It is not required by law
There is no general Spanish law making every homeowner or tenant buy home insurance. A mortgage lender can ask for damage cover, but that is narrower than saying you must have a policy.
Home insurance guide for expats
Home insurance in Spain
By Linus Palmqvist, Head of Operations Reviewed by Simon Nilsson Last reviewed What home insurance in Spain actually covers, what you can skip, and how to sort it without the stress.
No prices to wade through, and help in English if you want it.
Home insurance in Spain: what to expect
Home insurance in Spain is usually one multirisk policy, a single policy that bundles cover for your home, your belongings and your liability if you accidentally cause damage. It is not legally required for most people, but a mortgage lender can ask for it, and the real risks, like water damage, make it worth having anyway.
The bank cannot force its own insurer
If you have a mortgage, the bank can ask for damage cover on the property. By law it has to accept an equal policy from another insurer, and it cannot charge you to check yours or make your loan worse for using one.
Your community policy may not cover your home
A building's community policy often covers the structure but not your belongings, your private pipes or your own liability. Check what it actually includes before you assume you are covered.
The same job, with Settlewell
You can arrange this yourself. If you would rather not, we compare the insurers, explain what each policy really covers and set it up in English. The choice stays yours.
What Settlewell handles
We compare the insurers on cover, what each is built for and the catch worth knowing, then arrange the policy in English.
- Working out what the home actually needs covering for
- Comparing the insurers on cover and price, not just the premium
- Reading the policy conditions, including what is excluded
- Arranging the policy and dealing with the insurer in English
Leo and our team help you compare and set up in English
What a Spanish home policy covers
Spanish policies split into three ideas. Learn them once and the rest gets much easier.
Continente, the building
The structure and fixed parts: walls, roof, floors, fixed plumbing and wiring. Insure it for the cost to rebuild, not the price you paid, and leave out the land.
Contenido, your belongings
Movable things inside the home: furniture, clothes, electronics. If you own high-value items, ask the insurer how they are treated, as they are often handled separately.
Responsabilidad civil, liability
Covers you if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property. The common case is a leak from your flat that damages the one below.
Renting? You still need your own cover
The building is the landlord's problem, but your belongings and your own liability are not.
A tenant policy typically covers your belongings if there is a fire, a leak or a break-in, and covers you if you cause damage to the flat, like a leak into the one below. The landlord's policy does none of that for you. Tell us you are renting and we will set up the right one.
Get renter cover sortedThe risks worth insuring against
A good policy comes down to getting a few things right, not to the longest list of extras.
Water damage
This is the most common home-insurance claim in Spain, with around 3.4 million claims in 2024 according to UNESPA, the insurers association. Policies often pay for the damage the water caused, but not the worn pipe or seal behind it, especially where age or wear is blamed.
Under-insuring
If you insure the home for less than it costs to rebuild, an insurer can cut a claim payout by the same proportion. Insure the rebuilding cost, not the purchase price.
Liability to others
Damage you cause to a neighbour, or an accident someone has in your home, can be expensive. Liability cover is often the quietly important part of the policy.
Choosing an insurer
We compared six insurers for people moving to Spain, on whether the policy and service are in English, what each product is built for, satisfaction and the catch. Read a single guide, or see all six side by side.
Let Settlewell sort your home insurance
Tell us about the home and how you use it. We compare the options we can set up, get the cover right, and deal with the insurer for you.
Leo and our team help you compare and set up in English
Home insurance in Spain: common questions
Still have questions?
About this content
Written by
Head of Operations at Settlewell
Linus moved from Sweden to Málaga in 2021 and set his own home up here, so most of this he has already done the hard way once. Before Settlewell he spent years at Workwide, the cross-border recruiter that has helped over 10,000 people into jobs abroad, latterly as its Head of Recruitment and Operations. He speaks Spanish, lives in Málaga with his partner, and spends his days on the phone to Spanish providers.
Reviewed by Simon Nilsson, Founder & CEOLast reviewed
Sources and transparency
This page explains the law and the main risks in plain English. The legal points come from the 2019 mortgage-credit law and the Insurance Contract Act; the water-claim figures come from the Spanish insurers association, UNESPA, for 2024. It is general information, not advice on your specific policy. Settlewell is free to use. Insurers pay a commission when you set up a policy through us.
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