In answer to your question about insuring your new car in Spain when you have it, the answer is yes, and you have a number of options. I assume you are buying a Spanish registered car, as some people decide to bring their British registered car to Spain. I will do my very best not to sound like an advert here (I am the MD of a UK Insurance Brokerage with Branches in Spain), but there are Brokers you can talk to who can provide you with suitable comprehensive insurance for your car, to cover you and your family. My advice is to get a policy that is written in English so you FULLY understand your cover. An independent Broker is best as they can give you access to more than just one policy, so find the best one for your needs, and the best price of course. Alternately you can call local insurance companies but the language barrier can be a challenge and if the policy wording is in Spanish there is room for misunderstandings as I am sure you can appreciate. However this is an option available to you. If you do use a Broker, I suggest you try and find one that speaks English and perhaps that is focussed on expats, as this will help you a great deal. Insuring your car is simple and straight forward, so nothing to worry about here.
Some things to consider when insuring a car in Spain:-
· Are you covered whilst driving the car outside Spain (if you drive to Portugal or the UK for instance) and for what period this covers (perhaps 90 days in any one year, or a limited period outside Spain but no actual limit on the total time spent outside Spain for example)
· What you will get paid if you have a total loss (their policy on valuing the car)
· If the policy includes breakdown cover
· Is the breakdown cover just applicable to Spain or also throughout Europe
· A hire car option may also be worth considering but note this may well be an “option” rather than “standard” so do check this with them. It is advisable as if your car is off the road you have access to a hire car paid for by the insurance company
· Is the hire car option only available in the event of an accident, or also for “mechanical breakdown”
· Are there any restrictions on driving and what are they, such as an “open policy” so anyone can drive, and is there an age limit on this, so for example “any driver over the age of 30” or just for the insured named on the policy
I hope this helps
Regards
Alaric Errington