An EU passport spares you the visa, not the paperwork. Stay in Spain longer than three months and you must register as a resident and get the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión — the “green NIE”. The short answer on insurance: if you are not employed or self-employed in Spain — living on savings, retired early, studying without your own cover — you need a health insurance policy to register. Employees and autónomos (the self-employed) do not: Seguridad Social covers them.
If you hold a non-EU passport, this is not your route — see what insurance a residency visa needs instead.
What the rules require
EU citizens who do not work in Spain prove two things when they register: sufficient funds and health insurance. The insurance must be valid in Spain for the whole period of residence and give cover equivalent to the Spanish public health system.
In practice many offices read “equivalent” as full cover with no copays and no waiting periods. The document list itself is set by the individual Oficina de Extranjería and varies from office to office — go by the list published by the one where you have your appointment.
Policy checklist for the green NIE
Comparing policies against these points takes a while, which is why many people simply ask us to find a policy for EU resident registration — the quote is free. If you are checking yourself, this is what to look for:
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| No copays — copago, a fee charged per visit (more in with or without copays) | a policy with copays may not count as equivalent to public healthcare |
| No waiting periods — carencia, the time after signing when some care is not yet covered | cover is needed from day one |
| Hospital care and surgery included | an outpatient-only plan is not equivalent to the public system |
| Term at least as long as the period you register for | usually a year or more |
| A separate certificate for each applicant | a single document without names is usually not accepted |
What the certificate itself has to say is covered in our piece on the insurance certificate.
Alternatives to a private policy
- S1 form. Pensioners drawing a state pension from another EU country can transfer their public healthcare entitlement to Spain; a private policy is then not needed to register. More in our guide to insurance for retirees.
- EHIC (TSE in Spain). Designed for temporary stays and, as a rule, not accepted for resident registration. Students are an exception you meet in practice.
- Convenio Especial. Paid access to the public system, but only after a year on the padrón (empadronamiento) — too late for a first registration. See convenio especial vs private insurance.
When to take out the policy
The policy start date must be no later than your appointment (cita). These policies can usually be bought in advance — up to 150 days before arrival — and the certificate arrives as a PDF straight after payment. Bear in mind that they are generally non-refundable, an official refusal being the exception. The first payment goes on an international card; from the second year a Spanish bank account (IBAN) is needed.
Where to apply in Tenerife
Registration is handled by the Oficina de Extranjería or a National Police station covering your address. Check the exact office and booking rules for Tenerife in the cita previa system — offices and booking rules change.
Tip: set the policy start date before your cita, not on the day of it. You want the certificate in hand when you sit down at the counter.
Moving as a family
Family members who are EU citizens register the same way, each with their own certificate. Family members from outside the EU apply for a different document — the residence card for a family member of an EU citizen (tarjeta de familiar de ciudadano de la UE), which has its own procedure — see health insurance for the EU family member card.
The price depends on age, who is covered and for how long; there is no one-size tariff. Tell us in the chat who is registering — a manager will price the policy for the whole family free of charge.