A complete guide to Spain travel insurance (2023)

When planning your trip to Spain travel insurance is one of the things that you should take into consideration.

Booking travel always carries some degree of uncertainty. In this sense, a travel insurance policy is designed to cover certain financial risks that you don’t want to bear on your own.

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

What is Spain travel insurance?

Travel insurance helps protect you from certain kinds of unexpected events that can occur before or during your trip to Spain.

Unlike auto insurance, travel insurance is elective, which means it’s up to you to decide if you want it.

Do you need a travel insurance when traveling to Spain?

As I said before, travel insurance is not mandatory when embarking on a trip. So the decision is all yours.

Here are the steps that you should follow to determine whether or not you should get a Spain travel insurance:

• The first step is understanding where you need coverage and where you don’t. For example, some major credit cards offer some medical and baggage insurance.
• The next criteria to consider should be the cost and length of the trip, your itinerary and your health.
• The final step is searching for a provider and policy that offers the type of insurance you need, based on key variables such as trip price, destination and itinerary, along with pre-existing medical conditions.

What does travel insurance cover?

If you’ve never purchased travel insurance before or you’re not sure what travel insurance is, here’s a quick overview of what a travel insurance plan could cover:

• Medical costs. Your plan could cover for unexpected injuries, accidents, hospital visits, emergencies, and evacuations.
• Property loss, such as theft, damaged or lost baggage, and its contents while you’re traveling.
• Travel issues, including any trip cancellations, accommodation issues, and transportation expenses.

A typical travel insurance provides 24/7 assistance to help you.

World Nomads travel insurance has been designed by travelers for travelers, with coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

However, different providers offer different plans with a mix of these coverages and more, so be sure to educate yourself about all the options before choosing one.

Medical costs

A Spain travel insurance that includes medical costs is a temporary medical insurance that covers you on your trip.

It may pay expenses such as:

• Emergency transportation to a hospital.
• Doctor’s bills.
• Medications.
• Hospital and operating room costs.
• X-rays, treatments, test, and anesthesia.
• Emergency evacuation.

Property loss

Most comprehensive travel insurance plans include coverage for baggage loss and baggage delay if your bag is not permanently lost or damaged.

Let’s see the difference between both coverages.

1. Baggage loss coverage

It usually provides reimbursement for luggage and covered personal items that are lost or stolen while you’re traveling.

Baggage and personal effects coverage is typically secondary coverage, which means that it will act to supplement any reimbursements offered by a common carrier (such as an airline that loses your bags) or by your homeowner’s insurance.

2. Baggage delay coverage

It generally allows you to purchase essential items you need for your personal comfort while you’re waiting for your bags to arrive. As with baggage loss coverage, it is secondary coverage to any benefits your airline or common carrier may provide to you.

Baggage delay coverage generally becomes active after your belongings have been delayed for a specified period of time. Depending on the policy, it will usually be either 12 or 24 hours. Until that period of time has passed, you may not be eligible for reimbursement.

Another important consideration is that baggage delay coverage is typically only available on the outbound part of the trip.

Travel issues

The coverage that most people are aware of is trip cancellation, which provides reimbursement for unused, non-refundable, prepaid trip costs if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason, such as sickness, job loss, flight cancellations due to adverse weather and more.

Similarly, with coverage for trip interruption you can get a refund of your trip costs if you can’t continue your trip due to a covered event. Moreover, certain plans provide reimbursement for additional transportation costs to return home or rejoin your group.

Travel insurance may also include travel delay.

Who are World Nomads?

Since 2002, World Nomads have been protecting, connecting and inspiring independent travelers.

They offer simple and flexible travel insurance and safety advice to help you travel.

Because they believe in giving back to the places we travel to, World Nomads also enables you to make a difference with a micro-donation when you buy a policy.

And they’ll help you plan your trip with free downloadable guides, travel tips, responsible travel insights and recommendations from their global community.

Being an Australian company, I got to know World Nomads while I was living in Melbourne in 2007. I had the chance of spending a full year exploring the country.

How does travel insurance work?

The process for filing a travel insurance claim is similar to car or home insurance. If you get in a car accident or have a water leak in your bathroom, you file a claim.

In similar fashion, if something happens during your trip and you need to use your travel insurance, you’ll need to file a claim to be reimbursed.

The claim filing process usually looks like this:

1. You file a claim via phone, online form, or app.
2. You submit requested documentation and proof of loss.
3. Your travel insurance company reviews your claim.
4. Your claim is approved and paid or denied.

Travel insurance, like other forms of insurance, kicks in when you file a claim (online, app, or phone) under your current policy.

You’ll need to submit some form of proof of your loss or reason for cancellation. Your travel insurance provider will let you know exactly what type of proof and documentation is needed.

Once the claim is submitted, your insurance provider will start working on your claim and gathering any additional needed info.

Finally, as soon as the paperwork is reviewed and accepted, your claim is approved and paid or denied.

Disclaimer: I receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. I do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.