Travel insurance and delayed flights: what covers what in Valencia

Do I need travel insurance if I'm coming from the EU?

It's not compulsory, but it's worth having. With the European Health Insurance Card, residents of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland get the care they need during their stay in the Spanish public system, on the same terms and at the same price as a resident. UK travellers have the same access with a GHIC or a UK EHIC that's still valid.

What the card doesn't cover is exactly what costs most: an air-ambulance repatriation, private clinics, trip cancellation, luggage or rescue. That's what travel insurance is for.

Apply for your European Health Insurance Card before you travel: it's free, and in many countries it takes a few days to arrive.

What if I'm coming from the US, Latin America or outside Europe?

Then travel insurance is close to essential. The Spanish public system always treats emergencies, but bills you afterwards, and a hospital stay or a transfer home can cost thousands of euros. Check your health insurance too: many plans, such as Medicare in the US, don't cover care abroad.

If you need a Schengen visa to enter Spain, insurance is compulsory: it must cover at least €30,000 in medical expenses and repatriation and be valid throughout the Schengen area for your whole stay.

What good travel insurance should cover

Before you buy, read the policy terms, not just the price. These are the points that make the difference:

• Medical expenses: at least €30,000; if you're coming from outside Europe, preferably much more.
• Medical repatriation: getting you home if you can't travel on your own. It's the most expensive cover if you need it.
• Excess: the part you pay yourself on each claim. Some cheap policies charge a percentage of the cost.
• Sub-limits: the maximum for each type of expense (dental, luggage, a single item). High headline cover can shrink to little because of a low sub-limit.
• Activities: if you plan to surf, kitesurf or do adventure sports, check they're included.
• Cancellation and luggage: useful if you've paid a lot upfront or travel with valuables.

The policy terms should name the insurer that backs the policy, with its legal name and registration. If you can't find it, be wary. And check first whether your credit card already includes travel insurance when you pay for your ticket with it.

If you fall ill in Valencia

• In an emergency, call 112: it's free and answers in several languages.
• For something urgent but not serious, go to the emergency department of a hospital or health centre. The main public hospitals are La Fe, the Clínico and the General.
• Bring your European Health Insurance Card or your insurance details and your passport. With private insurance, call its assistance line first: many will refer you to a partner clinic and pay directly.
• For something minor, start at a pharmacy: Valencia has on-duty pharmacies open 24 hours.

How much are you owed if your flight is delayed or cancelled?

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 entitles you to fixed compensation if you reach your destination 3 hours or more late, if your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice or if you're denied boarding because of overbooking. It applies to every flight leaving an EU airport, whatever the airline, and to flights arriving in the EU with a European airline.

The airline doesn't have to pay if there were extraordinary circumstances, such as a storm or an air traffic control strike. As a rule, a technical fault or a strike by its own staff doesn't count as extraordinary. On top of compensation, while you wait it must give you food, drinks and, if needed, a hotel.

How to claim: free on your own or through a company

You can claim yourself at no cost. This is the official procedure in Spain:

• Claim from the airline first, on its website or with AESA's form. You have up to 5 years from the flight.
• If it doesn't reply within a month or turns you down, file a claim with AESA (Spain's aviation safety agency) within one year. It's free.
• AESA decides within 90 days and its decision is binding: the airline has one month to pay, or you can ask a court to enforce it.
• Keep your boarding pass, your booking and the receipts for anything you spend while you wait.

The EU reform approved in July 2026 keeps the €250, €400 and €600, but from mid-2027 you'll only have 9 months to claim. If you have a flight pending, don't let it slip.

Lost, delayed or damaged luggage

• Don't leave the airport without filling in a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airline's or its handling agent's desk.
• Claim from the airline in writing: 7 days for damaged luggage and 21 days from when it's handed to you if it was delayed.
• Under the Montreal Convention, the airline is liable for up to 1,519 SDR per passenger (about €1,800), but only for losses you can prove: keep the receipts for anything you have to buy.
• Your travel insurance, if it covers luggage, can pay what the airline doesn't.