Policy wording can differ greatly to that in the U.K. which can mean that, where you think you are fully covered you may not be. We recommend you take out insurance that carries an English written policy or ask your agent to fully explain what is and is not covered.

Some insurance policies are written in Spanish with no English version available meaning that, even if you manage to obtain a copy of your policy (and it appears many people don't), unless you have an excellent understanding of Spanish you are unlikely to know what is and is not covered. The vast majority of insurance policies we issue are in English, although your Policy Certificate may be bilingual.

Insurance policies in Spain can differ greatly to that in the U.K. which can mean that, where you think you are fully covered you may not be.

In particular, on some Spanish home insurance policies, wind-speed and rainfall are measured, which can affect if an insurance company will accept a claim for damage and/or flooding.  See also: Is a Spanish home insurance policy the same as the one I had in the UK?

We recommend you take out insurance that carries an English written policy or ask your agent to fully explain what is and is not covered.

There exists in Spain, a two-month insurance policy cancellation law.  Please see our Legal Section for further clarification.

In view of the two month law referred to above, although it is not always possible, we advise that you try to avoid giving  your bank details for payment of your premium.  These bank details are provided to the insurers who can use them to take your premium upon renewal - even if you do not want them to.  A better method of paying your premium is by debit/credit card, bank transfer without revealing your own bank details or cash in an Agents/Brokers office.  Using this method you retain control of who takes money from your bank account.

It is rare for a Spanish insurance company to give a refund on a cancelled insurance policy in Spain, though we work with some companies who will give a refund on a pro-rata basis. When a refund is made it is normally on a percentage basis minus taxes, administration charges and commissions.

Often a credit is given for a cancelled insurance policy. This credit can be used at any time for up to one year but must be used for a similar product. For example, a credit on a cancelled motor policy can only be used if you take out a new motor policy within one year.

Roadside recovery companies never give either a refund or a credit on a cancelled insurance policy.

If a claim is made on an insurance policy and the policy is subsequently cancelled there is no refund entitlement on the unused portion of the policy.

Unlike the UK, in Spain it is the vehicle that is insured - not the driver. It is normal for vehicle insurance policies to be issued permitting any driver over a certain age, in some cases over 25 and in others over 30. This provides for more freedom over who drives the vehicle with the owners permission. If however you do not want anyone else driving your vehicle you can, in some cases, gain a discount on the insurance premium by restricting named drivers.

Yes.  In Spain, the law states that a vehicle has to be insured for a minimum of third party cover at all times - even if it is not being used.  Please see our Legal Section for further clarification.

Replating a vehicle in Spain can be a complicated process.  For information in relation to this subject please follow this link.  This information is provided by Spanish-Number-Plates, who are specialists in the field of the re-registration of vehicles in Spain.

Normally, we can honour the no claims bonus entitlement you have earned in another Country including the UK.  We should be able to confirm this before you commit yourself to arranging a policy.

Few insurance companies in Spain offer protection of your No Claims Bonus, however we work with some companies who do offer this protection. This is normally an optional extra that costs around 10% more on your policy package. We recommend that drivers consider taking this option where possible.

Yes of course it is, although some Spanish insurers would like to persuade you it is not!

A British motor insurance policy issued in Spain is no different to a Spanish one although the Policy Wording and support will be in English and in many cases the Certificates will be bi-lingual. Your insurance policy is registered in the same way as any other and it is also recorded on the British Insurance Database meaning that both the DVLA and British Police will also be aware that your vehicle is insured. You can also tax your UK registered vehicle using one of these insurance policies.  See also our Legal Section.

Many insurance companies in Spain will only cover vehicles over 15 years old on a Third Party Only basis.  The reason for this is because, many vehicles over 15 years of age have a very low value and, in the event of an accident it is likely the vehicle will be beyond economical repair.  Given the salvage value, policy excess and the amount the insurer is likely to pay, it is often uneconomical for the vehicle to remain on comprehensive cover.

It is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to dispose of a vehicle that is scrapped, therefore in the event of any claim, the salvage value is deducted from the insurance amount payable.

The amount paid in compensation for a vehicle declared beyond economical repair is based on a European industry standard and takes into account among other factors vehicle age, mileage, condition and declared value.

There is also the vehicle excess to be taken into consideration if a claim is made against your insurance.

We insure cars, motorbikes, vans and other vehicles that are registered in the UK. The vehicle can be right or left hand drive.

In some cases we can also offer temporary insurance cover for vehicles registered in other European countries, provided it can be demonstrated that the initial steps toward registering the vehicle onto Spanish plates have or are about to be taken.

Spain does have a form of Classic Car Insurance, although many of these policies only cover total loss of the vehicle and not repair. Therefore in order for a claim to be successful, the Loss Adjuster will have to declare the vehicle beyond economical repair.

Classic Car Insurance is normally only available if the vehicle has been registered onto special Classic Car Registration plates.

Not Necessarily !!! Though having a Spanish registered vehicle will give more choice of insurer, in most cases both Spanish and UK registered vehicles cost around the same to insure though the insurance tax on a Spanish registered vehicle is slightly higher. The insurance companies we use in Spain do not differentiate between a Spanish or UK registered vehicle.

Most insurance companies automatically include breakdown recovery as part of the insurance package. If Breakdown Recovery is not automatically included we recommend you request it, not least because it is illegal to tow a vehicle on the roads in Spain, but also because if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident with no Breakdown Recovery, the police will arrange recovery which can prove expensive.

A point worth considering is that, if the insurance policy does not include roadside assistance, it is unlikely to have legal assistance either.  Therefore, in the event of a claim against a third party, the insured person will have no right to assistance from the insurance company.

If you are purchasing a property on a mortgage, you will need to take out, at the very least, Buildings (and often Life) Insurance. Many banks insist you take out your insurance with them. Some will even imply it is a condition of the mortgage that you take the insurance out only with them. IT IS NOT.

Though it is a condition of the mortgage that the property is insured, you are free to purchase your insurance from whoever you wish provided the insurance covers the mortgage and names the bank as beneficiary. If you take out your insurance with a bank the chances are you will be paying very much more than the normal price for it !

Where possible we will only offer British home insurance for your property in Spain. In our opinion British policies carry superior cover and the claims handling process is often more efficient. Most British policies are much the same as those you would expect to find in the UK with many optional covers. With many Spanish home insurance products there are several key items to be aware of:

Both wind speed and rainfall are measured throughout the Country. If damage to your property results from either high winds or heavy rain and the measurement at the time in your area was below the level required your claim is likely to fail. We say that damage caused to your property by high winds or heavy rain should be covered whatever the measurement provided the property is well maintained.

Many Spanish home insurance policies provide cover for accidental damage however, we recommend that before committing yourself, you check the exclusions. In many cases accidental damage cover is not the full accidental damage cover that you would find on a British home insurance policy. An example of this is a laptop computer. Many policies do not cover portable electrical appliances therefore if you drop it you will not be covered. Another example is the glass door on your oven. If the door is accidentally slammed shut and the glass breaks you are probably covered, however if only the hinge breaks you may not be covered.

Be wary of "all risks" cover on a Spanish home insurance policy. On many policies it simply does not exist. If you remove an item temporarily from the home and it is stolen it may not be covered unless force and/or intimidation is used. For example, if you go shopping and place your handbag in the car whilst you load the boot and it is stolen by an opportunist you are unlikely to be covered.

Whilst we appreciate many people will have experienced a good claims service from their Spanish home insurance provider there are a great many exceptions and our aim is to try to prevent our clients from being disappointed when help is needed and that is why the vast majority of our home insurance policies are through British insurers.