If your application was refused because of the insurance, it usually is not the end of the road. In most cases the underlying issue is a policy or certificate that did not meet the route’s conditions — something that can be corrected and resubmitted, often quickly. The key is reading the refusal correctly and choosing the right next step before the deadline runs out.
Why insurance gets applications refused
The refusal is rarely about whether you had insurance — it is about whether the policy and its certificate met the exact conditions. The usual causes:
- The policy had copayments on a route that requires none (the classic Non-Lucrative Visa refusal — a small fee per visit is enough).
- The policy had waiting periods (carencias) that would leave you uncovered.
- The insurer was not authorised to operate in Spain (not DGSFP-regulated) — common with international or home-country plans.
- It was travel insurance, not resident health insurance.
- The certificate was missing the required wording, or was not in Spanish where the consulate expects it.
- The cover period was too short, or payment was monthly where 12 months up front was expected.
What can be corrected
Almost all insurance refusals come down to the policy or the certificate — both of which we can fix:
- Replace a copay / waiting-period policy with a fully compliant, no-copay policy from a Spanish-authorised insurer.
- Issue a correct certificate in the right wording and language for your consulate.
- Set the cover period and payment format the route expects (usually 12 months).
- Align the policy with the specific visa route and its nuances.
See exactly what a compliant certificate must say on our visa health insurance certificate guide.
Your three routes after a refusal
Which is right depends on the wording of the refusal, the deadline you were given, and how quickly you need to be in Spain. We confirm the correct route for your case.
Correct and re-apply
Often the simplest and fastest when the only problem was the insurance: fix the policy and certificate and submit a fresh application.
Ask for reconsideration
A recurso de reposición asks the same consulate to look again, with the corrected certificate attached.Typically within ~1 month of notification.
Appeal to the courts
A recurso contencioso-administrativo challenges the decision before the Spanish courts — a regulated legal step we coordinate with bar-registered solicitors, who conduct the court representation.Typically within ~2 months.
Deadlines are short and strict. A refusal letter starts the clock. Before you do anything, let us read it — sometimes a corrected fresh application is faster than an appeal, and sometimes an appeal protects a timeline you cannot afford to lose.
How Platinum Legal Spain helps
We handle both halves of the problem that most providers only half-solve:
- The insurance: our specialist health-insurance service arranges a compliant Sanitas policy and the correct certificate.
- The immigration side: our immigration specialists assess the refusal, advise fresh-application vs reconsideration vs appeal, and prepare the file — working with bar-registered solicitors where a court appeal needs regulated legal representation.
Refused? Let’s fix the cover and the file
Tell us what happened and your route. We will confirm what went wrong, arrange compliant cover, and advise the fastest way back to an approval.
Frequently asked questions
My visa was refused over a small copay — can that really be the reason?
Yes. On routes such as the Non-Lucrative Visa the cover is expected to behave like the public system, so even a small fee per visit can trigger a refusal. The fix is a no-copayment policy and a certificate that states it.
Is it faster to appeal or to re-apply?
It depends on the refusal and your deadline. When the only issue was the insurance, correcting it and submitting a fresh application is often quicker than an appeal. We read the refusal and advise the route that gets you approved soonest.
Can I just upgrade my policy and resubmit the same application?
Usually the corrected policy and a new certificate are submitted either with a reconsideration request or as part of a fresh application — not slotted into the closed one. We confirm the right mechanism for your consulate.
Do I need a Spanish lawyer to appeal?
A court appeal (recurso contencioso-administrativo) is a regulated legal step; we coordinate it with bar-registered solicitors, who provide the regulated representation. A reconsideration request or a corrected fresh application does not require that, and we can prepare it for you.
Will I get my insurance premium back if the visa was refused?
That depends on the insurer and when cover was due to start. Because a policy can be issued with a future start date, this is often avoidable — we set cover up so it is not wasted if timings change.