Car Insurance Spain - Spanish Car Insurance

This page tells you all you need to know about insuring your car in Spain.

If you are an expat in Spain we give you contact details for companies that speak English and even have policies worded in English.

We are always being asked:

How do I insure my Spanish car?
Where can I find car insurance for my car in Spain?

So whether you have a Spanish registered car or a UK registered car, we can help you to find cheap Spanish car insurance. Car insurance in Spain is sometimes also referred to as motor insurance Spain, Spanish motor insurance or auto insurance Spain.

The advice on this page will also apply to other vehicle types such as vans, caravans, scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and motorbikes - in other words the companies and brokers we recommend will also offer coverage for these other types of vehicles in Spain as well.

If you are looking for the cheapest car insurance Spain or to compare the cheapest car insurers Spain then use our page to help you get car insurance quotes Spain by price comparing the different brokers and companies and Spanish car insurance price comparison websites. We also provide quotes by comparing the market on your behalf.

Having adequate car insurance in Spain is so important because as a foreign driver, or expat, the chances of having an accident are much higher. In a pressure situation of an accident and not having a great command of the Spanish language, you will be glad to have taken out expat car insurance Spain and you will be able to get the assistance and help from a good insurance broker or insurance company who speaks your language. In other words consider taking out expat insurance Spain.

One thing that will be difficult is if you are looking for specialist types of insurance because Spain is a bit behind other European countries in that regard. Classic cars, sports car and cars with modifications will be hard to insure.

WHICH COMPANIES PROVIDE CHEAP CAR INSURANCE SPAIN?

To get cheap car insurance in Spain it is a good idea to contact insurance brokers however you can also get good deals by going directly to insurance companies themselves. Major providers of Spanish car insurance include: Linea Directa (the Spanish equivalent of Direct Line Insurance in the UK) as well as Liberty Seguros, Allianz and Mapfre. These companies are also known as Spanish motor insurance companies.

Popular insurance brokers in Spain that will offer price comparison in order to find the cheapest quotes car insurance include: Jennifer Cunningham, Abbeygate and Knight Insurance.

We also provide car insurance price comparison quotes. Try us and see if we can beat your lowest quotation so far!

We offer insurance on all of these popular moedls in Spain: Alfa Romeo, Mazda, Vauxhall, Audi, Mercedes, VolksWagen, BMW, Mini, Volvo, Chrysler, Mitsubishi,
Citroen, Nissan, Fiat, Peugeot, Ford, Renault, Honda, Saab, Jaguar, Seat, Land Rover, Skoda, Lexus, Smart and Toyota.

HOW MUCH DOES SPANISH CAR INSURANCE COST?

Naturally you want to know the cost of car insurance in Spain. Well car insurance in Spain is comparable to insuring a car elsewhere in Europe. Also the cost of car insurance Costa Blanca compared to the cost of car insurance Costa del Sol is virtually the same, both areas are highly populated areas full of expatriates and prices will only be higher in the bigger cities on these coasts.

To give you an example, a fully comprehensive insurance policy on a popular car in Spain the Citroen Xara Picasso, is €570 a year (four years old, value €10,000). Car insurance in Spain works pretty much the same as anywhere else although what is different is that most policies include roadside assistance as standard. Also some policies include a hire car if you have an accident and your car is off the road but do check details on your policy.

HOW TO FIND CHEAP CAR INSURANCE IN SPAIN

We understand the need to find the cheapest quote for your car insurance but don't just choose on price alone. Make sure you really have adequate cover in case of any accidents and don't be tempted to lie or make false declarations as this could invalidate your insurance policy.

Below are 10 ways to reduce your Spanish car insurance and get the best price:

1. Increase Your Policy Excess
The best way to save money and cut your car insurance premium in Spain is to accept a higher excess (known in Spain as franquicia). The insurance company will always have a compulsory excess but you can add what is known as a voluntary excess in order to to reduce your premium (because you have taken on and accepted more of the risk of the policy).

2. Buy a Cheap Car With Small Engine Size
Another good tip to save you money on your car insurance in Spain is to buy a cheap car which is not highly powered. Spanish drivers when parking will often be able to squeeze into the tightest parking spaces with a few nudges on the front or rear of your parked car! What we are basically saying is that having a nice (expensive) car in Spain is all very well but the odds of having to claim on your insurance is higher than other countries as the United Kingdom. Buying a cheap runaround town car is a sensible option.

3. Take Out Third-Party Car Insurance
Get cheaper car insurance in Spain by opting for third-party car insurance in Spain. This money saving tip to reduce your car insurance in Spain comes with a common-sense warning – if your car has a high value then fully comprehensive car insurance in Spain is a must.

4. Increase Your Security
If you can increase the security of your vehicle then you should be able to get cheaper car insurance in Spain. Insurers appreciate that you have made additional efforts to reduce the likelihood of your car being stolen which means less claims, which is good for them. If you can park in a more secure area such as a garage or driveway as opposed to on-the-road-parking this should reduce or lower your car insurance premiums. Fit an alarm or immobilizer to your car.

5. Accept Limited Mileage
This is a bit of an insider secret in the car insurance business but if you don’t tend to clock up much mileage then you can sometimes get a reduction in your premiums by getting an agreed mileage restriction inserted into your policy.

6. Shop Around and Compare The Market
Shop around for cheaper car insurance in Spain and reduce your premiums. Many Internet-only car insurance companies will have the cheapest car insurance premiums because they have smaller overheads compared to the big companies with large offices and staffs. Brokers such as Abbeygate and Knight offer car insurance Spain online quotes where you input your driver details as well as the car make and model and you get a quote by email.

Use a price-comparison website that compares many deals on the market and instantly shows you the cheapest car insurance deals on offer. These Spanish car insurance comparison sites will save you both time and money. Unlike in the United Kingdom though, there are very few of these companies at the moment. Household UK names for car insurance such as Compare the Market, Confused.com, Admiral, Go Compare, AXA, Tescos and Geico are not yet offering services in Spain.

Car insurance Spain comparison can also be done by using Spanish insurance brokers to see if they can get you the cheapest car insurance such as Ibex, INOV Insurance, Abbeygate, Jennifer Cunningham and Knight Insurance.

Another related tip is to tell a company what you have already been quoted and ask if they can beat it. Often they will. This is because the market for car insurance in Spain is extremely competitive and they want your business as they are banking on you being less proactive when it comes to renewing and so getting a new customer can be very lucrative indeed.

7. Drive Safely and Carefully
Driving carefully and safely in Spain will in the end result in lower premiums and cheaper car insurance. Any convictions or points you get on your driving license for things such as dangerous driving, drink-driving, speeding, breaking the road laws etc all increase your insurance premiums as you are then seen as higher risk. Spanish insurance companies love low risk drivers who have a clean driving license and exemplary driving record because they make few claims.

Insurance companies prefer older drivers as they statistically do have fewer accidents, so if you are aged over 50 then make sure you find a quote that takes this into account. There are also specialist insurance companies that only offer policies to older drivers and these companies are often very competitive on price.

8. Get Your Car Insurance Policy With One Insurer
Try get your insurance policies in Spain under one roof. Assuming you will also need other types of insurance in Spain then it makes sense to take out policies with the same insurer. For instance you may have more than one car or you may also need house and home insurance for your property. Your insurer should be keen to get all of your possible business so they should offer further discounts to keep your custom.

9. Pay Your Spanish Car Insurance Annually
To get the best deal on your Spanish car insurance pay yearly in one single payment. When you pay as you go by making monthly Spanish car insurance premiums, an amount of interest is typically added to cover the extra administration and the fact the money is not yet in the bank. It makes it much more expensive though.

10. Named Drivers in Spain
Reduce your named drivers or other drivers on your car insurance policy. If you are just going to be the only driver - and in most cases this is likely, then tell your broker or your insurance company because this could and should result in cheaper car insurance as most policies in Spain allow other people over 25 to also drive your car (with third-party liability usually).

CAN I INSURE MY UK REGISTERED CAR IN SPAIN?

Quite why this subject provokes such debate between expats is a mystery to us. You will find expat forums dominated by endless discussions on this topic and even after reading the answers given you will realise they all conflict each other!

It is a fact that there are insurance companies and brokers in Spain openly providing insurance for UK registered cars and other vehicles, but what some people say is that if there is an accident you will suddenly find the insurance company unwilling to payout and cover you.

Some expat drivers once their UK MOT has expired go get a Spanish ITV. The Spanish ITV test is a certificate of road-worthiness for a Spanish plated vehicle but it does not make your UK registered car in Spain legal to drive on Spanish roads. If your car has been in Spain for more than six months your car is technically illegal on the Spanish roads and you are at risk with your insurance.

We just do not understand why you would take these risks which are very serious and can be extremely expensive if you were involved in an accident in Spain and the insurance company claims you have broken the contract.

If you have a UK registered car and you are insuring it in Spain we would suggest you see if your broker or insurance company are willing to provide you with a letter clearly stating that they are aware you live in Spain with your UK registered car with no valid UK MOT or Spanish road tax (SUMA) but that you have a valid Spanish ITV.

For true peace of mind you can re-register your car (or other vehicle) by importing it into Spain. The costs to do this are likely to be about €1000. The alternative of course is to buy a Spanish registered car which solves all your problems, worries and concerns in a stroke.

FULLY COMPREHENSIVE CAR INSURANCE

Fully comprehensive car insurance covers your car and any other vehicles involved in an accident. As well as the vehicles, any personal injuries sustained to any of the drivers and medical treatment is covered as well.Fully comprehensive insurance, also known as fully comp, is known as 'todo riesgo' in Spain, this translates as 'all risks'. fully comprehensive car insurance in Spain also includes breakdown cover (asistencia en viajes) and legal expenses (defensa penal). So if you are looking for expat breakdown insurance Spain, then don't, because it is actually already included in your car insurance premiums, unless of course you opt third-party car insurance.

THIRD PARTY CAR INSURANCE

Third party car insurance in Spain does not cover your car but it covers any damage to another vehicle or people that may be involved in an accident with you. This insurance is compulsory in Spain and is known as responsabilidad civil obligatoria or seguro obligatorio. So for the many people who ask us Is Spanish car insurance compulsory? The quick answer is yes, you must have this basic third-party cover as a minimum. Be aware there are certain limitations to the amount that can be paid out should you think it is worth extending you can pay an extra premium (ilimitada) to give you unlimited third-party cover.

Consider paying just a little bit more to cover your car with third party fire and theft insurance. This then covers you if your car is stolen or involved in a fire. This insurance is known in Spain as 'responsabilidad civil obligatoria, incendio y robo.

NO CLAIMS DISCOUNTS ON CAR INSURANCE

Spain also has the familiar no claims discounts on your car insurance. If you are moving to Spain any previous good driving record and no claims bonuses can be put towards your Spanish car insurance. You can also protect your no claims bonus (NCB).

INSURANCE IN SPAIN FOR YOUNG DRIVERS

The news is not good if you are aged 25 or below. It doesn't matter if you are a young woman driver or a young male driver - most companies and brokers won't want to insure you. They will typically suggest you get your parents to insure the car and put you on as a named driver. Or as a young driver they will tell you that they can only insure on a third-party basis. The trouble is then you don't build up any no-claims bonus!

Thanks to CarInsuranceSpain.org who suppplied much of this valuable information.

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