Sanitas Avanza is comprehensive primary healthcare in Spain: outpatient health insurance with co-payments, over 400 minor surgical procedures and no hospital cover.
from €33,60 / Month
Unlimited consults + 400+ minor outpatient surgeries
Complex diagnostics included, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT or CAT) scans - no hospital cover
Reviewed by Sean Guy, authorised Sanitas agent, code 22395. Updated September 2026.
Sanitas Avanza
Sanitas Avanza is comprehensive primary healthcare in Spain: outpatient health insurance with co-payments, over 400 minor surgical procedures and no hospital cover.
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Unlimited consults + 400+ minor outpatient surgeries
Complex diagnostics included, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT or CAT) scans - no hospital cover
Sanitas Avanza is outpatient health insurance for residents in Spain with no hospital cover, from €33,60 a month. It covers unlimited general practitioner and specialist visits, MRI and CT scans and over 400 minor surgical procedures. The first 6 services a year have no co-payment, and co-payments are capped at €350 per insured person a year.
Sanitas Avanza is designed for full time residents in Spain and gives you comprehensive, high quality primary health care for those who want rapid access to outpatient care without paying for full hospital cover. It offers an economical option for private medical insurance while keeping premiums low through a co-payment structure.
Ideal for those already covered by Spain's public healthcare system, Avanza ensures shorter waiting times, nationwide access to the full Sanitas network, plus digital services and online video consultations. Compared to Accede, it includes additional cover for complex diagnostic tests such as CAT and MRI scans. Whereas the Accede does not include any surgical procedures, the Avanza covers over 400 outpatient surgical procedures, which account for 60% of surgical procedures authorised by Sanitas each year.
In Spanish, Sanitas Avanza is a seguro médico sin hospitalización, which means health insurance without hospital admission. It is the same plan, sold across Spain by Sanitas, part of the Bupa group, and this page describes it in English.
Primary & specialists Unlimited visits across the Sanitas network
Diagnostics Simple diagnostic tests, X-rays, ultrasounds and high-tech imaging
Therapies Physiotherapy and simple therapeutic methods, such as aerosol therapy and wound treatment
Digital care Video consultations, e-prescriptions, results via the app
Important: This policy is NOT suitable for visa or residency applications. Avanza is designed to complement Spain's public system. For a plan that is accepted for Spanish visa and residency applications, with full in- and out-patient hospital cover, see Sanitas Mas Salud or Sanitas Top Quantum.
Sanitas Avanza at a glance
What it covers: Sanitas Avanza covers unlimited consultations, MRI and CT scans and over 400 minor outpatient surgical procedures, but not hospitalisation or inpatient surgery.
Psychology and physiotherapy: Sanitas Avanza includes up to 15 psychology sessions per insured person each year, and physiotherapy subject to authorisation.
Co-payments: Sanitas Avanza co-payments are €0 for the first 6 services, €5 for services 7 to 15, then €10, capped at €350 per insured person each year.
Emergencies, tests and surgery: Sanitas Avanza charges an €8 co-payment for emergencies and €12 for diagnostic tests, therapeutic methods and surgical procedures.
Waiting periods: Sanitas Avanza has no waiting period for outpatient consultations, 3 months for outpatient surgery and 6 months for complex diagnostic tests.
Age limit: Sanitas Avanza has a maximum joining age of 59, but once enrolled there is no age limit to keep the cover.
Not for a visa: Sanitas Avanza is not suitable for visa or residency applications, as it is designed to complement Spain's public healthcare system.
Dental: Sanitas Avanza includes basic dental services: consultations, scale and polish once a year, simple extractions and wound treatments.
Who it suits: Sanitas Avanza suits full-time residents in Spain who want outpatient care without paying for hospital cover.
Who arranges it: HealthPlan Spain is an authorised Sanitas agent (agent code 22395) in Marbella that arranges Sanitas Avanza in English, at the same price as buying direct from Sanitas.
What does Sanitas Avanza include?
Summary - exact limits confirmed on your quote and in policy terms.
Check-ups, scale and polish, wound treatments and simple extractions
Hospitalisation
No
Not covered by Avanza
What Sanitas Avanza does not include
Benefit
NOT Included
Notes / Limits
Complex therapies
No
Not covered by Avanza
Hospitalisation
No
Not covered by Avanza
Inpatient surgery
No
Not covered by Avanza
Travel assistance outside Spain
No
Not covered by Avanza
Sanitas Avanza also excludes all internal prostheses and implantable materials, and refractive surgery for short sight, long sight and astigmatism.
Sanitas Avanza co-payments
What is a co-payment? A co-payment is a small, fixed fee that you only pay when you use a service (for example, a specialist visit or a diagnostic test). It helps keep the monthly premium low. Co-payments are counted per insured person, per policy year. Once you hit the annual cap, you pay nothing further for services for the rest of that policy year.
Our guide to how co-payments work compares every Sanitas plan. Below is the full co-payment schedule for Sanitas Avanza, including the annual cap:
Service type / frequency
Co-payment
From 0 to 6 services
€0
7 to 15 services
€5 per service
More than 15 services
€10 per service
Emergencies
€8
Diagnostic tests, therapeutic methods, and surgical procedures
€12
Single co-payment for high-frequency services*
€20
Annual limit per insured person
€350**
*Physiotherapy (10 sessions), ventilation therapy (15 sessions), and oxygen therapy (30 days for BiPAP and CPAP and 15 days for aerosol). **Services are calculated per insured person per year. If the insured person reaches the annual co-payment limit, Sanitas covers the remainder; no additional co-payments apply for the rest of the policy year. The cap resets at renewal.
Quick example: If you make 4 GP/specialist visits (€0 each), 1 emergency visit (€8), and 2 diagnostic tests (€12 + €12), your total co-payments would be €32 for the year so far - well below the €350 annual limit.
Sanitas Avanza waiting periods (qualification periods)
Outpatient consultations have no qualification periods. Certain services carry a short waiting period after your policy start date.
These waiting periods do not apply to life-threatening, unexpected accidents or illnesses diagnosed after your cover starts, provided the care is covered by the policy. Read our guide to Sanitas waiting periods.
Add-ons
Included:
Sanitas Blua: Digital health included free with your plan, giving you a 24-hour emergency video GP, video consultations in every specialty, digital physio, health checks and health programmes via the app.
Optional add-ons:
Accidental death (€30,000 / €60,000): Compensation paid in case of death or permanent disability resulting from an accident. You can select which insured members include this option.
Family assistance: Help with housework and childcare when you are unwell.
Pharmacy cover: Reclaim 50% of your prescription costs (spend €400 get €200 back).
Income protection: A daily cash benefit while you are hospitalised, to help with extra personal expenses.
Sanitas Dental: Add a dental supplement with a large number of services included and discounts of up to 40% on all other treatments.
Optical: Reclaim 50% of the cost of contact lenses or spectacle lenses.
*Add-ons can be included when completing the application form.
Eligibility, ages & payments
New contracts accepted up to and including age 59.*
Designed for full time residents (not residency or visa-compliant).
Low monthly premium plus co-payments for services used.
Policy starts on the 1st of a month.
*Subject to underwriting and current product rules.
How to use the Sanitas Avanza plan
Choose a GP or specialist from the Sanitas network via the app.
Present your digital/physical card - no upfront payment for outpatient care.
Co-payments (if any) are debited by Sanitas with your next monthly premium; track everything in the app.
Compare Sanitas Avanza with other Sanitas plans
Sanitas Avanza, Accede and Unico: outpatient plans without hospitalisation
Sanitas Avanza, Sanitas Accede and Sanitas Unico all give outpatient cover without hospitalisation, and none is accepted for a visa or residency application. They differ in co-payments, complex diagnostic tests, surgery and joining age. See every Sanitas plan with co-payments.
Feature
Avanza
Accede
Unico
Co-payments
Yes, first 6 services each year free, with an annual cap
Yes, from the first consultation, with an annual cap
Yes, first 6 consultations each year free, no annual cap
Complex diagnostic tests (MRI and CT scans)
Yes, after 6 months
No
MRI and CT scans only, after 6 months for customers new to private insurance
Outpatient surgery
Over 400 minor procedures, after 3 months
No
No
Hospitalisation
No
No
No
Age to join
Up to 59
Up to 59
60 and over, no maximum age
Visa / residency compliant
No
No
No
Compare Sanitas Avanza with Sanitas Mas Salud and Sanitas Top Quantum
Sanitas Avanza is outpatient health insurance for residents in Spain, insured by Sanitas, part of the Bupa group. It covers consultations, simple and complex diagnostic tests and over 400 minor surgical procedures, with co-payments. It does not cover hospital admission and is not accepted for a visa or residency application.
What does Sanitas Avanza include?
Sanitas Avanza includes unlimited general practitioner (GP) and specialist consultations in the Sanitas network, and simple and complex diagnostic tests such as MRI and CT scans. It covers over 400 minor outpatient surgical procedures, physiotherapy subject to authorisation and up to 15 psychology sessions per person a year. Basic dental services, emergency visits and Sanitas Blua digital health, including video consultations, are included. It does not include hospitalisation, inpatient surgery, complex therapies, childbirth or travel assistance outside Spain.
Does Sanitas Avanza have co-payments?
Yes. A co-payment, copago in Spanish, is a small fixed fee that you pay when you use a service. On Sanitas Avanza the first 6 services each year cost €0, services 7 to 15 cost €5 each and every service after that costs €10. Emergencies cost €8, and diagnostic tests, therapeutic methods and surgical procedures cost €12. There is also an annual €350 cap per insured person, and co-payments are collected with your next monthly premium. See the full co-payment table above.
How much does Sanitas Avanza cost?
The monthly premium for Sanitas Avanza depends on your age and the province you live in, and the starting price is shown at the top of this page. A 0.15% Insurance Compensation Consortium surcharge is added. Premiums are valid for new policyholders who sign up between April 1 2026 and March 31 2027. You also pay co-payments for the services you use, capped at €350 per insured person each year. Get a quote for this plan to see your own price, or read our guide to health insurance prices in Spain by age.
What are the waiting periods on Sanitas Avanza?
Sanitas Avanza has no waiting period for outpatient consultations. Outpatient surgery waits 3 months, and complex diagnostic tests such as MRI and CT scans wait 6 months. Waiting periods, periodos de carencia in Spanish, do not apply to life-threatening, unexpected accidents or illnesses diagnosed after your cover starts, provided the care is covered by the policy. Read our guide to Sanitas waiting periods.
Is Sanitas Avanza a good plan, and who is it for?
Sanitas Avanza suits full-time residents in Spain who already use the public healthcare system and want faster access to specialists, scans and minor surgery for a lower premium. Our guide to the best health insurance in Spain names Sanitas Accede and Sanitas Avanza as the choices on a budget. It is not the right plan if you need hospital cover, childbirth cover, cover outside Spain or a policy for a visa or residency application. For those, compare Sanitas Mas Salud or Sanitas Top Quantum.
What is the difference between Sanitas Avanza and Sanitas Accede?
Both are outpatient plans for residents in Spain without hospital cover, and neither is accepted for a visa or residency application. Sanitas Avanza adds complex diagnostic tests such as MRI and CT scans and over 400 minor outpatient surgical procedures, which Sanitas Accede does not cover. Sanitas Accede charges a co-payment from the first consultation and has no waiting periods. Sanitas Avanza makes the first 6 services each year free, and has waiting periods of 3 months for outpatient surgery and 6 months for complex diagnostic tests.
Does Sanitas Avanza cover hospital treatment?
No. Sanitas Avanza is an outpatient plan. It does not cover hospitalisation, inpatient surgery or complex therapies, and it includes no travel assistance outside Spain. It does cover over 400 minor surgical procedures carried out in clinic settings. For full hospital cover, Sanitas Mas Salud and Sanitas Top Quantum both include hospitalisation.
Can I use Sanitas Avanza for a Spanish visa or residency application?
No. Sanitas Avanza is not suitable for visa or residency applications. It is designed for full-time residents already covered by Spain's public healthcare system who want shorter waiting times for outpatient care. Sanitas Top Quantum and the no co-payment version of Sanitas Mas Salud are both accepted for Spanish visa and residency applications, with full hospital cover.
Will Sanitas Avanza offer me the flexibility to choose my own appointments when and where I please?
Yes, you will be able to see a doctor or consultant and have tests done very quickly by choosing any provider in the Sanitas network.
Can I use Sanitas Avanza outside Spain?
No, Sanitas Avanza does not cover you outside of Spain.
What are pre-existing conditions and how do they apply to the Sanitas Avanza?
Pre-existing conditions relate to medical conditions that existed prior to the date of you contracting the Sanitas Avanza. You can take out Sanitas Avanza with a pre-existing condition, but whether that condition is covered is decided at underwriting. Sanitas reviews the medical history you declare on the application. It either accepts the condition, excludes it from cover, accepts it with a loading on the premium (rare), or declines the application if the risk is too high. An exclusion is written into the policy and is permanent. Declare everything: if you claim later for an undeclared condition, Sanitas can refuse the claim and cancel the policy. Read our guide to pre-existing conditions.
Does Sanitas Avanza cover antenatal care or childbirth?
Sanitas Avanza covers obstetrics and gynaecology consultations. It includes first-trimester preeclampsia screening and, in the cases set out in the policy conditions and with prior authorisation from Sanitas, non-invasive prenatal screening. The Sanitas Mother and Baby Programme adds childbirth preparation classes. Childbirth itself is not covered, because Sanitas Avanza does not include hospital admission.
Sanitas Avanza mentions something about dental, what dental cover is included with this plan?
Within Sanitas Avanza there are a few dental services including: scale and polish once a year, consultations, simple extractions and wound treatments. If you need more comprehensive dental cover then please see our range of dental plans here.
Is there an age limit on becoming a Sanitas Avanza member?
The Sanitas Avanza can be contracted from the ages of 0-59 years inclusive. Once a policy is contracted there is no upper age limit to remain insured.
Do I have to pay anything when I attend my appointments?
No. As a Sanitas Avanza member you will receive a Sanitas membership card. Each time you attend an appointment your card will be swiped at reception to record your visit and the details of any applicable co-payments. Please note: You can only present your card to Sanitas providers. Your online guide to Sanitas providers is available inside the app. Co-payments relating to the services used will be collected with your next monthly premium.
Who owns Sanitas?
Sanitas, S.A. de Seguros, the insurer behind Sanitas Avanza, is part of the Bupa group. HealthPlan Spain is an exclusive Sanitas agency. Sean Guy is authorised Sanitas agent 22395, registered with the Direccion General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones (DGSFP) under code C0320X5769518Z.
Is Sanitas Avanza available in English?
Yes. HealthPlan Spain is an English-speaking authorised Sanitas office in Marbella. We quote, set up and support your Sanitas Avanza policy in English, by phone or email, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm. The terms and conditions and the plan brochure can be downloaded in English from the Documents section below.
What minor surgery does Sanitas Avanza cover?
Sanitas Avanza covers over 400 minor outpatient surgical procedures, the operations in groups 0, 1 and 2 of the surgical classification of the Spanish Medical Colleges Organisation (OMC). They are done without hospital admission, after a 3-month waiting period, with a €12 co-payment per procedure. Operations in higher groups, and any surgery that needs a hospital stay, are not covered.
Treatment received in medical centres that are not part of the Sanitas network.
Care required as a result of chronic alcoholism, drug dependency or substance abuse.
Child birth.
Voluntary termination of pregnancy.
Surgical procedures for conditions such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, or involving radio surgery.
Any type of vaccine or autovaccination.
Therapies or treatments based on alternative medicine.
Injuries or illnesses resulting from acts of war, terrorism or insurrection.
This is a brief overview only - the complete list of exclusions is set out in the official policy terms.
Contract term and cancellation
All policies are contracted on an annual basis. Cancellation can only be made by giving one month's notice of cancellation in advance of the policy renewal date.
Premiums from €33,60
Premiums listed are valid for new policyholders who sign up between April 1 2026 and March 31 2027. A 0.15% surcharge from the Insurance Compensation Consortium will be added to the premiums. Premiums may vary depending on where the policyholder lives. The maximum age to purchase this insurance is 59, but once enrolled, there is no age limit to keep the coverage. A new policyholder is someone who hasn't had any other Sanitas policy in the last 6 months before joining this one.