish home policy is a Spanish-language legal contract, and the claims process — including dealing with the loss adjuster (perito) — is conducted in Spanish. For most expats the value of working with a specialist like 247 Expat Insurance is twofold: you get cover arranged and explained in English so you actually understand what you're buying, and you have someone to manage a claim for you in English if things go wrong. Policies are underwritten by Grupo Caser Helvetia, one of Spain's largest insurers, so the cover sits behind a major name while the service is in your language.
Three differences catch foreign owners out most. First, the rebuild-cost basis: buildings are insured at the cost to reconstruct, not the market or purchase price, which on the coast is usually higher. Second, the average clause (regla proporcional), applied more routinely than UK owners expect — under-declare your sums insured and a claim is cut in proportion. Third, the Consorcio: catastrophes like major floods are paid by a state body funded by a surcharge on your policy, not by your insurer. None are complicated once explained, but a policy you can't read is a policy you can't rely on — which is the whole reason to arrange cover in English. The glossary decodes the key terms.
Many policies can be arranged without residency or an NIE — we'll confirm what's needed for your situation before you buy. We work with British, Irish, American, Dutch, German, French and Scandinavian owners, resident and non-resident. Cover is arranged by a regulated insurance agent registered with Spain's regulator (the DGSFP) as an exclusive agent of Grupo Caser Helvetia; our full details are in the legal notice, and the relationship is set out on our About page.
We work with every kind of foreign owner: retirees settling on the coast, UK owners navigating life after Brexit, digital nomads renting while they work, holiday-home owners, landlords, and people buying or inheriting a Spanish property. The recurring mistakes are the same across all of them: insuring buildings at the purchase price instead of the rebuild cost, under-declaring contents, assuming the community policy covers a flat's interior and liability, and not declaring how the property is really used. Avoiding those four is most of what good cover comes down to — and exactly what we help with.
You don't need to be in Spain to insure a Spanish home. The quote, the documents and any claim are handled remotely by phone, email and WhatsApp, in English — most of the owners we work with are non-resident. See non-resident home insurance.
For more, see our guide to home insurance for expats in Spain, the glossary of Spanish insurance terms, and 10 mistakes expats make. The answered questions below cover the common ones.
Yes — everything is arranged and explained in plain English, seven days a week, including the documents and any claim. The policy itself is a Spanish contract, but you never have to deal with it in Spanish. See home insurance for expats.
Some insurers ask for it, but many policies can be arranged without residency or an NIE. We'll confirm exactly what's needed for your situation before you buy.
Yes — British, Irish, American, Dutch, German, French, Scandinavian and other foreign owners, whether resident or non-resident.
Yes — send us your current policy or renewal and we'll review the sums insured and limits and see whether we can find a better option that still meets any mortgage requirement. See switching and renewals.
Because a policy you can't fully read is one you can't rely on, and a Spanish claims process is stressful in a second language. We translate both the cover and the system, and manage claims and the loss adjuster in English on your behalf.
Insuring buildings at the purchase price instead of the rebuild cost, under-declaring contents, and assuming the community policy covers their flat's contents and liability. See 10 mistakes expats make. Cover varies by insurer and policy, so always check your policy terms.
Yes — quote, documents and claims are all handled remotely by phone, email and WhatsApp. Most of the owners we work with are non-resident. See non-resident home insurance.
Buildings are insured at rebuild cost not market value, the average clause (regla proporcional) is applied routinely, water damage and liability are central, and catastrophes go to the state Consorcio rather than your insurer. See the glossary.
Policies are underwritten by Grupo Caser Helvetia, one of Spain's largest insurers. 247 Expat Insurance arranges and services the cover and supports you in English.
Not for the home insurance itself — UK owners can insure a Spanish property exactly as before. What changed sits around it (the 90/180-day visit limit, residency and non-resident tax). See our guide for UK owners.
Tell us about your property and we'll recommend the right cover — in plain English, with no pressure.
