Sanitas vs DKV vs Adeslas: Best expat health insurance Valencia 2026

Michael BastinFounder, ValenciaMove

Resident in Valencia since 2016. Founder of BeTranslated. 25+ years in translation, interpretation and multilingual SEO.

Reviewed 2 September 2026 by Michael Bastin

I have held all three of these insurers across nine years in Valencia. Sanitas first (2017-2020) on the basic plan. Adeslas next (2020-2023) when I switched for the dental coverage. DKV since 2023 because their app finally caught up. Each one has solved a problem the other one could not, and the brochure pages do not tell you which is which. This is what I tell every client during their first relocation call - which insurer fits which use case, what 2026 monthly costs actually look like, and when paying private is overkill versus when it is the only thing standing between you and a 3-month wait at Hospital Clinico. For broader context, see our private health insurance Spain guide.

The bottom line: If you are on a Digital Nomad Visa or Beckham Law setup, you must hold private insurance with no copay and full coverage in Spain - that narrows the choice. Sanitas wins on English-speaking doctor density, DKV on app and price, Adeslas on dental and breadth. The right answer depends on your visa and family setup, not on which brochure looks the prettiest.

The visa-driven split most newcomers do not see

Before comparing plans, decide which bucket you are in - your Digital Nomad Visa or Non-Lucrative Visa status drives the answer:

• Digital Nomad Visa or Non-Lucrative Visa: consulates require full coverage with no copay, from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain. Ask for the no-copay tier by name - Sanitas Mas Salud without copays, DKV Integral Elite, Adeslas Plena Total. The cheaper copay versions of those same products do NOT qualify.
• Beckham Law fiscal regime: technically you can also enrol in Spanish Social Security since you are a regular employee, BUT many Beckhamites add private insurance on top for English-speaking doctors and shorter wait times.
• EU citizen or settled resident: you can use the Spanish public health system (SS) for free after registering. Private becomes optional - you buy it for convenience, not access.
• Tourist or non-resident traveller: you do NOT need any of these. A travel insurance policy from your home country is enough.

Skip to the right section based on your bucket.

The visa requirements that decide which plan tier you need are spelled out in the Digital Nomad Visa Spain pillar and on our wider Health Insurance Spain guide, which compares public, private, and EHIC coverage.

What each tier actually costs in 2026

Only DKV publishes its rates. Sanitas and Adeslas quote individually on your age, postcode and plan, so their rows say exactly that rather than carry a number we cannot source. The DKV figures are its own published entry prices, checked September 2026 - a starting rate for the cheapest profile, not a quote for your age in Valencia.

DKV publishes a family discount of up to 12% for putting everyone on one policy. Sanitas and Adeslas run family and annual-payment discounts too, but neither publishes the percentage, so ask for it in writing with the quote.

Sanitas: the English-speaking doctor network leader

What it is best for: newcomers whose Spanish is still wobbly and who want a doctor who speaks English natively or near-natively, every visit.

Why I started here: in 2017 I had no Spanish at all. The Sanitas network in Valencia included around 50 English-speaking GPs and specialists, with their language skill flagged on the Sanitas search interface. I never had to gesture about what hurt.

Strengths in 2026:

• Densest English-speaking specialist network in Valencia (Hospital 9 de Octubre, Hospital Quironsalud Valencia, plus a network of small clinics in Eixample and Ruzafa)
• Strong app for booking - typically 2-3 day wait for a GP, 1-3 weeks for specialists
• Maternity coverage is solid (waiting period typically around 10 months from policy start)
• 24/7 nurse phone line in English

Weaknesses:

• Most expensive of the three at equivalent coverage tier
• Customer service for plan changes is slow
• Some specialist add-ons are charged per visit even on no-copay plans
• Limited dental at the standard tier - upgrade required

Use Sanitas when your Spanish is shaky, you want maternity-grade pregnancy support, you value speed-to-appointment over price.

DKV: the app-and-price winner in 2026

What it is best for: settled expats whose Spanish is functional, who want a clean digital experience, and who prefer to spend less without losing coverage quality.

Why I switched in 2023: their app rebuilt from scratch in 2022 with chat-based GP consultations, instant prescription renewals, and integration with Spanish electronic prescriptions (the receta electronica). Bookings happen in seconds, not phone calls.

Strengths in 2026:

• Best digital experience of the three (chat consultations, video GP visits, instant prescription pickup at any pharmacy)
• Integral Elite is DKV's no-copay tier, the one a consulate will accept, and DKV publishes it from 56 EUR a month (39 EUR on its current promotion)
• Network of more than 51,000 medical professionals and 1,000 centres, which DKV says reaches 93 of the 100 best-rated hospitals in Spain
• Clean pricing - no surprise add-ons in the standard tiers

Weaknesses:

• Smaller English-speaking GP pool than Sanitas (you can find one but the search is harder)
• Maternity has a 10-12 month waiting period from policy start
• Customer service in English is decent but not as polished as Sanitas
• Mundisalud is DKV's international reimbursement line, not a cheap local plan - the Elite tier reimburses 90% up to a 310,000 EUR annual limit and starts at 135 EUR a month, so it is the wrong product to buy for a Spanish visa file

Use DKV when you can hold a basic conversation in Spanish, you live with your phone, and you want visa-eligible coverage at the best price.

Adeslas: the broadest network and dental king

What it is best for: families wanting one plan to cover everyone with strong dental and breadth across Spain.

Why I held Adeslas 2020-2023: dental. They include real dental cleanings and basic procedures in the standard plan, where Sanitas and DKV require an add-on or separate dental policy.

Strengths in 2026:

• Largest Spanish private network (well over a thousand hospitals and clinics across Spain)
• Dental coverage is the best of the three at the same tier
• Strong family discount - couple plus child can be around 30% cheaper combined than three individual policies
• Broad geographic coverage means you can use it across Spain (handy if you travel)

Weaknesses:

• English-speaking specialist density is lower than Sanitas
• App is functional but not as polished as DKV
• Some 2026 customer service complaints about wait times when escalating

Use Adeslas when you have kids, you want strong dental, or you travel a lot within Spain.

Spain health insurance: the hidden plays worth knowing

• Cigna Global Health: not Spanish-issued, and it publishes no rates, so you are quoting blind. Some consulates accept it and many do not, because the test is whether the insurer is authorised to operate in Spain. Use case: you split your year between Spain and another country.
• Asisa: a fourth Spanish player, owned by its own doctors and running 18 hospitals of its own. It quotes individually rather than publishing rates, so get a comparison quote before you commit.
• Sanitas plus Adeslas combo: some long-term residents hold a basic Adeslas family plan plus a personal Sanitas top-up. Costs more than one plan but solves family-and-language needs simultaneously.

Switching providers without losing waiting periods

A common trap: if you switch insurers, your new provider often imposes a new waiting period for maternity, surgery, and pre-existing conditions. To avoid this:

1. Get a carencias certificate from your current insurer documenting how long you have been continuously insured
2. Submit it to the new provider during enrolment
3. They typically waive or shorten the waiting period if you have been continuously covered for around 12 months or more

Time the switch carefully. If you are planning a pregnancy or surgery, do it BEFORE switching, not after.

Private health insurance Spain: when you should NOT bother

• You are an EU citizen with a job and Spanish Social Security registration - public is excellent in Valencia, especially Hospital Clinico and Hospital La Fe
• You have only basic medical needs and Spanish fluent enough to navigate public
• You are on a tight budget and not on a visa requiring private

The Spanish public system (SAS / GVA Salut) provides high-quality care. The private system buys you speed and language. Decide which you actually need.

For navigating the Spanish public system once you have it, see our walkthrough at Healthcare in Valencia for Expats. Most clients pair private and public from year two onward.

Expat health insurance Valencia: my personal stack in 2026

• DKV Integral Elite, the no-copay network tier - primary, daily-use, app-driven
• GVA Salut (Spanish public system) - backup, for emergencies and complex cases (the public hospitals have specialists private does not)
• No dental add-on currently - I see a private dentist out-of-pocket annually

DKV publishes Integral Elite from 56 EUR a month, 39 EUR on its current promotion; your own renewal lands wherever your age and postcode put it. Public cover is free.

Health insurance is one of the documents most clients struggle with during a DNV application (alongside the Spanish IBAN our bank account opening walkthrough covers, and the NIE cita previa needed before the consulate visit). Our Valencia relocation services pack handles broker comparison plus enrolment so you do not pay for the wrong tier.