Alongside "no copay", the second box a Non-Lucrative Visa policy usually needs to tick is "no deductible" — or, in UK terms, "no excess". They are the same idea, and both come down to one question: does the insurer pay eligible costs in full from the start?
A deductible or excess (in Spanish, franquicia) is an amount you pay yourself before the insurer starts to pay. For the Non-Lucrative Visa, cover is normally expected to have no deductible and no excess (sin franquicia), so eligible costs are met in full. Like a copayment, a deductible can be a reason for a policy to be questioned, so the safer choice for the NLV is usually a policy with none. Requirements can vary slightly by consulate, so always check the latest instructions for where you are applying.
This page explains what a deductible and an excess are, why UK and US applicants use different words for the same thing, why "no deductible" matters for the NLV, and what your certificate should say. If you would rather we simply arrange a suitable no-deductible policy for the NLV in Spain, you can request a quote.
What "no deductible" and "no excess" mean
A deductible or excess is the amount you agree to pay yourself before your insurer contributes to a claim. Say a policy has a €300 excess: on an eligible claim, you cover the first €300 and the insurer pays the rest. As with a copayment, an excess keeps the premium lower, because you are taking on part of the risk.
"No deductible" or "no excess" — sin franquicia — means there is no such amount. The insurer covers eligible costs from the first euro, with nothing for you to pay up front. That is sometimes described as "first-euro cover", and it is what a Non-Lucrative Visa policy is usually expected to provide.
Deductible vs excess — a quick word note
If you are reading policies in English, you will see both words. UK applicants tend to say "excess"; US applicants tend to say "deductible". For the NLV they mean the same thing, and the Spanish term for both is franquicia. So whether a search says "no excess health insurance Spain visa" or "no deductible health insurance NLV Spain", it is the same requirement.
Why "no deductible" matters for the Non-Lucrative Visa
The logic mirrors the no-copay requirement. The NLV expects cover broadly equivalent to the Spanish public health system, where a resident is not asked to pay a set amount before treatment is covered. A policy with a deductible or excess introduces exactly that kind of up-front cost — so it looks a little less like full public-style healthcare, and a little more like a limited private plan.
That makes a deductible, like a copayment, a common reason for a policy to be queried at the visa stage. And again, it is not that an excess makes a policy bad — for a resident happy to self-insure a small amount, it can lower the premium sensibly. It is that, for satisfying a consulate, it adds a doubt you do not need.
This is why "no deductible" travels together with no copayments and no waiting periods. Together they describe cover with no financial or time barriers between you and care — the practical meaning of "equivalent to public healthcare". See how they combine on the requirements page.
It is worth being clear-eyed about the trade-off, because it is the same one behind copayments. An excess lowers your premium by asking you to carry a slice of the risk yourself — genuinely useful for a resident who wants to save money and rarely claims. For a visa application, that small monthly saving is set against a real risk: a deductible is, like a copayment, a recognised reason for a policy to be questioned at the appointment. Weighed up that way, first-euro cover is usually the better value for the NLV, even though it costs a little more each month. It buys certainty at exactly the point where certainty matters most. This is the practical meaning of the phrase we use across the site: for the NLV, the cheapest policy is not always the safest.
An excess is easy to miss, because it lives in the policy conditions rather than the headline price. A policy can look comprehensive and still carry an excess on claims. Always check — or ask us to check — before you rely on it.
Deductible, excess and franquicia — same issue, different language
Because Non-Lucrative Visa applicants come from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and beyond, the same idea shows up under different words — and that can cause confusion when you are comparing policies or reading a certificate.
- Excess — the usual UK term. "A £200 excess" means you pay the first £200 of a claim.
- Deductible — the usual US and Canadian term. A "$500 deductible" works the same way.
- Franquicia — the Spanish term for both, the one that appears in a Spanish policy.
So a search for "no excess health insurance Spain visa" and one for "no deductible health insurance NLV Spain" are asking for exactly the same thing: cover with no amount you must pay before the insurer contributes. On a Spanish policy, that is sin franquicia. Knowing all three words helps you check any policy, whichever country you are applying from.
How a hidden excess affects the visa requirement
A policy with an excess is still "private health insurance" — it just is not ideal for the NLV. The issue is not that the cover is worthless; it is that an excess makes the policy look less like the Spanish public health system, where a resident is not asked to pay a set amount before treatment is covered. For the specific purpose of satisfying a consulate, that is a doubt worth removing, which is why an NLV-compliant policy is normally sin franquicia.
Where deductibles hide in Spanish policy documents
An excess rarely appears on the headline summary — it lives in the conditions. If you are checking a Spanish policy yourself, search the document for these terms:
- franquicia
- sin franquicia
- deducible
- exceso
- importe a cargo del asegurado
If you find franquicia, deducible, or a phrase like importe a cargo del asegurado ("amount payable by the insured"), the policy expects you to pay something before it does. What you want is sin franquicia, ideally stated on both the policy and the certificate. If the wording is unclear, ask the insurer to confirm, or send it to us to review.
Suitable vs risky: no-deductible at a glance
| Suitable for the NLV | Risky for the NLV |
|---|---|
| Sin franquicia (no deductible/excess) | Any deductible or excess, even a small one |
| First-euro cover on eligible claims | You pay an amount before the insurer contributes |
| Certificate states "no deductible / no excess" | Certificate says "full cover" but not "sin franquicia" |
| No copay and no waiting periods too | No copay, but a hidden franquicia in the conditions |
| From an insurer authorised in Spain | Chosen on premium alone |
What your certificate should say about the deductible
As with copayments, holding a no-deductible policy is not enough on its own — the certificate should confirm it. A strong NLV certificate states that the policy has no deductible or excess, alongside no copayments and no waiting periods where required. If the certificate is silent on the excess, an official cannot assume there is none.
If a certificate you are offered does not mention it, ask the insurer to make it explicit, or ask us to review the wording. There is more on documentation on the certificate page.
Example wording: "The policy provides comprehensive private medical cover in Spain, with no copayments, no deductibles and no waiting periods, and is valid for the stated cover period."
Example scenarios
The excess in the small print
An applicant buys a policy that looks comprehensive. Buried in the conditions is a per-claim excess. It was never mentioned on the summary, and it surfaces only when the certificate wording is scrutinised. A sin franquicia policy avoids the issue.
The UK applicant and the "excess"
A British applicant is used to buying insurance with an excess and assumes a small one is fine. For the NLV, they learn that the consulate usually expects none, and they switch to first-euro cover before applying.
No copay, but a deductible
An applicant carefully chooses a no-copay policy, then overlooks a separate deductible. Because the requirements travel together, they make sure the policy is both no-copay and no-deductible.
The pre-purchase check
Before buying, an applicant sends us two shortlisted policies. One has a modest excess; the other is sin franquicia. For the visa, they choose the latter and their certificate states it plainly.
The US applicant and the deductible
An American applicant is used to plans with a deductible and assumes a modest one is normal. For the NLV, they learn the consulate usually expects none, and choose sin franquicia cover so the certificate is clean.
The "full cover" that wasn't
A certificate proudly says "full cover", but nowhere states sin franquicia. On a closer read the policy carries an excess. The applicant asks the insurer to correct the wording — or switches to a policy that is genuinely first-euro.
Common deductible mistakes to avoid
- Assuming "no copay" means "no excess". They are separate — a policy can have one without the other.
- Missing the excess in the conditions. It rarely appears on the headline summary.
- Treating a "small" excess as fine. For the NLV, the usual expectation is none.
- Not checking the certificate confirms no deductible or excess.
- Choosing purely on premium, where the lower price reflects an excess you have taken on.
No-deductible checklist for the NLV
- The policy is sin franquicia — no deductible or excess
- Cover is first-euro — the insurer pays eligible costs in full
- The certificate states "no deductible / no excess"
- Paired with no copayments and no waiting periods where required
- From an insurer authorised to operate in Spain
Get first-euro cover designed for the NLV
We arrange no-deductible, no-excess Spanish private medical cover suited to Non-Lucrative Visa applications, with a certificate that states it clearly — no deductible, no copay and no waiting periods where required.
No-deductible FAQs
What does no deductible or no excess mean for Spanish visa insurance?
A deductible or excess (franquicia in Spanish) is an amount you pay yourself before the insurer starts to pay. No deductible, or no excess, means the insurer covers eligible costs in full from the start. For the Non-Lucrative Visa, cover is normally expected to have no deductible and no excess.
Is a deductible the same as an excess?
For this purpose, yes. UK applicants usually say excess and US applicants usually say deductible, but both mean an amount you must pay before the insurer contributes. In Spanish it is a franquicia. For the NLV, you generally want none.
Will a Spanish consulate accept insurance with a deductible?
It varies, and like a copayment, a deductible can be a reason for a policy to be questioned, because it reduces how closely the cover resembles the public health system. The safer choice for the NLV is usually a policy with no deductible or excess.
What is sin franquicia?
Sin franquicia is Spanish for without deductible or without excess. It means there is no amount you must pay before the insurer pays. For the Non-Lucrative Visa, a sin franquicia policy is usually the expected choice, alongside no copayments and no waiting periods.
Does the certificate need to mention no deductible?
Ideally, yes. Even if the policy has no deductible, the certificate should state it clearly, alongside no copayments and no waiting periods where required, so an official does not have to assume it. See the certificate page.
Can a policy have no copay but still have an excess?
Yes — the two are separate features. A policy can be no-copay yet still carry a deductible or excess, or vice versa. For the NLV, aim for a policy that is both no-copay and no-deductible, and check the certificate confirms both.
Where do I find the deductible in a Spanish policy?
Look in the policy conditions rather than the summary. Search for franquicia, deducible, exceso, or importe a cargo del asegurado. If any applies to your cover, the policy has a deductible or excess. If you see sin franquicia, it does not.
Should the certificate say "sin franquicia"?
It should make clear there is no deductible or excess, in Spanish (sin franquicia) or English (no deductible / no excess). A certificate that only says "full cover" without addressing the excess can still leave a question.
Is a €0 deductible the same as no deductible?
In effect, yes — a zero deductible means you pay nothing before the insurer contributes, which is what "no deductible" means. What matters for the NLV is that the certificate makes the position clear, however it is expressed.
Can "full cover" wording hide a deductible?
It can. "Full cover" or "comprehensive" describes the breadth of what is covered, not whether there is an excess. A policy can be comprehensive and still carry a franquicia. Check specifically for the deductible, and make sure the certificate confirms there is none.
Related: no copayments, no waiting periods, and the full NLV requirements.