Insurance for freelancers and autónomos in Spain

Short answer: there’s no single insurance that every self-employed worker (autónomo) must have, but many activities do require one, especially liability insurance. And even if yours doesn’t, one mistake with a client or an accident could put your personal savings at risk. Here’s how to work out what you need.

When it’s mandatory

It depends on what you do, not on being self-employed. Common examples:

• Healthcare professions (doctors, physiotherapists, dentists, clinical psychologists…): the rules require professional liability insurance.
• Lawyers and other professions with a professional association (colegio): many require it to practise.
• Architecture, engineering and other technical work that signs off projects.
• Installers (electrical, gas, air conditioning…): sector rules usually require liability insurance.
• Premises open to the public, such as cafés or shops: regional and local rules may require it for the opening licence.

If in doubt, check your professional association’s or licence’s requirements, or ask me and we’ll check together.

The most important policies for autónomos

1. General liability: injury or damage your activity causes to others. For example, a client who trips in your premises.
2. Professional indemnity: financial loss you cause a client through an error or omission. Key for consultants, designers, IT, healthcare and more.
3. Sick-pay insurance: a daily amount if illness or an accident stops you working, on top of the public benefit.
4. Premises insurance: your space, furniture, equipment and stock.
5. Health insurance: getting back to work sooner protects your income too.

Common mistakes

• Describing your activity poorly in the policy. If what you do isn’t listed, a claim could be excluded.
• Choosing a limit too low for the size of your projects or clients.
• Assuming home insurance covers working from home. It usually doesn’t.
• Ignoring territorial scope if you work with clients abroad, which many expat freelancers do.

How to start

Make a simple list: what you do, for whom, where you work, whether you have premises or staff, and what could go wrong. That’s enough to know which policies are mandatory for you and which to prioritise.

In short

Not every autónomo must be insured, but many activities require it, and almost all need it in practice. Start with the right liability cover for your activity, and think about sick pay too.

Tell me what you do and I’ll tell you what you need, with options from several insurers, in English.