School insurance in Spain (seguro escolar): who is covered and what it pays

In short: school insurance in Spain (seguro escolar) is a Social Security protection for students under 28, from year 3 of ESO up to university, covering school accidents, illness and family misfortune. You must have paid its fee. Social Security applies it to foreign students who reside legally in Spain, not to those in an irregular situation. It does not replace the health insurance required for a student visa and it does not give you a health card.

In person or by representative? The benefit application can be filed online (electronic office with a certificate, electronic ID or Cl@ve permanente, or the procedures platform that needs no certificate), by post or in person at a CAISS (Social Security service centre). The form provides for attaching proof of representation if someone else files.

Who is covered:

• Age: under 28; the insurance covers the whole school year in which you reach that age.
• Studies: years 3 and 4 of ESO, Bachillerato, vocational training and university studies (degree and master's, including the final degree project). The full list is on Beneficiaries and requirements.
• Fee: you must have paid the school insurance fee in the current year.
• One-year wait: at least one year must have passed since your first enrolment. No wait is needed for school accidents, family misfortune after the death of the head of the family, and tocología (obstetric care).

What if you are a foreigner? Social Security states that the insurance covers nationals of EU and EEA countries and foreign students who reside legally in Spain, and does not cover those in an irregular situation. The original 1953 law spoke only of Spanish students; the extension comes from later rules, which the official page summarises without detailing each type of permit. If you hold a student stay (how it works), the page does not say expressly whether that counts as legal residence for this purpose: confirm with Social Security before relying on the insurance.

What it covers:

• School accident: any bodily injury suffered in activities linked to being a student, including sports, assemblies and study trips organised by the school.
• Illness.
• Family misfortune: a situation at home (for example the death of the head of the family or the family's bankruptcy) that stops you from continuing your studies.
• Cash benefits: a single payment or a pension.
• Health benefits: the insurance does not provide the care, it refunds it up to the tariff limit for each treatment. In Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Aragón, the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Asturias, the Canary Islands and the Basque Country (which run the health side) those costs are not refunded.
• Incompatibilities: there are incompatibility rules with other benefits; Social Security explains them on its Incompatibilities page. Check it if you already receive another benefit for the same event.

Cost and who pays: you must have paid the school insurance fee; the payment shows on the enrolment receipt (university) or on the certificate from your school (other studies). Social Security does not publish the amount on the school insurance pages: ask your school.

What it is NOT:

• It is not the health insurance for the visa. For a student stay, Royal Decree 1155/2024 (art. 35.i) requires health insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, with benefits similar to the basic common service package of the SNS (the national health system) (how the student stay works; what each visa type asks). The school insurance only refunds costs within limits.
• It does not give a health card. For public healthcare, see how to get a health card.

Documents (from the Social Security application page; you show the originals, in force, and the list may vary by benefit, check the form):

• DNI or family book (libro de familia); if you are a foreigner, an identity document.
• If you are a foreigner, proof of legal residence, if needed: registration in the Central Register of Foreigners, or a residence card or authorisation.
• If you do not study at university: certificate from your school stating the course and speciality and the payment of the school insurance fee.
• If you study at university: the enrolment slip (resguardo de matrícula) stating the course, the subjects and the payment of the fee.
• The same documents for the previous school year, to prove one year of contributions (except for school accidents, family misfortune and tocología).
• Papers specific to each benefit (accident report, health invoices, etc.).
• If someone else files: proof of representation.

Steps:

1. Check the requirements: under 28, covered studies, fee paid and the one-year wait (with its exceptions).
2. Gather the documents from the list and those for your benefit.
3. File the application at the electronic office with a certificate, electronic ID or Cl@ve permanente; without a certificate, on the procedures platform; or, as a last resort, by post or at a CAISS.
4. Wait for the decision: cash benefits are decided by the provincial INSS office where you file; health benefits, by the INSS office of the province where the care was given.

Deadlines: they differ by benefit. The page gives 1 year for everything arising from a school accident; 5 years for cash benefits and funeral costs not caused by a school accident; 5 years for family misfortune, with at most 3 months of backdating; health benefits are requested before the care, except in an emergency certified by the doctor (then, 5 years). Check the detail under Management and applications.

Official sources: Seguro Escolar (Social Security), Risks covered, Law of 17 July 1953 (BOE).

Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.